D’Artagnan’s grave can have been present in Maastricht

All for one and one for all. So goes the motto of the fictional Three Musketeers written by Alexandre Dumas. This much is well-known, but what’s less well-known is that the hero of the story, D’Artagnan, was an actual historical figure, with archaeologists now saying they might have found his stays in a Dutch church.

The real D’Artagnan was often called Charles de Batz de Castelmore and died in the course of the siege of Maastricht in 1673 while within the service of Louis XIV, the “Sun King”. In the novel, D’Artagnan’s great opponent was Cardinal Richelieu, also an actual historical figure, albeit one who died in the course of the reign of the Sun King’s father, Louis XIII. It is unlikely that the 2 ever actually met.

When the actual D’Artagnan was killed in the course of the siege of Maastricht it is probably going that he was buried in or near the town attributable to the summer heat.

St Peter and Paul Church in Maastricht has long been rumoured to carry his stays. An excavation of the ground of the church recently revealed a skeleton, buried below an altar. The skeleton was found with a bullet and a coin dated to 1660.

While the identity of the skeleton has not yet been confirmed, further tests are being carried out to find out if D’Artagnan has truly been found. Tests on bone fragments are being conducted in each Germany and the Netherlands to find out the sex and age of the skeleton.

Speaking to broadcaster Omroep, Limburg archaeologist Wim Dijkman said he was waiting for the outcomes of a DNA evaluation before coming to any conclusions.

“My expectations are high … I’ve already been researching d’Artagnan’s grave for 28 years. This might be the highlight of my profession.”

D’Artagnan’s three companions, Athos, Porthos and Aramis, were also based on real historical figures. While Athos and Porthos were likely buried in local parish churches, Aramis’ final resting place is unknown.