Did Canterlot exist before Luna was exiled?

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

Either the town or the castle, actually. I always figured the new castle was built because Celestia found the old one too painful to stay in, but what about the surrounding city? Seems like it would be weird to build a city on a cliff if the castle wasn't also already planned. I can't find any specifics about this but I'm sure the hard facts are out there.

[Fhaolan 4,487]

Likely it already existed, but as far as I know there's no canon lore around it. It might not have been quite as grandiose when Celestia first moved in, but castles tend to get expanded over time. So it's possible it was a much smaller fort or something similar.

For a RL example of a mountain cliff-built city, check out Ronda in Spain. The area had settlements as far back as anyone can tell, but the 'current' version of the city was built around an old Roman fort.

[ShootingStar159 2,157]

Yes, it did.

Rockhoof mentions that ‘even Canterlot looks different,’ in Raockhoof and a Hard Place. So it existed before he was trapped in limbo, which happened before Luna was banished.

[Sondash Studios 4,862]

I'll tell you the truth. I have no clue. But, maybe it did exist then before Luna was banished because, she and Celestia did need a palace and city to live in, right? 

[SharpWit 2,789]

It existed but wasn't the capital. Interestingly enough if you look at the map, the Castle of the Two Sisters is in the center of what would be considered mainland Equestria, but if you include the Crystal Empire whose lands would have fallen under their protection after its disappearance, would put Canterlot at the center. Once it was decided that Canterlot would be the capital various parts of it were changed and improved upon so it could better serve it's new purpose and also just with the passage of time and investment in new areas.

[Ganondorf8 11,453]

I believe that Equestria existed before Luna was banished but it wasn't nearly as big as it is in the present day of the show.

[Twilight Luna 31,476]

It depends on what fan theories you prescribe to. But Canterlot did exist to some extent before Luna was banished. Celestia most likely moved there and made that the capital of Equestria. 

[FlareGun45 2,221]

What about the "Royal Canterlot Voice"? I'm sure there was an OLD Canterlot where Everfree Forest is now! Or was Canterlot always up in the mountain separate from the Castle of the Two Sisters? Iunno.

[BornAgainBrony 2,398]

4 hours ago, FlareGun45 said:

What about the "Royal Canterlot Voice"? I'm sure there was an OLD Canterlot where Everfree Forest is now! Or was Canterlot always up in the mountain separate from the Castle of the Two Sisters? Iunno.

Heh, the fanfic I was working on which prompted me to pose this question led me to come up with a bit of an odd solution to that: letting the border of Canterlot stem from the mountains all the way to the opposite side of the "not-quite-so-Everfree forest" so the name of the city applies to both places. Canterlot's borders then change with the old castle being abandoned and overrun by the forest, and another part of it being sectioned off into Ponyville when the Apples settle there.

Only other thing I could think was the 2 Sisters castle was more of a private retreat, and Canterlot was ALWAYS the Capitol City where they would address the nation, regardless of whether or not a castle was there? Or going with @Fhaolan's idea, there was a much simpler castle there at the time which got heavily expanded on later.