A long history, shrouded in legends and mysteries, surrounds this small French town in the Languedoc area. This dates back to about 4,500 years BC , a time from which some megalithic monuments are preserved that testify to the first human settlement in the town. The Villa Béthania is preserved from Roman times . Later, the Goths founded what is now Rennes-le-Château thanks to its strategic position, from which the passage to the Pyrenees could be controlled. Later and at different times, it was taken by the Arabs, required by Alfonso II (12th century), a refuge for Cathars until 1210, concluding with the destruction of the town in 1362 by Enrique de Trastámara.
After its reconstruction in the 19th century, an extraordinary legend began to come to light, starring the parish priest Bérenguer Saunière. During the process of remodeling the church, some documents (or treasure) were found under the pillars of the altar, according to the workers who carried out the work. After the discovery of the secret, the priest became rich and began to make contact with characters of some relevance, as well as members of the royalty. Meanwhile, some works not without a certain mystery were carried out in the town, such as the Magdala Tower in honor of Mary Magdalene, sculptural representations of the demon Asmodeus or the reform of the cemetery that consisted of changing the location of some tombstones.
To reinforce the legend, in the village museum copies of the supposed documents found by Berenguer Saunière are exhibited, where the genealogical tree of the Merovingian dynasty is represented, apparently and according to the legend, descendants of Jesus of Nazareth .
The sudden death of the parish priest and the circumstances that surrounded him, both in life and after death, keep alive the legend and mystery of this small town in the south of France. Proof of this are the thousands of tourists who visit it every year, attracted by its peculiar and enigmatic history.
Places of interest:
– Villa Béthania.
– Magdala Tower.
– Church: the demon Asmodeus and the Via Crucis.
– The cemetery.
– The esoteric bookstore.