Des Braves Monument
Inaugurated in 1863, Des Braves Monument commemorates the Battle of Sainte-Foy on April 28, 1760. It is located at the entrance of Des Braves Park. Topped with a statue of Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, it has at its base two plaques commemorating the generals leading the opposing armies, Lévis and Murray.
An important discovery in 1850
In the early 1850s, workers discovered bones that were presumably identified as those of soldiers who died on April 28, 1760, during the Battle of Sainte-Foy. The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society undertook to transport them to a common grave on a plot of land offered by a citizen on June 5, 1854. To commemorate this French victory, it was planned to erect a monument at the site of the Dumont Mill, where the fiercest fighting took place. The cornerstone of the monument was laid on July 18 of the same year in front of several thousand people. The crew of the French warship "La Capricieuse", one of the first French ships to come to Quebec since the Conquest, also participated in the ceremony. This symbolic reconciliation coincided with the new alliance between England and France during the Crimean War (1853-1856).
Des Braves Monument
DirectionsThe monument was designed by architect Charles Baillairgé and built by John Ritchie and Joseph Larose. In 1860, on the centennial of the battle, a stone base was erected. On June 24, 1861, the pedestal and cast iron column were added. The statue atop the column, a representation of Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, was a gift from French Prince Jérôme-Napoléon, cousin of Emperor Napoleon III. It stands three meters high, bearing a spear and shield, and faces the part of the battlefield occupied by the French army.
The monument, standing 22 meters high, was officially inaugurated on October 19, 1863.
Property of the Canadian government in 1864
As the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society could no longer afford to maintain the statue, the land became the property of the Canadian government in 1864. In 1892, the monument was restored, the column repainted, and the base reinforced. The surroundings of the monument were also landscaped.
Des Braves Park is located on the site of the former Dumont Mill, where the Battle of Sainte-Foy took place in 1760, won by the French army. The park features Des Braves Monument as well as the Lévis and Murray Monuments. The park is connected to the Plains of Abraham by Des Braves Avenue.
