In the 1844 tales penned by French author Alexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers, the adventures weren’t purely fictional. The primary characters were inspired by real 17th-century French soldiers, and now, the remains of the most renowned member, d’Artagnan, might have been located beneath a Dutch church.
This noble, Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan, who served as King Louis XIV’s captain of the Musketeers, has been missing for over 350 years since his reported death by a musket shot to the neck during the siege of Maastricht in June 1673.
Archaeologists have uncovered remains beneath what was once an altar at St Peter and Paul Church in Wolder, Maastricht. These remains may belong to the famed d’Artagnan, though verification through DNA comparison with his descendants is pending.
frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” referrerpolicy=”strict-origin-when-cross-origin” allowfullscreen>“This investigation is of the highest level, aiming to ascertain with utmost certainty whether these are the remains of the celebrated musketeer who died near Maastricht,” archaeologist Wim Dijkman told Reuters.
Dijkman, now retired, has dedicated 28 years to locating the final resting place of the soldier. A significant clue was Louis XIV’s Roman Catholic faith, as d’Artagnan was a prominent lieutenant.
Returning the soldier’s body to France during summer would have been difficult, so he may have been laid to rest on consecrated ground near his place of death.
St Peter and Paul Church has been a strong contender for his burial site. It is near the French army’s encampment, and historian Odile Bordaz noted that high-ranking individuals killed in battle were typically interred at the nearest church.
However, the church records for St Peter and Paul were missing, and indiscriminate excavation in historical sites is not permissible, leaving the mystery unsolved.
This changed when ground subsidence shifted a part of the church floor, causing damage to the tiles, and repair workers discovered the bones.
“A section of the floor had subsided in the church, and during the repair work, we found a skeleton,” deacon Jos Valke told Dutch news organization L1 Nieuws.
“I immediately contacted Wim because he has been involved with d’Artagnan for over 20 years.”
Archaeologists carefully excavated the bones, which had remained undisturbed since they were placed under the altar. Although the skull was significantly damaged, the rest of the remains were well-preserved, offering clues to the individual’s identity.
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“The body was buried under the altar on consecrated ground. A French coin from that time (dated to 1660) was found in the tomb, and the bullet that killed him was found at chest level, aligning with historical accounts. The signs are compelling,” Valke said.
However, due to the ongoing conflict at the time, the presence of a bullet and coin alone is insufficient to conclusively identify the remains as those of Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan.
DNA was extracted from the jawbone to be compared with DNA from d’Artagnan’s paternal descendants, who contributed their genetic material to assist in the identification.
An answer is expected soon.
“I am eagerly awaiting official confirmation, which should arrive within a few weeks,” Dijkman told L1 Nieuws.
“Currently, extensive analyses and studies are being conducted both domestically and internationally. This has truly become a thorough investigation. We aim to be completely certain that these remains belong to d’Artagnan.”
