This panorama gives an excellent impression of the entrance of the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Rennes-le-Château. It was in this church, Abbé Saunière is alleged discoveries, kicking off the mystery of Rennes-le-Château.

To the left is the statue of what is believed to be the demon Asmodeus, guardian of the Treasure of King Solomon. In the far corner at the end of the checkered floor is the statue of St. John the Baptist, baptizing Jesus. Also notice there are four locks on the door to keep out treasure hunters during he night.

©2007-2008 rlcresearch.com, all rights reserved. Panorama copyright Gilles Vidal

The Eglise Ste. Marie-Madeleine (Church of St. Mary-Magdalenen) holds a central position in the stories of Rennes-le-Château and its priest Abbé Bérenger Saunière. It was in this church he did his first discoveries. Many believe that he used part of his fortune to hide clues to his treasure and/or secret in the new gaudy decoration of his church that he installed between 1887 and 1897. Move over an image to see its name, click the image for a large photo or article about the feature.

Move over an image to see its name, click the image for a large photo or article about the feature. ©2007-2008 rlcresearch.com, all rights reserved

It is probable that whatever Saunière discovered had to do with the ancient crypt beneath his church. When he first arrived in Rennes-le-Château in 1885, the entrances had been sealed off for over a century. Most likely by his 100 year predecessor Antoine Bigou, who fled for the Revolution and wanted to conceal the ancient crypt for looters and protect the aristocraty buried there. It is thought that among the documents Bigou had concealed in the church before he left for Spain in 1792 was the parish register in which the burials were recorded as well as instructions on how the entrance to the crypt could be re-opened.

It is no secret there are tombs below the church. They are mentioned several times. In the register for 1725 to 1781, on the death certificate of Anne Delsol, it says, “…by Maître Michel, curé of St. Just in my presence and with my consent she has been buried on the thirty first day of the said month in the church of this place in the Tomb of the Seigneurs which is beside the Baluster in the presence of the said Maître Michel, curé of St. Just and of Maître Delmas, curé of the Bains (Rennes-les-Bains) in witness whereof…”. The Baluster that is referred to is the wooden support pillar of the old pulpit in which Saunière found the parchments that kicked off the mystery. In the will of Henri d’Hautpoul of 24th April 1695 it is stated “voulant qu’après mon décès, mon corps soit enseveli dans l’église paroissiale dudit Rennes, tombeau de mes prédécesseurs…” (after my death, my body must be laid to rest in the parish church at Rennes, in the tomb of my ancenstors). The Hautpouls inhabited the Château d’Hautpoul from the 15th century. The fact that in the 18th century there are still relatives and allies being buried there, is an indication there must be a big crypt with many tombs. Soundings have demonstrated there are two large cavities beneath the church on two levels. Saunière almost certainly regained access to this crypt and sealed it off permanently later.

According to archaeologist Brigitte Gibrac-Lescure, the church was consecrated in 1059 by Guifred, bishop of Narbonne. She even suggests a possible foundation by Guilemme de Gelone in the IXth century judging from the striking similarities between the design of the Knight’s Stone, the Visigothic altar pillar and similar features in the Abbey of St. Guilhem-le-Désert. The Church was the chapel of the Château of the first Counts of Rhedae, Guillem’s successors. The crypt might well house their remains, making it possibly one of the oldest crypts in France.

Another theory suggests that, in line with medieval archaeology in France and specifically the Languedoc, the crypt is part of the ‘Reliquary Church’. The church could have been built on an ancient site of worship and contain the relics of martyrs or saints that died for the Christian faith. That might well explain why the Lords of Rennes specifically wanted to be buried in this place. In this case we would be talking about a crypt dating from the Vth to the VIIIth century and beside it a seignoral tomb, built some time after that.

Unfortunately, since the Church is a listed building, no excavation can be done without the approval of the French authorities, that have so far refused any co-operation in this field.

The Brussels architect and Rennes-le-Château researcher Paul Saussez did extensive research into the church and the crypt. By studying the church, its architecture, its renovations, the parish register, the archives of the diocese and similar churches in the area, he composed a number of 3D images that he published in 2002. The pictures were previously published on www.renneslechateau.com and carry the explicit copyright of Paul Saussez.

Originally, until around 1740, there were 3 entrances to the crypt. 1) inside the church, next to the pulpit, 2) outside at the back of the church in the cemetery and 3) outside, where the church garden is now (stone slab right of the wooden door)

Entrance 1 inside the church as it originally looked. Notice the similarity between the double arch and the inscription on the Knight’s Stone 

The Crypt as seen from the cemetery entrance. Not coincidentally, this is the place where Antoine Bigou placed the tomb of Marie de Nègre d’Ables to conceal entrance 2.

Cross section of the Church and the Crypt beneath it. Soundings by an American team in 2002 have demonstrated that there is definitely a large cavity in this area.

The Church as Saunière found it in 1885 before he started his renovations. The inner entrance of the Crypt has been sealed off by a bulkhead and the garden entrance of the Church has been replaced with a Sacristie. You can see the original Altar on two stone pillars.

1885 state, detail of the original Altar and Pulpit and the sealed off entrance to the crypt.

View in 1891, Saunière has removed the wall behind the old Altar and has installed the new Altar, that is still there today as well as a new, stone Pulpit. In the support pillar of the old pulpit he removed, bellringer Antoine Captier allegedly found a small glass vial with documents.

The Chuch in 1891 seen from the balcony (which was removed by Saunière and replaced by a giant Fresco).

View after Saunière has finished his renovations in 1897. In front of the original walls, plastered bulkheads have been built.

Changes to the Church on the outside. The garden entrance changed into a Sacristie by Saunière’s predecessors, the round ’secret room’ adjacent to it conceals the garden entrance of the crypt. The cemetery gate installed by Saunière, seals off the entrance to the cemetery.

model of the Église Sainte-Marie-Madeleine in its current state

©2007-2008 rlcresearch.com, all rights reserved, 3D pictures copyright Paul Saussez, death certificate of Anne Delsol copyright Jean-Luc Robin

On the western wall of the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene, Saunière had an enormous fresco installed. It’s colorfulness and richness adds much to the character of the church that has been described by many a researcher as gaudy or kitsch. The fresco is positioned over the confessional.

The Fresco was placed there in 1897 together with the statues of Asmodeus, the Saints and the Stations of the Cross. What Saunière depicted here has been subject of endless debate. Among the candidates are Puivert (Jacques Rivière), the surroundings of Rennes-le-Château (Pierre Jarnac) and Rennes-les-Bains (Ben Hammott). (more…)

In the back of the church, behind the statue of St. Antoine de Padoue there is a door leading to the Sacristie of the Eglise Marie-Madeleine. Inside the small room is large wood paneled wardrobe where Abbé Saunière kept his chasubles for the mass. There is a simple bare wooden floor. In the recess behind the first door of the closet there is a mirror with a text over it:

DA, DOMINE VIRTUTEM MANIBUS MEIS,
AD ABSTERGENDAM OMNEM MACULAM:
UT SINE POLLUTIONE MENTIS ET CORPORIS
VALEAM TIBI SERVIRE.

“Give virtue to my hands, O Lord, that being cleansed from all stain I might serve you with purity of mind and body.” It was put there by Saunière.

The most beautiful feature of the Sacristie is the stained glass window that is considered to be one of the most beautiful features of the entire church. Since the Sacristie is closed to the public, few have personally seen this masterfully crafted window. It depicts Jesus on the cross with Mary Magdalene praying at his feet. She is not praying to the lord but clearly looking in the direction of Mary who is standing on his left. There is a third figure on the right but is not immediately clear who that is. He is a young man that is not carrying any symbols that we can easily identify him with. It could be Joseph of Arimathea but it cannot be established with any certainty. Jesus and Mary Magdalene have red hair which is quite unusual. The window was made by Henri Fleur of Bordeaux in 1896. His signature is clearly visible on a stone in the left corner. Finally, a number of roman numbers are depicted that have let to many a treasure seeker calculating clues.

In the wood paneling of the wardrobe is a secret wooden door that leads to the ‘isoloir’, the small half-circle shaped outcropping that is more obviously visible on the outside than on the inside. It is a very small and simple room without the beautiful finishings that are so typical of the rest of the church. There’s an unconfirmed story that once, an anchoress lived in this little outcropping. Anchoresses were saintly figures living a lonely existence in these kinds of recluses. The best know is probably Hildegard von Bingen. Who the anchoress was and if she indeed ever was is another mystery.

In the solitary, there is no lighting, the floor is the natural rock just like outside. Furthermore the floor of the secret room is not leveled out with the Sacristie. There is a very small window that lets hardly any light in and very little ventilation. Saunière apparently used it as a library. It makes you wonder what he put in this room, concealed behind two doors in a private part of his church.

Architect Paul Saussez has demonstrated that this little room was most probably built over one of the entries to the crypt below.

If Saunière’s ex-libris is superimposed over the garden, the cross points to this secret room as described by Klaas van Urk in his book The Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant.

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