Viollet-le-Duc, architect
The creation of an inspector-general of historical monuments on 21 October 1830 was the culmination of a period of deliberation initiated during the Revolution then continued under the First Empire with regard to the concept of national heritage. In 1834, Prosper Mérimée was appointed to lead the new service which was responsible for classifying buildings and carrying out conservation work.
In 1840, Mérimée entrusted the young architect Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879) with the restoration of the 12th-century monastic church Madeleine de Vézelay. Viollet-le-Duc rebuilt a large part of the building, marking the start of a long series of restorations, including Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (1843), the mediaeval city Carcassonne and its ramparts (1844), the basilica of Saint-Sernin in Toulouse (1846), the church of Saint Denis near Paris (1846) and the Château de Pierrrefonds (1858).