Gabriel Chevalliers delightful novel Clochemerle satirizes the titanic confrontation of secular & religious forces in a small wine-growing village in Beaujolais. The eruption begins when the socialist mayor decides that he wants to leave behind a monument to his administrations achievements. He takes as his model the ancient Romans who were famous for two things: hygiene & noble edifices. Thus he decides to unite the two concepts...by constructing a public urinal in the centre of town. There is one problem however. The chosen locale is next to the village church & this outrages the ecclesiastical party.