Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Notre-Dame-des-Victoires

46°48′46″N 71°12′10″W / 46.8128°N 71.2027°W / 46.8128; -71.2027
Location	32, rue Sous-le-Fort Quebec City, Quebec G1K 4G7
Country	Canada
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Active
Founded	1687 -1723
Consecrated	1723
Architecture
Style	Colonial French
Administration
Province	Canada
National Historic Site of Canada
Official name: Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church National Historic Site of Canada
Designated:	1988
Patrimoine culturel du Québec
Type:	Classified heritage immovable
Designated:	1929

Notre-Dame-des-Victoires is a historic stone church located in Old Quebec City, Canada. It's a Roman Catholic church found in a special area called Place Royale. Building the church began in 1687 and finished in 1723. This makes it one of the oldest churches in all of North America! It was built right where Champlain, a famous explorer, once had his home.

The Church's Story: A Look at Its Past
What's Inside the Church?
Gallery
See also

The Church's Story: A Look at Its Past

Notre-Dame-des-Victoires was built on the old site of Champlain's first settlement. An architect named Hilaire Bernard de La Rivière helped build it.

How the Church Got Its Name

The church was first named l'Enfant Jésus. But its name changed after some important events. In 1690, there was a big battle called the Battle of Quebec. An English group led by William Phips tried to attack, but they had to leave. After this victory, the church was renamed Notre-Dame-de-la-Victoire. This means "Our Lady of Victory."

Then, in 1711, another event happened. A British fleet, led by Hovenden Walker, was sailing towards Quebec. But bad weather caused their ships to sink. Because of this second victory, the church's name changed again to Notre-Dame-des-Victoires. This means "Our Lady of Victories."

Rebuilding After Destruction

In 1759, during the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, the British attacked Quebec. Their bombs badly damaged the church. It was almost completely destroyed.

However, the church was rebuilt! The restoration work finished in 1816. An architect named François Baillairgé was in charge of making it new again.

A Historic Landmark Today

Today, Notre-Dame-des-Victoires is a very popular place. It was named a historic monument in 1929. People visit it often, and it is still used as a place of worship.

In recent years, the church has been carefully restored. Workers made sure it looked like it did when it was first built in the old French style. In 1988, it became a National Historic Site of Canada. A special plaque was put up in 1992 to mark this honor.

Did you know? In 2002, parts of the movie Catch Me If You Can were filmed inside this church!

What's Inside the Church?

When you go inside Notre-Dame-des-Victoires, you can see a cool model of a ship. It's a model of the Brézé. This was a real ship commanded by a French leader called the marquis of Tracy.