The hams, the archbishop and the minister: this could be the title of a modern and incredible fable. The affair takes place in the belfry of the Saint-Pierre de Saint-Flour cathedral (Cantal), the highest in Europe, nestled at an altitude of 900 m. For two years, around fifty hams from the Altitude cooperative have been matured under the beams of the religious building with the blessing of the diocese, only too happy to see in this labeled charcuterie a financial manna falling from heaven.
Part of the sale of IGP hams called Florus Solatium, sold to the best restaurants for 150 euros each, contributed to the restoration of part of the building. “The sale of the hams made it possible to raise around 15,000 euros which were used to restore the cathedral organ,” boasts Abbot Philippe Boyer, instigator of the project and former rector of the Saint-Flour cathedral.
Everything seemed heavenly until the architect of the Bâtiments de France came to thwart this ingenious arrangement. The Auvergne Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs (DRAC) blames “fat spills and unauthorized visits” and orders an end to the mystical salting. The famous IGP ham thus finds itself propelled into the heart of a controversy in which everyone seems to want to get involved.
The mayor of Saint-Flour and the president of the departmental council, Bruno Faure, want to keep the hams in the cathedral. Traced back to Rachida Dati, the case was finally decided. The Minister of Culture asked the prefect of Cantal “to examine the modalities which would make it possible to renew this experiment of refining ham in the cathedral of Saint-Flour”. Phew!
