The origins of Charlesbourg began with the concession of the seigniory of Notre-Dame-des-Anges in 1626. The seigniory extended from the Charles River northward, encompassing the modern boroughs of Limoilou and Charlesbourg. In 1665, the new
Intendant of Justice,
Jean Talon, set out to establish three new villages further north on the plateau. That caused friction with the Jesuits who were the seignors of the area. The first of the villages consisted of a 25-
arpent square, in which a five-arpent square (the "trait carré") was reserved for the church, presbytery and cemetery. The homes of the settlers located on the periphery of the Trait Carré and their trapezoidal plots of land form a star shape. The second village, which is semicircular due to lack of space, was established just to the south at Petite-Auvergne and the third was established in 1667 in Bourg-Royal, to the northeast. This particular arrangement is still visible from the air and is the hallmark of Charlesbourg. Charlesbourg is, first and foremost, an agricultural area, in addition to becoming a vacation destination for inhabitants of Quebec City in the first half of the 20th century. It became urbanized in the second half of the 20th century and became a suburb of Quebec City. In 1976, the municipalities of
Charlesbourg-Est,
Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides,
Orsainville and the city of Charlesbourg were merged into the city of Charlesbourg. In 2002, Charlesbourg was in turn merged with other municipalities in Quebec City to form a new, large city. Charlesbourg became one of the boroughs of Quebec City. Charlesbourg's earlier name was Bourg Royal, but it was changed in honour of
Charles Borromeo, its patron saint. This
Catholic saint was a leading figure of the
Counter-Reformation combat against the
Protestant Reformation. An 18th-century British map depicts the place name Charlebourg. Le Trait-Carre de Charlesbourg, vue aerienne de 1937.png| Québec-Parc des Moulins.JPG| Moulin des Jésuites-Québec-2.JPG| ParcDesMoulins-Québec.jpg| ==Territory==