A FIGHT is under way to allow Saint-Flour Cathedral, in the Auvergne, central France, to continue having premium hams dry as they hang from beams in its 135-metre-high tower — something that its former rector, the Abbé Boyer, has described as “getting back to the fundamentals of the great abbeys that have always worked with the agricultural world”.
The Abbé Boyer had already installed beehives on the cathedral roof, and worked with Altitude, an agricultural co-operative, in 2022, to hang 50 swaddled hams in the tower, after a blessing ceremony that placed them under the protection of St Antoine, patron saint of charcutiers (pork butchers). The hams sell for about €150, and the profits go towards the costs of renovating the organ.
The hams are marketed by Florus Solatium, and sold in the cathedral shop. The products’ labels are brightly coloured with a picture of the cathedral in its rural setting. Advertising states that all profits will be invested by the Association of Friends of the Cathedral and “used in the renovation of the works and buildings of the parish of Saint Flour en Planèze”.
The hams are dried for a minimum of one year, in conditions deemed to be ideal not only for the height of the tower — this is the highest cathedral in Europe — but also for a location that catches the dry winds of the high plateaux of Planèze and the Aubrac. Both the Abbé Boyer and the Bishop of Saint-Flour, Mgr Didier Noblot, regard the enterprise as working “to enhance a local subsidiary”, Le Monde reports.
A representative of the Architects of the Buildings of France has called for the removal of the hams, however, on safety grounds. “According to him, the grease released from the ham would deteriorate the edifice and pose safety problems in the event of fire,” the paper reports.
It describes the dispute as having “taken on the air of the rural world’s battle against a fussy Parisian administration”. The town mayor, Philippe Delort, is quoted as saying: “We are in a highly administered country, with a somewhat invasive side at times. With a little good will on everyone’s part, we could have found a solution that would be sustainable, safe, and which would not harm the good will of others.”
The Auvergne is noted for its charcuterie, Vanessa Couchman, who lives locally and blogs as “Life in La Lune”, says. “Protected from heat and light, the tower provides the perfect conditions in which to cure the hams. Who knows, maybe the pealing of the bells might add a certain divine je ne sais quoi, too?” she suggests.
“It’s not clear why DRAC [Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelle] objects to the hams. . . Presumably, it stems from the violation of some government regulation, which are many and varied and sometimes contradictory.”
The mayor is quoted in Le Monde as saying: “The Minister of Culture has asked the Prefect of Canal to look into ways of continuing this experiment in complete safety, while respecting heritage conservation.”