Do we have anything from the historical archives that demonstrate that the villagers of Rennes-le-Château believed that Abbé Saunière discovered a treasure during his lifetime? Such evidence would be highly significant to say the very least – but we have got no such evidence!

When Howard Carter discovered in Egypt the tomb of King Tutankhamun in November 1922 (designated KV62) he made sure he made his announcement AFTER his discovery. Not before.

Howard Carter did not make any public announcement beforehand predicting or promising that he was going to find the tomb of Tutankhamun. He kept his hopes quiet while conducting years of difficult, unfruitful digs funded by Lord Carnarvon. He only announced his find to the world after his workers actually struck the first stone step on 4 November 1922, and verified that the seals on the inner door were intact (as he privately wrote in his private excavation diary on that day).

Also, we know about the excavations of Jacques Cholet in the church of Rennes-le-Château – that failed to find any positive results.

We are faced with the boring, unexciting facts of the historians and professional archaeologists on one side, and with the fantastic imaginations of the believers on the other side – strongly suggesting that the vastly fruitful income generated from Tourism lies paramount to the whole subject matter of Rennes-le-Château.

* An article seemed to reflect the position of the believers, “Rennes-le-Château, la mécanique d'une mystification” par Paul Saussez (pp. 27-44, Terre de Rhedae, Bulletin Nr 2, aout 2026).