Bande noire
La bande noire ("The black band") was the name given to some speculative, asset-stripping organizations in the 1790s that bought ancient castles and abbeys at knockdown prices in the wake of the French Revolution, only to demolish them and sell off the building materials. These speculators also bought the works of art of all kinds which they contained, and then broke up the surrounding landed estates into small and often unviable parcels of land.
Among the famous châteaux destroyed were:
- Château des Ormes (Poitou),
- Château de Chanteloup
- Château de Leugny
- Château de Courmenant
- Château de Selles-sur-Cher
Their dramatic name was invented by the
Nouvelles Odes
, also about such speculation.
References
- fr.wiki's Bande noire (Révolution), which includes extracts from the Dictionnaire Bouillet.
- E. Cobham Brewer. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, (1894).
•'The Discovery of France ' by Graham Robb (Picador) - Ch14 - reference to Balzac ('Le Curé de Campagne')
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