Inside of the tunnel, it branches to the right and to the left. One meter into the right-hand tunnel is a steel-enforced cement wall. The steel is sunk in and anchored from the surface. The wall was constructed by 17th century workmen imported from Rome called "Penitents" who worked for 21 days without a break. They "sealed the undergrounds of the sanctuary" and were allowed no wine because their work was a secret. Any discovery of these "cavities under the river" has been obscured by the church over the centuries.

Beranger Sauniere

It is very unusual for a Catholic church not to have any tombs within its walls, yet there are no burials inside of Notre Dame de Marceille so that there is no reason for anyone to want to enter the lower level of the structure to pay their respects. For many years there was a resident hermit on the grounds to insure that none of the pilgrims stumbled upon the underground tunnels. Visitors would tend to respect the privacy of a hermit and keep their distance from that area. Saint Vincent de Paul organized the group of Lazarist priests who reside at the complex; he was a contemporary of Fouquet and Poussin. These priests were invited to the rededication of Rennes-le-Chateau by Abbe Sauniere.

Over the centuries there was a "hands off" policy when it came to this church near Limoux. This was true in the 14th c., the 16th c., and in the 18th c. as well. During the 14th c. persecution of the Templars, the Templar guards of the underground storehouse were spared. Limoux looks like a fortress, it was built in the style of the soldier monks of the Temple, the nave was added later to make it look like a church. In 1912 Notre Dame de Marceille was dedicated as a Basilica by Pope Pius X which was a rare honor. Bishop Beausejour was present. It was Beausejour who finally defeated Sauniere in court over the mysterious source of Sauniere's income.

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