On the eve of the two hundredth anniversary of the French Revolution, the good people of France watching their television sets must have thought they were dreaming when they watched and listened to the virtually science fiction style legend of the life of a priest in the South of France. The story combined sex, death and buried treasure; unfortunately, alas, the actors and script formed a whole that was incongruous and rather poor in quality! (Note: this was a reference to the 1987 French 6-part Television series, L'Or du Diable, FR3)

On the other hand, one fact was obvious and indisputable: the dramatic botch-up had come straight out of a work of fiction, and that’s all there was to it. But this was not always the case, either in the local press, or in the first account told by Robert Charroux, later developed by Gérard de Sède-Chérisey-Plantard, up to the “Message” of the sacred enigma (the blessed enigma, without punning), where the wildest hypotheses have been produced, fortunately without any real success, regarding the restoration of the Grand Monarch. The latest nonsense to date, after the odysseys of the British, makes a poor impression even if the author is led to take a ride in a flying saucer to have discussion with the Knights of the Black Order….(Note: this is a reference to the book by Jean Robin, Opération Orth ou l'Incroyable secret de Rennes-le-Château, Guy Trédaniel, 1989).

So, this is one of two things: either this unbelievable story has some respectable foundations, or it is the dumping ground for fantasies of every sort.

Let us recapitulate the few facts that are quite obvious:

1°- Robert Charroux elaborated the story of Abbé Saunière’s treasure from the basis of parchments (wooden scrolls, filled with ferns), the inscription on a gravestone, and the legend of the treasure of Saint Louis. Previously, during the filming of a documentary for O.R.T.F. (Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française), Charroux carried out some digs in the cemetery, but in vain…

2°- Gérard de Sède, after the Gisors fiasco, together with Pierre Plantard and Philippe de Chérisey, published L’Or Maudit in 1967, based on completely falsified elements:

* In an unpublished document, “Pierre et Papier” (Stone and Paper), Philippe de Chérisey acknowledged and explained how he had created the infamous “parchments of Abbé Saunière”. The careful observer could have noticed, as early as 1967, that the faint inscription on the altar of the church at Rennes-le-Château was copied in the said parchments, especially regarding the first two lines. Finally, to put an end to this major point, we can inform you that the two fakes are in our possession, that they have been analysed, and that they are no older than a quarter of a century!

3°- The inscription: Reddis-Regis-Cellis-Arcis originates from the same fabrication, as the local journalist of 1905 bears witness!

4°- The Visigothic pillar was neither hollow nor ancient, but was in fact a Carolingian imitation, constructed and engraved in 1890. A smaller version has been found in Carcassonne with the signature of the engraver!

5°- The loans from the Crédit Foncier (Land Savings Bank) for which we have the paperwork, show clearly that from 1905 Abbé Saunière lived in some poverty. As for the constructions he had built, all the people that have visited this village of few inhabitants have come away greatly disappointed!

6°- The curious hypothesis in the last romance of Gérard de Sède (Note: le dossier, les impostures, les phantasmes, les hypotheses, Robert Laffont, 1988), returning again to the priest’s treasure to substantiate a Rosicrucian Rite, based on the creators of the society of the Alpha-Galates, is even less believable. It is sufficient to consult the secret service report on the above-mentioned organisation, dated 29 November 1942, which ends with a more prosaic, even derisory version: “In response to a request for information from the Minister of the Interior, because of the distribution in Brittany of various tracts signed by a ‘Varans Vincent’, giving the headquarters of the association as 36 rue de l’Abbé Groult, Paris (15), the Alpha-Galates association was under investigation from 18 July 1942.” The investigations carried out at that time did not manage to track down anyone called ‘Varans Vincent’ or any association called ‘Alpha Galates’ at this address. It seems now that it was in fact the work of someone called Plantard who is known sometimes to adopt the pseudonym of “Varrans de Verrestra”. To sum up, we can consider the creation of the association of the Alpha-Galates to be no more than a new attempt by Plantard to be taken seriously by the authorities. In any case, the membership total of 673 given by the organisers is far from accurate.

On 13 February 1945 a second secret service report painted a complete portrait of Pierre Plantard, which is quite revealing:

M. Plantard, Pierre Athanase Marie a.k.a. “Pierre de France”, born on 18 March 1920 in Paris (7°), son of Pierre and Raulo Amélie, is unmarried.

Since 1 July 1942, resident at 10 rue Leboutex, Paris (17°), with his mother. Previously resided 22 Place Malesherbes (same district). Declared profession: journalist, speaker; at present practices no profession. For several years has been sexton for the parish of Saint-Louis d’Antin. In fact, he seems to be dependent on his mother, who receives a pension since the death of her husband, killed in a work accident.

In 1937, M. Plantard attempted to form an anti-Jewish and anti-Masonic movement, with the aim of “purifying and renewing France”. From M. Daladier, the then Prime Minister, he sought authorisation to publish a journal entitled “The Renewal of France” for distribution to members of the movement. He also led a “Catholic youth group”, officially for youth recreation in the various parishes of Paris. Every year this group organised a holiday camp at Pléstin-les-Gréves (Côtes du NORD, Brittany), which in 1939 numbered 75 young people.

Plantard addressed a conference of young people organised by the “Catholic youth group” on 20 June 1939 at the Villiers Hall.

On 16 December 1940 he wrote a letter to Marshal Pétain, which on the pretext of denouncing a Jewish Masonic plot seemed rather more designed to draw attention to himself. Finally in May 1941, he formed an association known as “French National Renewal” which never became active, as authorisation was refused by the German authorities on 3 September 1941.

On 24 October 1942 Plantard was investigated by French secret services at the request of the German authorities, after he had requested authorisation, which was in any case denied, to form the above-mentioned association.

These various requests, and perhaps his attitude towards the occupying authorities, earned him a four-month prison sentence in Fresnes prison. Plantard seemed to be a young crank with the delusion of being the only man capable of organising the young people of France.

FINALLY, this last report concluded: “According to information gathered, this association has shown no activity to date. There are approximately 50 members, which resign in turn, as soon as they have sussed the President of the association, and have realised that the association does not have a serious purpose”.

We are a long way from the wild imaginings of Gérard de Sède or of the British in their latest work entitled “Le Message” (The Messianic Legacy).

7°- The same causes produce the same effects: the consequences of forming “associations” will be much the same. Thus, on 26 August 1947 the “Latin Academy” was formed, replacing the Alpha-Galates and its President was none other than Mrs Amélie-Raulo Plantard! Its declared aim was “scientific research”! Finally, the Priory of Sion was created in 1956. We were able to contact former members of this office, who all burst out laughing when we mentioned Rennes-le-Château. According to its former President, the association was at the time a “club for boy scouts” and NOTHING MORE….!

8°- The genealogies so dear to the hearts of the readers of “L’Énigme Sacrée” (The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail), have been taken straight from a special issue of the historical journal “les Cahiers de l’Histoire” (no.1, 1960) to which have been added the names of the ancestors of the former sexton, alias Varrin de Vincestra, a.k.a. Pierre de France, baptised as Saint-Clair, but known to the secret services and to the state as Pierre Plantard…

FAREWELL, to the Merovingian king turned former sexton,

farewell to the British epic,

farewell to the descendants of Jesus,

farewell to the last Ayatollah of the British and to the…last Grand Master of the Templars.

We remain amazed, however, at the headlong flight of Messrs Lincoln, Baigent, Richard Leigh and indeed….Gérard de Sède, who were perfectly aware of the existence of these two reports, filed under “Alpha Galates” in the archives of the Police headquarters, a file which is open to the general public…!

AND SO, now that we have recalled these eight points which form the myths and legends of Rennes-le-Château – let us ask ourselves what need there ever was for such extensive manipulations and operations, and bearing in mind the old-saying: “Une chose qui dure et qui perdure est une histoire à demi vraie” (A legend repeated becomes a tale almost true), when M. André Gratadour comes along to inform us of his latest hypothesis.