Charlemagne

I'm thinking of going there. <BR>Any tales or advice etc would be most welcome

Ess

I read a book several years ago called Holy Blood, Holy Grail that refers Rennes-le-Chateau with respect to Cathar history, theories of the historical Jesus and certain European esoteric traditions. Have you read this book? It's certainly very interesting and its bibliography may have some useful resources for you.

Maira

For what I have read, supposedly, in the year 70 AD, the Roman emperor Titus took the city of Jerusalem and plundered its entire wealth. Chroniclers talked of formidable treasures (it is said King Solomon used tons of gold and silver in the adornment of the Temple, sacred objects, the Arch, propitiatory, Altar, the Menorah and, no doubt, a whole host of other religious artifacts). There has always been speculation as to where this treasure ended up as it was used as ransom many times over between conquering nations. Many scholars have been able to tracked it to one possible resting place, namely the fortress of Rheddae, an ancient Visigothic stronghold and capital of the district known as the Razés. Today Rheddae is more commonly known as Rennes-le-Château, a sleepy little village in the backwoods of the Languedoc. So to answer your question it is believed that the church at Rennes-le-Château was the final resting place for the plundered treasures of Jerusalem, including sacred objects taken from the Temple of Solomon. <BR> <BR>In 1885 a young priest called Beranger Sauniere elected to have the church rebuilt as it was in a poor state of repair. While repairing a large flagstone in front of the altar, the workmen discovered a clay pot stuffed full of ancient gold coins, a very fine Visigothic necklace and bracelet and a 13th Century gold chalice. At some later date, a small glass phial turned out with a tightly rolled scrap of paper. He quickly took his find to Saunière and almost immediately Saunière began excavations within the church. What happened in between is a mistery, but from being a poor priest he overnight became a millionaire (he had a luxurious villa built and a gothic tower in which he housed his impressive library. Needless to say, Sauniere had to explained to the Bishop this sudden wealth to which he just stated that legacies had been left to him personally. Eventually he was expelled from the church and died in 1917. It is believed that he sold a lot of what he found at the church in the international antiquities market to anonymous buyers.

O.K. Sure

And then the Easter Bunny flew in on his magical egg. He became close friends with the aliens from Planet X. They built a gigantic chocolate house and made all the villagers live happily ever after.

Ess

Skepticism isn't a bad thing, "O.K. Sure", but there's no need to be rude. The Emperor Titus DID plunder the city of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Gaul (France) WAS a part of the Roman Empire, and it isn't entirely unreasonable to assume that SOMETHING happened at Rennes-le-Chateau.

Joanna

Exactly. That wouldn't be the first time treasures had been buried in the distant past to escape plunder by invaders. Note the large amounts of Roman coins and other metal objects found throughout Britain every year and 'hordes' such as the Hoxne, Luton Hoo and Sutton Hoo hordes. As France (or Gaul) was part of the Roman empire for much longer, I wouldn't be surprised what lies underneath old churches and buried in the ground.

chris

I studied in nearby Brest two summers ago, and I'm pretty familiar with the surrounding area. Brest itself contains a fortess that was used in WWII. ALso there is the Oceanopolis, which is an aquariem. The surrounding towns however, is what gives you the true feeling of Brittany. The uniqueness of the Bretons is apparent everywhere. One of these areas is the distinct architecture of the churches that is apparent throughout the region. One of the best examples is in the town of Plougastel. Other great places to visit are Quimper, Carnac, Roscoff, and Ile de BAtz. Make sure to sample some of the foods indicative of Brittany. These include crepes, cider, and Langoustines. Moving along to Normandy, a must see is the Musee de la paix in Caen. This is the most fantastic museum I have ever been to, and gives you the aura of WWII. Afterwards, visit some of the landing beaches such as Omaha beach. Some other interesting stops include Hofleur, Dinard, and of Course Mont St. Michel is a sight that cannot be missed. Bon voyage!<BR>

Editor

i before e, except after c, and in WEIRD!!!

MG

Big thank-you, Chris. I just printed your info out for my next trip -- I was just about to ask about Brittany! Thanks again.

Betty

OK, somebody has to point this out - the city of Rennes and the surrounding areas in Brittany described by Chris (good and helpful info) have nothing to do with Rennes-le-Chateau, a small village in Languedoc referred to by the OP. It is a bit south of Carcassonne.

kmarie

Betty, thanks! I was wondering about that...and hadn't yet looked at the map.

Doug Weller

Major caveat -- we don't know if there ever was a King Solomon as described in the Bible.<BR><BR>2nd Major Caveat -- the Temple destroyed by the Romans was the Second Temple, remember? Not Solomon's if he ever existed.<BR><BR>Whatever was looted from it is not really that likely to have ended up in a small village in France.<BR><BR>The tradition is that fire melted the gold and silver and Roman soldiers dismantled the temple to get the gold/silver (see Matthew 24:1-2).<BR><BR>What didn't end up in soldier's pockets would have been sent to Rome.<BR><BR>Doug