Lost remains of French musketeer d'Artagnan may have been found in Dutch church
NBC News • • world
Key Points:
- The skeleton believed to be that of Charles de Batz de Castelmore d’Artagnan, the famed French musketeer, was discovered beneath tiles in St Peter and Paul Church in Maastricht after the floor subsided in February.
- Archaeologists are conducting DNA tests on a jawbone to compare with descendants to confirm if the remains belong to d’Artagnan, who died during the French siege of Maastricht in 1673.
- The church is near the French army’s campsite, and additional evidence such as a 1660 coin and a lead bullet fragment were found at the burial site, supporting the possibility that the skeleton is d’Artagnan’s.
- Historical records indicate d’Artagnan was buried in consecrated ground, and the location under the altar aligns with this, though officials emphasize that confirmation is still pending.
- D’Artagnan was a real 17th-century soldier who served King Louis XIV and inspired Alexandre Dumas’ fictional character in "The Three Musketeers."
