▁of ▁Old ▁Québec , ▁which ▁was ▁designated ▁a ▁World ▁Heritage ▁Site ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 . ▁The ▁site ▁receives ▁some ▁ 2 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁visitors ▁ann ually . ▁ ▁History ▁Cap ▁Diam ant ' s ▁strateg ic ▁value ▁was ▁identified ▁by ▁Samuel ▁de ▁Champ lain ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 8 ▁and ▁led ▁him ▁to ▁found ▁Quebec ▁City ▁at ▁the ▁base ▁of ▁the ▁esc arp ment . ▁The ▁prom ont ory ▁was ▁pract ically ▁ins ur mount able ▁and ▁thus ▁the ▁only ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁ever ▁to ▁be ▁heavily ▁fort ified ▁was ▁the ▁west , ▁the ▁only ▁one ▁not ▁naturally ▁protected ▁by ▁the ▁hill . ▁ ▁Early ▁fort ifications ▁ ▁French - rule ▁The ▁first ▁protect ive ▁wall ▁( ence inte ) — M aj or ▁Prov ost ' s ▁pal is ade — was ▁built ▁by ▁command ▁of ▁Governor ▁General ▁of ▁New ▁France ▁Louis ▁de ▁Bu ade , ▁sie ur ▁de ▁Front en ac ▁and ▁completed ▁just ▁in ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Quebec ▁in ▁ 1 6 9 0 . ▁Three ▁years ▁later , ▁a ▁plan ▁by ▁engineer ▁Jos ué ▁Bo is ber th el ot ▁de ▁Be auc ours ▁for ▁new , ▁ ▁wide ▁en ce inte ▁was ▁developed ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁military ▁engineer ▁Jacques ▁Le vas se ur ▁de ▁N éré ▁and ▁approved ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 1 ▁by ▁King ▁Louis ▁XIV ' s ▁Comm iss ary ▁General ▁of ▁Fort ifications , ▁S éb ast ien ▁Le ▁Pr estre ▁de ▁Va