Article text: In a small town of St.-Flour, located in the heart of France, a local priest entered a creative partnership to raise funds for the restoration of the cathedral’s antique organ. Over the past two years, the north tower of the cathedral was repurposed as a workshop where farmers hung their hams to cure. This unique endeavor garnered plenty of interest from charcuterie enthusiasts and provided a much-needed financial boost to the cash-strapped church.
However, the initiative faced a setback when a government inspector from an architectural heritage oversight organization discovered grease stains in the bell tower. The inspector deemed the hanging hams a fire hazard and ordered their removal. When cathedral officials refused, the matter escalated to France's Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.
The situation has been criticized as an example of bureaucratic overreach hindering locally forged solutions to financial problems faced by rural churches. This incident resonates with a larger dilemma confronted by aging churches throughout France regarding the costs associated with their upkeep and the sources of the funding required for restoration.
Originally, church properties were nationalized following the French Revolution, placing their maintenance under the responsibility of the central government and local municipalities. Nevertheless, these authorities have struggled to keep up with the required financial support to care for the vast number of cathedrals and churches scattered across the nation.
However, the initiative faced a setback when a government inspector from an architectural heritage oversight organization discovered grease stains in the bell tower. The inspector deemed the hanging hams a fire hazard and ordered their removal. When cathedral officials refused, the matter escalated to France's Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.
The situation has been criticized as an example of bureaucratic overreach hindering locally forged solutions to financial problems faced by rural churches. This incident resonates with a larger dilemma confronted by aging churches throughout France regarding the costs associated with their upkeep and the sources of the funding required for restoration.
Originally, church properties were nationalized following the French Revolution, placing their maintenance under the responsibility of the central government and local municipalities. Nevertheless, these authorities have struggled to keep up with the required financial support to care for the vast number of cathedrals and churches scattered across the nation.
