18th-century French chateau bulldozed by mistake

[superpatriotman]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2243467/French-chateau-demolished-mistake-Bungling-builders-bulldoze-18th-century-Chateau-Bellevue.html

Now you see it:



Now you don't:

Blundering builders mistakenly bulldozed an 18th-century chateau in the heart of France's picturesque wine country - when they were only supposed to knock down an outhouse on its estate.

Chateau de Bellevue, 12km to the east of Bordeaux, once boasted 140,000-square-feet of grand reception rooms, ornate fireplaces, winding marble staircases and imposing granite balconies.

Then its new owner, a Russian millionaire businessman, employed a team of Polish builders to renovate the manor to its former baroque glory, including the removal of one small building.

But the workers apparently misunderstood the instructions and pulled down the castle instead, leaving the outhouse completely untouched.

[Sherman A1]

1. oopppps

[smokey nj]

2. Uh-oh.

[Motown_Johnny]

3. Never skimp on the paperwork. Never!

[Cleita]

4. Oops! Too many awful Polish jokes come to mind.

My bad!

[Kurovski]

10. We're all thinking it

...as the old comedy saw goes

[Barack_America]

12. Let's just say it took more than 1.

[JVS]

5. oops

[justanidea]

6. *Insert obligatory polish joke here*

[MrScorpio]

7. How do you say, "D-Oh!" in French? nt

[panAmerican]

14. "zut alors" is pretty close, but we need the Russian version!

I'm sure local French workers wouldn't have misunderstood, no matter what the paperwork said!

[Barack_America]

15. Mon Dieu!

[Kolesar]

8. Beau-Arts?

I am guessing. I am no expert on architecture.

[justabob]

9. wtf?

That is awful on so many levels.

[LiberalAndProud]

11. Mistake?

I doubt it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/9724800/18th-century-French-chateau-bulldozed-by-mistake.html
The businessman said he understood the anger among local residents in the town of Yvrac, but said he will not be prosecuting the builders for their appalling mistake.

“The damage has been done,” Mr Stroskin said.

He has vowed to “rebuild an identical Bellevue” including the chateau’s grand hall, which could host up to 200 people.

A Polish architect has already drawn up plans and local masons have received a 1.5 million-euro (£1.2 million) contract to rebuild the chateau over two years.

[superpatriotman]

17. So he's a job creator

Funny how that works

[Kolesar]

18. Locals...believe it was more than an innocent mistake

Locals however are furious at the destruction of one of the “flagships” of their local heritage, who believe it was more than an innocent mistake.
“This wasn’t a slip of a digger, it was blatantly done on purpose,” one local told M6 television channel.
The irate mayor of Yvrac, Claude Carty, has ordered all work on the site to be stopped while an investigation takes place.
***
The former owner, Juliette Marmie, said: “The Chateau de Bellevue was Yvrac’s pride and joy.
***
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, she added: “We sold it in good faith after Mr Stroskin showed us very detailed plans he had had drawn up with interior decoration respecting the 18th century style, and that’s what we expected him to do. It’s totally unimaginable. We are totally thunderstruck and don’t know what to think. It was a very, very beautiful place. It needed some work done to it, not to be knocked down.”
***==***
Good catch, LiberalAndProud!

[Kurovski]

13. Hmmm

he wanted to renovate it as it was in a bad state of repair? If I was the insurance adjuster, i'd be extra vigilant here.

[subterranean]

16. This reminds me of a short short story by Steve Martin

It appeared in his book Cruel Shoes.

Demolition of the Cathedral at Chartres

Mr. Rivers was raised in the city of New York, had become involved in construction and slowly advanced himself to the level of crane operator for a demolition company. The firm had grown enormously, and he was shipped off to France for a special job. He started work early on a Friday, and due to a poorly drawn map, at six-thirty one morning in February began the demolition of the Cathedral at Chartres.

The first swing of the ball knifed an arc so deadly that it tore down nearly a third of a wall and the glass shattered almost in tones, and it seemed to scream over the noise of the engine as the fuel was pumped in the long neck of the crane that threw the ball through a window of the Cathedral at Chartres.

The aftermath was complex and chaotic, and Rivers was allowed to go home to New York, and he opened up books on the Cathedral and read about it and thought to himself how lucky he was to have seen it before it was destroyed.

by Steve Martin

[Coyotl]

19. At least that's what they are saying to the insurance company

"Talk to the Polish workers ...."

[LeftinOH]

20. Sounds like a conveient excuse to build a gaudy, glittery noveau-rich

mansion in its place. Watch for it.