SHARE
COPY LINK

LIVING IN FRANCE

Cockerel in legal case to test France’s new law to protect rural heritage

A rooster named Pitikok is set to test the limits of France's new law to protect the country's 'rural heritage'. 

Cockerel in legal case to test France's new law to protect rural heritage
Illustration photo by XAVIER LEOTY / AFP

A neighbour in south west France, fed up with the bird’s crowing, has taken the owner to court.

But she could be spared a penalty under new legislation protecting the “sensory heritage” of the countryside, from noisy church bells to the smell of farmyard animals.

The rooster’s owner in the village of Oursbelille, 150 kilometres southwest of Toulouse, has faced repeated complaints and is set to appear in court in June.

“It all started in 2019. The owner of the house next door – who comes only twice a year on vacation – (he) came to see me and demand that I get rid of my rooster,” said the owner, who asked to remain anonymous.

Attempts to find a compromise failed, she told AFP, “because the only solution Monsieur proposed was that we get rid of our animal.

“That’s out of the question.”

The case recalls a series of recent disputes pitting villagers with small farms against other residents, often newcomers or vacationers in search of rural tranquillity.

READ ALSO 10 things to expect if you move to rural France

In another bird-based battle that made headlines worldwide, Maurice the rooster and his owner emerged victorious from a legal wrangle with neighbours in September 2019, with judges rejecting claims of disturbing the peace.

But such disputes have been known to become violent. Tens of thousands of people signed a petition in August 2020 seeking justice for Marcel, a rooster shot and killed by a neighbour in Vinzieux, southern France.

Such incidents spurred lawmakers to enact the rural heritage law in January 2021, enshrining the status of countryside staples such as quacking ducks and pre-dawn tractors, as well as cowbells and the smell of cow dung.

“Once again we’re dealing with recent arrivals who come to the countryside and cannot stand, or barely, these natural sounds,” said Stephane Jaffrain, the lawyer for Pitikok’s owner.

The neighbour, a pensioner, claims it is a straightforward case of “excessive disturbance by a neighbour,” and is seeking €6,000 in damages at a trial set for June 7th.

“It’s causing genuine suffering for my client,” lawyer Anne Bacarat said. “He’s battling cancer and has heart problems and tinnitus,” or ringing in the ears.

Member comments

  1. I back the cockerel and its owner. The complainants health issues are irrelevant to the complaint made.

  2. as a uk farmer i understand and have experienced the problem,however, in the uk we do not have a law
    protecting rural life much the pity.perhaps people from towns should stay there. the countryside is a
    dynamic and living environment that needs to work to survive. it is rarely the paradise that people think
    it is they who need to adjust not the countryside.

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

LIVING IN FRANCE

5 tips to have the best possible night at France’s Fête de la musique

It can be the most fun day of the year - when France goes music crazy and bands suddenly appear on every street corner - but there are some tips to make your Fête de la musique experience as good as it can possibly be.

5 tips to have the best possible night at France's Fête de la musique

First, a caveat – this is an entirely personal manifesto based on the things that I have enjoyed over my Fête de la Musique outings over the years. It’s not intended as any kind of hard-and-fast rule and plenty of people will have different experiences.

Feel free to disagree and/or share your festival tips in the comments section below!

1 Ignore the big-name artists

There are always a few big-name artists or concerts in major venues on the Fête de la musique (which happens every year on June 21st).

Ignore them. Sure, stadiums gigs can be great and huge venues can have a wonderful atmosphere – but you can do that any night of the year. It’s not what Fête de la musique is about.

The true spirit of the Fête is the smaller acts who play on street corners, in bars and community venues. They’re free, you can wander between them and stay as long as you like – and there is always something else around the corner.

2 Ignore the big towns

You might think that the big cities have the best music, but if you have the choice, go for a small town or a suburb.

I’ve enjoyed some good Fêtes in Paris, but the best experiences had have been smaller towns or the Paris’ suburbs (Montreuil is good – a commune that carefully cultivates a small-town / village vibe, albeit a very diverse small town where everyone is a hippy, a leftist, or both).

It’s partly a practicality thing – in big cities the acts are spread out and you have to make plans to see something and meet up with friends. In small towns, you just wander along to the main square, then when you’ve seen the acts there, you can saunter up the side streets, each of which will have dozens of bands playing, pausing only to grab a beer and snacks.

But it’s also the vibe; in big cities you can hear good live music all the time and the population is consequently complacent – small towns truly appreciate the Fête de la musique and properly go wild.

Once, in Paris, I was watching a blues band play in the street when a woman tipped water on their heads from her apartment window because she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Small towns appreciate it when bands play for them.

3 Experiment

There’s a lot of variety on the night, so take advantage – this is your opportunity to hear all kinds of live music from rock to swing, jazz to classical, choirs to DJs.

Didn’t think that a five-piece oud band is your thing? Fête de la musique may change your mind. It’s the night of the year when anything goes, musically, so it’s also the night to try something new.

If you hate it – well it’s free and there’s another band down the street that might be more your thing. But you might discover a lifetime passion for oud music – in fact, by this time next year you might be playing in the oud band. Thanks to the Fête de la musique.

4 Don’t insist on quality

You’ll hear some great bands, but you’ll also hear some that are more about enthusiasm – and that’s all part of the fun.

You’re going to be hearing everything from classic rock to reggae to blues to the above-mentioned five-piece oud band, and as well as the styles the quality may be variable to.

For me, the true spirit of Fête de la musique is the 50-year-old accountant rocking out on his guitar and enjoying the one night of the year when he can dream that if only he hadn’t given up on his high school band, he could now be rich, famous and selling out stadiums, as opposed to filing tax declarations in an office above the florist.

5 Dress comfortably

Some people like to dress up for the Fête and that’s great – it’s a party after all – but the key thing is to wear something that is comfortable and allows you to shake your stuff.

Yes, you will be dancing – you’ll be dancing on street corners, in parks, cafés and perhaps on street furniture if things really get going, and you’ll be dancing with kids, dapper 70-year-old gents and everyone in between.

You need comfortable shoes and clothes that you can really move in.

Dance like no-one is watching. They may be watching, but they won’t be judging. Much. It’s Fête de la musique.

SHOW COMMENTS