Biens nationaux

The biens nationaux were properties confiscated during the French Revolution from the Catholic Church, the monarchy, émigrés, and suspected counter-revolutionaries for "the good of the nation".

Biens means "", both in the sense of "objects" and in the sense of "benefits". Nationaux means "of the nation". The phrase is in middle French form, and is in the nominative case, so it literally means both "national things" and "benefits for the nation". This can be summarized as "things for the good of the nation", or simply "national goods".

The possessions of the Roman Catholic Church were declared national property by the decree of November 2, 1789. These were sold to resolve the financial crisis that caused the Revolution. Later, the properties of the Crown were given the same treatment.

The concept of national property was later extended to the property of the émigrés, and the suspected counter-revolutionaries, which were confiscated from March 30, 1792, and sold after the decree of July 27.

A few months into the Revolution, the public purse was all but empty. To amend this fiscal problem, the deputy Talleyrand proposed nationalizing the goods of the clergy. Pursuing the proposal, on 2 November 1789, the Assemblée Nationale voted that all the goods of the clergy "will be placed at the disposal of the nation", declared to be henceforth biens nationaux, national goods, to be put out to bid at auctions on behalf of the State.

This legacy, evaluated to just about 3 billion livres, constituted a substantial improvement for public finance. The disposition of these goods was entrusted to a special office, called la Caisse de l'Extraordinaire, which was formed on 19 December 1789.

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