Pontils Tomb
Tombeau des Pontils
This tomb, once situated close to Arques at a location called ‘Les Pontils’, bares a striking resemblance to the tomb in the second version of Nicolas Poussin’s les Bergers d’Arcadie.
The tomb is no longer there today. It was destroyed by its owner Mr Roussett on 9 April 1988, with the agreement of the Peyrolles Municipal Council. Rousset ws sick and tired with the trespassing on his property by unwelcome treasure seekers.
It appears impossible that this is indeed the Tomb displayed by Poussin on his masterpiece of the 1640’s. The Tomb was built during Saunière’s life in 1903 by a mason from Rennes-les-Bains by name of M. Bourrel for Mr Galibert, the grandson of American industrialist Louis Galibert, who had settled on the plot of land 20 years earlier. Several people were buried below it until their remains where moved to the cemetery of Limoux in 1921. The piece of land was then acquired by another American, Louis Lawrence who allegedly buried his mother, grandmother and 2 cats in the tomb (all mummified (!)).
The location sits exactly on top of the old Roseline or Meridien of Paris and the backdrop has indeed a startling resemblance to to the Poussin painting. It is rumoured that the Tomb was made as a copy of a tomb that stood there much earlier, but was destroyed by Colbert who was looking for old mine entrances in the region. Researchers have not been able to find any eveidence for that claim so far.
It is claimed this site was the original location of the Arcadia stone.
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