Hams from farms in the Monts du Cantal and Margeride regions of France are matured in the north tower of Saint-Flour Cathedral until they reach 12 months of drying, before being sold to fund the restoration of the organ and then the cathedral building, which, at an altitude of 892 meters, is the highest in Europe.

These hams, dried by the fierce winds of the city of Saint-Flour and named Florus Solatium (the comfort of Saint-Flour), quickly became prized by top chefs, who serve them in their Michelin-starred restaurants, and even by the Elysée Palace kitchen.

A controversy initially led the Auvergne Regional Cultural Affairs Directorate to decide that the hams had no place in a historic monument. Faced with the controversy generated by this decision, the highest levels of government were alerted. Rachida Dati, Minister of Culture, intervened and finally granted the hams the « privilege » of remaining suspended from the beams of the cathedral’s north tower.

More than 300 hams have been sold in two and a half years, and orders are on the rise.