Taken From Jacques Rivière, Le Fabuleux Trésor de Rennes-Le-Château, Le Secret de L’Abbé Saunière (Éditions Bélisane, 1983):

Letter from Bérenger Saunière to the Saglio Commission

+ Rennes-le-Château 14 July 1911

Sir,

Anxious to reply as precisely as possible to the various questions that you have put to me, I have devoted several days to the task of furnishing myself with a record of the amounts devoted to the different works that I have carried out.

1. Purchase of lands, 1550 francs. I feel I must remind you that these were not acquired in my name;
2. Restoration of the church – 16,200 francs
3. Calvary – 11,200 francs
4. Construction of the Villa Bethany – 90,000 francs
5. Tour Magdala – 40,000 francs
6. Terrace and gardens – 19,000 francs
7. Interior decorations – 5,000 francs
8. Furnishings – 10,000 francs

TOTAL – 193,050 francs

I hope that these various pieces of information will allow the matter to be concluded which has caused me so much anxiety, and which has affected me deeply over the past few months, In having confidence that this will be the case, I remain, Sir,

Yours most respectfully,

Abbé Bérenger Saunière

Saunière’s preliminary draft for the above statement.

Taken From René Descadeillas, Notice sur Rennes-le-Château et l'abbé Saunière (Document XIV, 1962)

1° Land purchase – 1,550
2° Restoration of the Church – 23,200
Calvary – 11,200
3° Villa Bethanie – 90,000
Tour Magdala – 40,000
Land and gardens – 19,050
4° Interior decoration – 5,000
Furnishings – 10,000

(Total – 200,000)