"I couldn't believe it," admits the mayor of Sainte-Solange (Cher), Ghislaine de Bengy, when she was informed of the amount of the bequest received by the village: 1,153,000 euros to be precise. "This represents a year's operating budget," says the elected representative of the municipality of 1136 inhabitants. To this sum must be added a house and 27 hectares of land.
But who was Françoise Poulet, the generous donor? A notary's clerk, who died at the age of 66 last July, who devoted her entire life to her profession. So much so that he was awarded the Grand Gold Echelon Medal, the highest distinction given to workers, for having worked for forty years. She was single with no children and had lived alone in the hamlet of Villemont since the death of her father in 1991, her mother in 2005 and her brother in 2006.
A Reflection on How to Use Money and Assets
"She was almost sickly discreet. A devout Catholic, every year she took part in the pilgrimage to Saint Solange on Whit Monday. It was a cousin who informed us of the legacy," says Ghislaine de Bengy.
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The municipal team will think about how to use this money and the assets. "We are fifteen elected officials. All ideas will be welcome. Including those of the inhabitants. We are already receiving suggestions. We will take everything into account," the mayor promises. However, she announced a priority: "The renovation of the bell tower, which was struck by lightning in 2009. The work was scheduled for next year. We had to pay the rest for the municipality. We will take 100,000 euros for the belfry, the bells, one of which could be recast, and for the cleaning of the stones. »
Having become the universal legatee, will Sainte-Solange pay a special tribute to Françoise Poulet? "Why not a street or a square named after him? But here again, it's the city council that will decide," adds Ghislaine de Bengy.