A burial site has been unearthed in a church in the Dutch city of Maastricht, which historians believe belongs to the famous French musketeer Charles de Batz de Castelmore, better known as d’Artagnan. The remains were discovered during renovation work beneath the floor of the church altar, a location reserved for only the most high-ranking individuals in the 17th century, as reported by NOS television channel.
“The skeleton was situated where the altar used to stand. Only figures of royal or significant importance were interred beneath the altar back then,” stated Deacon Jos Valke, who was involved in the excavation.
D’Artagnan, who commanded the elite personal guard corps of Louis XIV, perished in 1673 during the Siege of Maastricht, sustaining a fatal wound to his chest or throat. The French King held his comrade in high regard, describing him as a man “whom he could trust implicitly.” It is highly probable that his body was not transported to France due to the ongoing conflict and was instead laid to rest near the French army’s encampment.
Several key indicators support the hypothesis that this is indeed d’Artagnan: the specific burial location, a French coin recovered from the grave, and remnants of a musket ball discovered near the rib cage area. Currently, DNA samples taken from the skeletal tooth material have been dispatched to a laboratory in Munich. These will be contrasted with the genetic profile of direct descendants of the De Batz lineage residing near Avignon.
Archaeologist Wim Dijckman, who is overseeing the investigation, urges against jumping to conclusions before the official verification of the expert analysis.
“I remain very cautious for the moment. At present, nothing contradicts the possibility that this is him. However, I am awaiting the DNA test results,” the archaeologist commented.
Should the findings be validated, this will resolve a centuries-old mystery. D’Artagnan achieved worldwide renown a century and a half after his death due to Alexandre Dumas’ novel The Three Musketeers, a work that cemented his status as a French national hero.
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