▁created ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 7 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 2 , ▁M ér im ée ▁began ▁compiling ▁the ▁first ▁official ▁list ▁of ▁class ified ▁historical ▁monuments , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Base ▁M ér im ée . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁structure ▁to ▁be ▁restored ▁was ▁the ▁nave ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁of ▁Saint - G erm ain - des - Pr és , ▁the ▁oldest ▁in ▁the ▁city . ▁Work ▁also ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁on ▁the ▁c athedral ▁of ▁Notre - D ame , ▁which ▁had ▁been ▁badly ▁dam aged ▁during ▁the ▁Revolution , ▁and ▁stri pped ▁of ▁the ▁stat ues ▁on ▁its ▁fa ç ade . ▁Much ▁of ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁directed ▁by ▁the ▁architect ▁and ▁historian ▁Vi ol let - le - D uc , ▁who ▁sometimes , ▁as ▁he ▁admitted , ▁was ▁gu ided ▁by ▁his ▁own ▁scholar ship ▁of ▁the ▁" sp irit " ▁of ▁Med ieval ▁architecture , ▁rather ▁strict ▁historical ▁accuracy . ▁The ▁other ▁major ▁rest oration ▁projects ▁were ▁Sainte - Ch ap elle ▁and ▁the ▁H ôtel ▁de ▁Ville , ▁d ating ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ; ▁the ▁old ▁buildings ▁which ▁pressed ▁up ▁against ▁the ▁back ▁of ▁the ▁H ôtel ▁de ▁Ville ▁were ▁cleared ▁away ; ▁two ▁new ▁wings ▁were ▁added , ▁the ▁inter iors ▁were ▁lav ish ly ▁re decor ated , ▁and ▁the ▁ce il ings ▁and ▁walls ▁of ▁the ▁large ▁cer emon ial ▁sal ons ▁were ▁painted ▁with ▁mur als ▁by ▁Eug