Lionel Fanthrope - 15 Aug

c410

Possible Rhedae, major Visigothic strategic outpost in Septimania. (Rennes-le-Chteau, Chteaux de Blanchefort and Bzu/Albedun are all constructed on Visigothic foundations forming an isosceles triangle with angles 36, 72, 72.

1210

Destruction of the Chteau de Blanchefort, during the Crusade against the Cathars.

1633

Guillaume de Catel's account, stating that workers were imported all the way from Germany to excavate the mines by Rennes-les-Bains (Mmoires de l'Histoire du Languedoc, Tome I, p. 51).

1645

Legend of the shepherd Jean (Folklore (Aude), Nr. 8, p. 137, 1938).

Legend of the shepherd Ignace Paris (Nol Corbu, Essai Historique sur Rennes-le-Chteau, 1962).

1709

Antiquits des Bains de Monferran communement appels les Bains de Rennes by Abb Antoine Delmas, vicar at Rennes-les-Bains.

1732

Marriage of Marie de Ngre d'Ables to Franois d'Hautpoul, first Marquis de Blanchefort.

1780

Jean-Baptiste Siau, notary at Espraza, refused to give the Hautpoul family will to Pierre Franoise d'Hautpoul, under the pretext: It would be unwise of me to let a will of such great consequence out of my hands. (Rennes et ses derniers seigneurs by Ren Descadeillas, pp. 7-8)

c1780

Legend of the Devil's Treasure (Voyages Rennes-les-Bains by Auguste de Labouisse-Rochefort, pp. 469-471, 1832).

1781

Death of Marie de Ngre d'Ables, Countess Hautpoul-Blanchefort: the mysterious epitaph on her tombstone containing errors which point out the words MORT pe (Excursion de 25 Juin 1905Rennes-le-Chteau by Elie Tisseyre, Bulletin de la Socit d'tudes Scientifiques de l'Aude, Tome XVII, pp. 98-106, 1906).

1872

Death of Abb Jean Vi, vicar at Rennes-les-Bains, whose epitaph reveals that he was named priest when 32, and died 32 years later (the chessboard motif: 32 white years before becoming priest, then 32 black years as a priest).

1880

In the Middle Ages it was believed that the precious metals extracted from the Blanchefort mine came, not from a vein in the rock, but from a store of gold and silver ingots buried in the dungeons of the fortress by its first masters, the Visigothic kings. (Histoire du comt de Razes et du diocse d'Alet, by Louis Fdi).

1885

Franois-Brenger Saunire (1852-1917) appointed Parish Priest of Rennes-le-Chteau, at the Church of St. Mary Magdalen.

1886

Saunire temporarily transferred to the Seminary at Narbonne for delivering anti-Republican, right-wing sermons during the elections.

1887

Saunire reinstated at Rennes-le-Chteau: began renovating his church moved the Knight's Stone which lay face-down before the main Altar (which was probably the entrance to the Hautpoul family burial vault beneath the church), and made his fateful discovery

Church renovation details (1887-1900) are introduced by the character as below.

New Altar (700Frs; F. D. Monna, Toulouse)

Stained-Glass Windows (1350Frs; Henri Feur, Bordeaux)

1890-91

1891

Visigothic Pillar/Statue of the Lourdes Virgin: ceremony June 21st.

Lettre de Grans. Dcouverte d'un tombeau, le soir pluie. (Saunire's diary, September 21st).

Vu cur de Nvian Chez Glis Chez Carrire Vu Cros en secret. (Saunire's diary, September 29th).

Statue of St. Mary Magdalen above church entrance (150Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

Pulpit (750Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

1892

1893

1895

1897

Statues of the Saints (720Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

Stations of the Cross (600Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

Jesus/Baptist Font, etc. (404Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

Devil/Angels Holy Water Stoup (300Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

Bas-Relief of Jesus Christ on the Mount (800Frs; Giscard, Toulouse)

The Calvary; church consecrated by Mgr. Billard (June 6th).

1898

Collecting-trunk made from oak (400Frs; M. Mestre, Limoux).

c1900

Bas-Relief of St. Mary Magdalen at the foot of the Altar (reverse image of a stained-glass window from Puichric church).

1902

Mgr. Paul-Flix Beuvain de Beausjour replaces Mgr. Flix-Arsne Billard as Bishop of Carcassonne.

1901-05

Villa Bthanie; Tour Magdala; gardens and terraces, etc.

1903(?)

Galibert family erect the Poussin-Tomb at Les Pontils m Peyrolles (dismantled April 9th 1988).

1905-06

Separation of the Church from State in France. Saunire's superiors demand he show his accounts and give an explanation of his source of wealth.

1909

Saunire transferred to Coustouge: replaced by Abb Marty at Rennes-le-Chteau; but he refused his nomination and built a private altar in the Villa Bthanie.

1910-11

Saunire's trial before the Carcassonne Bishopric, to account for his source of wealth.