The presbytery of Rennes-le-Château Part 2: There is no smoke without fire

 

 

A visit of the domain and the museum

The presbytery now shelters the museum of the “domain of Saunière”… admirably restored for the occasion. On the ground floor are archaeological discoveries made in the sector of Rennes-le-Château, either the result of research or fortuitous discoveries. Documents, also on display, recall the history of the village from its more remote origins to the arrival of Berenger Saunière. The visit then continues with the domain of the priest, with the Villa Bethania, the Magdala tower, the canopy, the park and especially, since late 2004, the remains of the priest himself, that have been transported from the village cemetery.
Let us briefly visit the ground floor of the presbytery. Currently this part of the museum is divided into two showrooms. On the left we find “the kitchen” with a reconstitution, freely interpreted, of a scene of the life of Saunière. Two wax characters represent the abbot in an armchair, reading. On the right-hand side stands his maidservant (Marie Dénarnaud). Behind her is a large chimney with an open fire… a vital element in these regions, where winters can be hard. Many utensils and authentic details of their everyday life decorate the scene.
The room on the right-hand side, labelled the “Grassaud room”, undoubtedly in memory of the friendship binding Saunière and Grassaud, the priest of Amélie-les-Bains, presents elements and objects that once belonged to Saunière… or at least are claimed as such.

Some comparative elements

Let us stop our visit on this level.
Let us begin again, according to the “plan of the Presbytery, ground floor level” (a document from Mrs. Marie Bousent), which reflects the state of the presbytery at the time of Berenger Saunière. It is a remarkable report, as it suggests that the present status of the presbytery is not in accordance with the state of Saunière’s era.
The kitchen is presented on the left… where a part was called `Communs', on the old inventory of fixtures. On this document, the original kitchen was on the right when entering… where the "Grassaud room” is now located. Admittedly, this does not have great importance.
However, would it not be more fitting to fit out a museum as close as possible to the original? A priori, it seems that nothing prevented an accurate reconstruction…
Astonishing erroneous initiatives?

What happened when the project to turn the presbytery into a museum decided to reconstruct the house non-conform the old lay-out? No doubt, many people have left the museum under the impression that what they see, is the way it was. And perhaps this error has even trickled down into books?
It is not possible to state that when the project was initiated, no-one knew the correct layout of the site. Among those involved with the association Terre de Rhedae, there were a number of people perfectly knowledgeable about the true interior of the ground floor distribution of the presbytery. Even when the restoration was beginning, any workman would have been able to point out the correct position of the old chimney.
Finally, altering the floor plan in this manner must have cost more than merely restoring the existing lay-out. Admittedly, we were not there at time when these decisions were made, so there may be other reasons…

Presbytery, ground floor. Plan based on the document of Marire Boussent.

The place of the presbytery

In the first part, we noted that there was an obstinate desire to make sure that the presbytery stayed in the location it currently sits… a desire which has lasted no less than three centuries. Saunière himself also never left the place, in spite of his more comfortable Villa Bethania across the courtyard. Marie Dénaurnaud continued this madness after her priest had died, by renewing the lease on the presbytery… a renewal that was accepted without any problem by the municipality. This should have caused some intrigue with the research community. What right or claim did the maid of a deceased priest have on the presbytery? Would the site not be reserved for the new priest? And why did she have a need for it, as she had just inherited in the Villa Bethania. No-one seems to have ever raised this as an issue… but this does not make it less strange!

The presbytery is several centuries old, as is shown in several official documents. It is attached to the church by one wall and a broad chimney sits on this wall. When we make a detailed study, we find that the hearth is aligned, on the other side of the wall, inside the church, with the site of the confessional, in the middle of the back wall of the church. We note that the confessional’s placement is awkward and ill-suited for its function. It sits too close to the entrance and provides no privacy for anyone. Why it ended up being situated there, seems only known to Saunière himself… and he must have had good reason.

Very old knowledge hidden in the basement

When Saunière arrived, he must have come across the files of his predecessors, which he must have studied – if only as a matter of courtesy and familiarisation with his new environment.
Shortly afterwards, we find that he makes a political statement, for which he is punished. But when he returns, he has received a sum of money from the countess of Chambord, to carry out work inside the church. But whereas vital restoration work to the roof is not his immediate focus, he does carry out work that most would classify as falling with the category of a treasure hunt…
Saunière directs his money and attention towards the basement of the church. This was also noted by the villagers, who spoke of the priests’ interest in those parts of his church. Some apparent discoveries were made, such as a flagstone, known as the Dalle des Chevaliers, but it is clear that this is not what the priest is looking for. As to the work that has been carried out: it suggests that this was hastily carried out, no doubt in an effort to stop even more rumours as to what it was that Saunière was doing below ground.

Deeper underground

He knew that there existed a type of narrow and low gallery that ran under the sanctuary. It had existed for as long as anyone could remember. There was also the vault of the local lords, which is now the subject of great speculation, but which in the village itself seems to have disappeared into oblivion. Let us also note that the underground shields the cisterns, and that certain parts of that network may at some point have connected with the underground cavities that interested Saunière.
We do not know how or in what circumstances Saunière became familiar with the underground aspects of his church. Perhaps it was a fortunate discovery that opened it up to him, perhaps it was the result of careful and methodical research, or perhaps it was information from his predecessors that allowed his probing to be successful.
Still, it is noted that he learned of the existence from a passage under the church as this had an access that had been underneath the presbytery, as attested by the will of Bigou, which he left while he was in exile in Spain. It may explain why the presbytery and the church were built as one construction… and why no-one wanted to move the presbytery… or why no-one wanted to leave it.

Furthermore, access to this underground system had to be easy, but at the same time effectively sealed. These requirements may already have contributed to the situation whereby the access was not inside the church itself, but instead from the private residence of the priest.
Let us imagine for a moment how this system works. Under the church exists a room, though what it is, is not known: a crypt, a vault, a deposit, or for water? This room is connected – though perhaps not physically – with a network of natural faults that run underneath the plate of Rennes-le-Château. Then again, it is likely that one of these low passages did connect this system to the basement of the castle of Hautpoul. The entire system may have once belonged to the sphere of influence of the local lords, but over time, the only thing that may have remained, was that the local lords were aware of its existence – but were no longer able to use it.
Still, if something was hidden inside, how could it be protected? The part that ran close to the ground, near the church, was a potential danger. As it was part of a natural system, what could be done to secure it? The local lords may have donated the land, to the church, with the “desire” to build a presbytery.
Intriguingly, the access point to the low gallery can be found under the plate of the chimney… and as the utensil will be in constant use, it is equally obvious that the access will forever be secured. At least that is until Saunière began his investigations… To make sure that no-one stumbles upon the secret, the local lords may have relied on the vow of secrecy of the local priests, with whom they may have shared their secret.
As a final change, the original church is changed from location, and dedication. The vaults of the lords, under the invocation of the Blessed Virgin, becomes the church of the village, under the vocation of Mary Magdalene, whereby the chaplain of the vault becomes the priest of the village, and his residence becomes the only presbytery in town… It is then left up to the Hautpoul family themselves to maintain the secret over the generations…

It would be at the time of the French Revolution that the last lady of the manor, in the possession of this knowledge, dies. Without a male heir, she entrusts the secret to her confessor, Bigou… But he is forced to flee France, seeking refuge in Spain. He refuses to let the secret die with him. Perhaps using the same vow that had bound him, he decides to entrust another priest with his secret. At the same time, he perhaps decides to include either some more clues, or some proof of his allegations. Perhaps it are hidden clues on the tombstone of the lady of Hautpoul, perhaps they are some notes in a register, and of course there are the documents he writes while lives in Spain… In all events, the presbytery is identified as the key to the enigma.
A fictional account, or close to the truth?

A return to Saunière and his maidservant

Amidst the fiction, it is a fact that the access to the passage is located under the plate of the chimney. It is thus easy to get into, provided one knows what to look for. But one problem remains: Marie Dénarnaud. She seems to be a young, innocent person, unfamiliar with what will happen to her and her boss in the future. Then again, such looks may indeed be deceiving… Still, once Saunière pushes ahead, he realises that he will forever be tied to her… and progressing is thus a difficult choice. She will know everything, and if she is not totally with him, she is against him. History, however, has clearly shown she was in his camp – beyond the call of any duty.
Saunière must have had a specific interest in the chimney… beyond the call of haute cuisine. The kitchen was her domain and any slight alteration to the hearth or chimney would immediately have been noticed by her… repeated “oddities” would have aroused her suspicion. As such, there was nothing else for Saunière to do but take her in his confidence… unless he wanted to cook his meals forever after by himself… But every time the fire was lit, it meant that the secret underneath was safe.

But underneath the plate, a passage into a low gallery opens and leads straight under the church. Even if this passage had been filled over time, it would neither be a long or painful task to remove it from this forgotten gallery. Once in working condition, it lead Saunière under the church. But once closed, there was nothing in between this passage and its exposure but a thin plate. This must have produced a specific hollow sound if ever someone stomped on the plate. In the presbytery itself, this would only be of concern to Marie. But any hollow sounding sounds in the church were a bigger concern. At best, the villagers would think the floor was collapsing and might at some point give way under the weight of the worshippers. At worst, someone may have known what was going on.

The law of silence of the confessional

How to resolve the problem? By installing a second floor, and make sure no-one can walk over the hollow sounding stones. How? By ordering a confessional and placing it in the right place… or, seen from the point of view of where confessionals should be, the wrong place. In retrospect, the presence of the confessional does not at all stand out from the other new decorations that Saunière installed in the church. As the confessional came with its own floor, no-one would ever be the wiser of what was underneath…

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