Part 2: Background information.
The possibility that Saunière had indeed found a treasure of course made the Mystery attractive to treasure seekers, many of whom came to the village and its surroundings but did not always work with care. As early as 1965 a sign was placed at the entry of the village saying; "Excavations prohibited". Yet the possibility of there being a treasure is not so strange. I shall prove why on the basis of the history of the region.
The region, the Razès, has always had powerful inhabitants. The Celts regarded it as a sacred place; then because of its natural springs the Romans built their bathhouses here. In the year 70 AD the Romans plundered Jerusalem and removed the Temple Treasure, mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls, to Rome. In 410 Rome in its turn was plundered by the Visigoths who later settled in the south of France and northern Spain. In 507 the Visigoths were defeated by the Franks and retreated to the region around Narbonne. Did they bury their treasure while on the run?
Clovis I was the king of the Franks. He was the descendant of Merovech, the forefather of the Merovingians. During Clovis’ reign the Frankish kingdom expanded considerably and the Catholic faith spread. In 671 Dagobert II, a descendant, married a Visigoth princess in the church at Rennes-le-Château. (We shall hear more of Dagobert II.) In 679 Dagobert II was assassinated. His son was secretly returned to his mother in Rennes-le-Château. Through this son the Merovingian dynasty was continued. Although the power passed on into other hands the dynasty spread among many families including the Blanchefort and Sinclair families. A famous descendant is Godfrey of Bouillon. Could it be that a treasure-room had been installed in the area?
 "Fouilles interdites" |
 Titus bow Rome |
 Clovis I |
 Roman bathhouse in Rennes-les-Bains |
 "Dalles des Chevaliers" |