The Christmas nativity scene in the village of La Roque-Gageac, in Dordogne, was reduced to ashes on the night of December 27 to 28. Despite the alert given by a motorist, the firefighters were unable to save the installation designed by « a local artist and craftsman »reports France Blue Périgord. The figures and the hay bales, installed under the village market, have therefore disappeared.
The mayor of La Roque-Gageac and former advisor to Emmanuel Macron, Jérôme Peyrat, denounced an arson. “The cold, the frost, the humidity, the absence of a candle or an electrical system unfortunately make us think of a voluntary act which would have had more serious consequences on the framework of the hall and the surrounding chalets”he laments in a Facebook publication.
The rest after this ad
The town hall plans to file a complaint
The councilor of this village of 430 inhabitants sees this as an attack on traditions: “Secularism very poorly understood? Violence against a Christian symbol? Crass stupidity? A little of all this? Whatever the real question, it will find the same answer”writes Jérôme Peyrat who indicated his intention to file a complaint on Monday, December 30, in order to open a police investigation to find the arsonist(s).
The rest after this ad
“We will not be intimidated and will retain our traditions and values”he also said, announcing at the same time that he was setting up a new work to replace the crèche. This incident comes at a time when the presence of crèches in municipalities is being debated.
