"Les Bergers d'Arcadia" (The Shepherds of Arcadia II") by Nicolas Poussin, c. 1638-1640

The other painter mentioned in the parchments discovered by Beranger Sauniere, the priest, was Teniers. Teniers was famous for his St. Anthony paintings and the subject of St. Anthony's cave was considered to be a clue to the mystery. There is a Teniers in Limoux at Notre Dame de Marceille which was commissioned by Fouquet in 1670. It was a St. Antoine (St. Anthony) painted by David Teniers the Younger. This original painting was painted over by Ambrose Fredeau and changed into a St. Augustine. St. Augustine was known to have been in Rome when it was sacked by Alaric the king of the Visigoths. Could this painting located in Limoux be a reference to the Ark of the Covenant taken by Alaric which he hid somewhere in southern France? Does it indicate that the Limoux vaults are the location of the Temple treasures? In 1870 the painting was changed back to St. Anthony. Certain identifying artifacts were removed and St. Anthony's torch was replaced. Is this the Teniers painting which holds the key to the location of the Ark? Limoux is also home to the beautiful Jesus and Mary Magdalene stained glass window which shows them seated and facing one another clothed in matching robes of indigo blue covered with silver stars.

Sauniere's mentor, Henri Boudet, wrote a book about the origins of the Celtic language in 1886 in which he makes a specific reference to Notre Dame de Marceille. Lasserre quotes Boudet frequently in his own book "History of the Pilgrimage of Notre Dame de Marceille". On page 11, Lasserre mentions works performed by the first bishop of Narbonne, Sergius (589), who sent his priests "to engrave Greek crosses that can still be seen on the standing stones, which form part of the stone circle of Rennes-le-Baines." It is a megalithic site as well as a Roman ruin. A farmer named Ilepes hit some marble stones in his field which had ancient words beautifully engraved upon them. He took these to an archaeologist teacher in Narbonne who determined them to be funerary texts dated 118 A.D. dedicated to the gods which were called the Lares. Some pottery and bronze ornaments were also found as well as images of the Lares and an incense burner with the head of Tanit dated 300 B.C. The Lares were Roman household gods and could also be found at shrines built at crossroads. Some were images of agricultural field spirits.

Both Boudet and Lasserre were one-time owners of Notre Dame de Marceille, as was Fouquet centuries before. Holding the deed to the place was of utmost importance to their priestly secret society. It is a place of mystery, intrigue, and an underground complex. Sauniere was the protégé of Boudet who supplied Lassere with much information on Limoux and Notre Dame de Marceille. Surely Sauniere was another member of the society that kept this location a secret.

River Aude

The notes of Maillot mention that he found a network of underground constructions close to the River Aude at the foot of the sanctuary. In a government document technical administrator Pennaud wrote of seeing these "underground bases" below the water level of the river at the foot of the hill of Notre Dame de Marceille. He said that rising water would seal the system. There is a question as to the original builders of the complex, were they the Romans, the Visigoths, or the Medieval Templars? It is a system of tunnels with a vaulted room which has a ceiling entrance now covered by a metal door. The walls are rough and the ceiling is made of smooth marble slabs.

Click on the 'NEXT' arrow for page 3