SIGNS OF THE FIRE OF 1755 UNCOVERED

Removing the flooring of two ground-floor rooms in the Aile du Jardin wing of the monastery, revealed soil that had been deposited on top of the upper vault. An archeologist spent an entire week on a dig in this location.

Under the most recent debris resulting from the various configurations of the floors in these rooms, the archeologist was able to document a layer of debris from the rubble of the fire that ravaged l’Hôtel-Dieu de Québec in June 1755.

The dig uncovered a complete door knob dating back to the French regime and part of a lock (see photo on the left), a thimble, a coin from 1731, several French ceramic objects (earthenware, grey Rhine sandstone, varnished green common terracotta from France), as well as a few glass objects that melted during the fire.

Photo Credit: Artéfactuel, coop de travail