Rennes-le-Château is a medieval castle village in the Aude département, in the Languedoc area in southern France, an area known for its towering mountains, deep gorges, forests, caves, wild remote plateaus and access to the Mediterranean.

This predominately rural area has a very rich history as evidenced by its castles, cathedrals, vineyards and museums. Mountains frame both ends of the region - the Cevennes in the northeast and the Pyrenees in the south. Jagged ridges, deep river canyons and rocky limestone plateaus with vast caves beneath make it one of the most scenic spots on earth.

Over the centuries religious and political conflicts have caused much havoc. The ruined castles which cling precariously to hilltops played a leading role in the struggles between Cathars at the beginning of the 13th century. Others guarded the volatile border with Spain. Whole communities were wiped out during the merciless campaigns of the Catholic to rid the area of the Cathar 'heretics', and later when Protestants fought for religious freedom.

In the late 19th century, the priest of Rennes-le-Château, Bérenger Saunière started making large expenses and is claimed to have visited several heads of states. This has sparked many speculations about his discovery of a potential treasure and/or secrets. According to Paul Smith (see link below), the stories of Saunière's "mysteries" were started by Noel Corbu, a local restaurant owner, to increase his business.

Since the mid-1950s, the area has become the focus of conspiracy theories involving the Knights Templar, the Priory of Sion, the Rex Deus, the Holy Grail, the treasures of the Temple of Solomon, the Ark of the Covenant, ley lines, geometric alignments, and others. Many of these theories may be traced to Pierre Plantard, who passed them to the authors of the popular 1982 book Holy Blood, Holy Grail. Elements of these theories were later incorporated into Umberto Eco's 1989 novel Foucault's Pendulum, and Dan Brown's bestselling 2003 novel The Da Vinci Code.

The village now attracts visitors who look for hidden treasures and evidence of conspiracy, much to the displeasure of the locals.

Bibliography

• René Descadeillas, Mythologie du Trésor de Rennes: Histoire Veritable de L'Abbé Saunière, Curé de Rennes-Le-Château (Mémoires de la Société des Arts et des Sciences de Carcassonne, Annees 1971-1972, 4me série, Tome VII, 2me partie; 1974). [Reprinted in 1991 by Editions Collot, Carcassonne.]
• Jean-Jacques Bedu, Rennes-Le-Château: Autopsie d'un mythe (Ed. Loubatières; 31120 Portet-sur-Garonne; 1990 - recently reprinted in 2003.)

External links

• Official Rennes-le-Château website
• The mystery of Rennes-le-Château
• A Rennes le Château Homepage
• Paul Smith. The Documented Real Facts about Bérenger Saunière and Rennes-le-Château 1885-2003