The construction of the new Saint-Maurice cathedral began in 1343, only to be completed in the 19th century. Under the episcopate of Philippe de Lévis were added chapels and the bell tower with its 197 ft (60 m) high spire. It was restored in 1858 and 1859 by Prosper Mérimée and Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. They built flying buttresses and a vault, and the nave was widened, bringing it to nearly 72 ft (22 m). This restoration, during which Viollet-le-Duc applied his principles and suppressed, enlarged, and reinterpreted various parts of the cathedral, was not to everyone's taste and met numerous detractors.