Cartier-Roberval Park | Light on the first French colony in America

Few people know of the existence of the Cartier-Roberval archaeological site. It is at this place, located about twenty minutes from Old Quebec, that the first French colony in America was founded in the 16th century.^e century, well before the arrival of Samuel de Champlain. His visit lifts the veil on a little-known part of our history and, what’s more, access is free.

(Quebec) Chemin Saint-Louis crosses the upper town, from the Plains of Abraham to Sainte-Foy. At its western end, on the cliff overlooking the bay of Cap-Rouge, are the remains of the first French colony founded in 1541 by Jacques Cartier and Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval.

“Historians have known for a long time that the site existed, but its location had not been discovered,” explains Nicolas Giroux, history and heritage advisor at the National Capital Commission of Quebec (CCNQ).

It is by planning the extension of the Samuel-De Champlain promenade, with a view to the celebrations of the 400^e anniversary of the city of Quebec, that the place was located in 2005. The excavations made it possible to find the foundations of buildings and hundreds of artifacts, but above all, this discovery made it possible to shed light on the beginnings of the New -France.

The development of the archaeological site was not easy. It is located in an isolated location, located between a wood belonging to the City of Quebec and the Canadian National railway. It was also necessary to solidify the cliff, erosion of which had already carried away part of the remains.

Nearly 20 years after locating the location of this historic site, the CCNQ finally gave public access to it in June 2022.

Setting the record straight

At the start of the visit, panels recall the historical and political context which led to the establishment of the colony. We return to the travels of Jacques Cartier and the different contacts between Europeans and Indigenous people. The texts were written in collaboration with the Huron-Wendat Nation in order to put forward the point of view of this people on this era.

The path then leads to a long footbridge. This overlooks the site of the old colony. From this location, the view of Cap-Rouge Bay, the St. Lawrence River and the railway bridge that spans the valley is breathtaking.

This place was not chosen at random by the settlers.

This expedition was in fact financed by the King of France with the aim of finding the treasures of the “Kingdom of Saguenay”. To do this, he chose the experienced navigator Jacques Cartier as well as the soldier Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval. The two men had the mandate to establish the first colony in America. And they succeeded.

From 1541 to 1543, more than 500 people inhabited the Cap-Rouge cliff. “That’s much more than the 30 people who founded the city of Quebec in 1608,” underlines the historian.

During this short period, the settlers built a real small city on the natural promontory of Cap-Rouge. A model placed on the footbridge allows you to imagine the location of the old buildings. It is also possible to visualize the village and the landscape of the time thanks to an augmented reality experience accessible by an application on the site, because no remains are visible on the ground.

The remains of livestock, found during excavations, demonstrate that the colony was intended to be permanent. However, the start of a new war in France in 1543 forced the king to put an end to the project and repatriate the inhabitants.

The numerous artifacts found by archaeologists are very fragmented. According to Mr. Giroux, this detail proves that the colonists hastened to leave. They only brought intact or essential items.

Reproductions of pieces of Italian earthenware, Iroquoian ceramics and an ax are displayed on the walkway. The originals will be presented from May 30 at the Musée de la civilization de Québec as part of a new permanent exhibition dedicated to the Cartier-Roberval colony.

According to historian Nicolas Giroux, the discovery of the first French colony in America allowed us to better understand the way of life of the time and to correct some historical concepts. For example, the pieces of pyrite and quartz that Jacques Cartier presented in France did not come from Cap-Diamant, but rather from the colony at Cap-Rouge.

“Now that we have found this site, we know more about the past, but we also have more questions,” he adds. The second fort of the colony was never found. We also don’t know where the 500 people were staying. »

The Cartier-Roberval archaeological site is mainly frequented by local residents who come to admire the view. The CCNQ hopes, however, that the permanent exhibition at the Musée de la civilization, in Old Quebec, will encourage more tourists to cross the city and go there.

Good to know: there are no benches or picnic tables on the archaeological site. To extend your visit, you can go to the park set up by the City in the woods.

Consult the Cartier-Roberval archaeological site page