France upholds rural ‘sensory heritage’
AFP, PARIS
From crowing roosters to the whiff of barnyard animals, the “sensory heritage” of France’s countryside is now protected by law from attempts to stifle the everyday aspects of rural life from newcomers looking for peace and quiet.
French senators on Thursday gave final approval to a law proposed in the wake of several high-profile conflicts between village residents and vacationers, or recent arrivals derided as “neo-rurals.”
A rowdy rooster named Maurice in particular made headlines in 2019 after a court in western France rejected a bid to have him silenced by neighbors who had purchased a nearby holiday home.