Incredible! D'Artagnan's skeleton has reportedly been discovered in a church in Maastricht.

An archaeological discovery in Maastricht, Netherlands, has revived a historical question that remained unanswered for over three centuries: the exact location of the burial site of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan. According to the Dutch media outlet L1 Nieuws, a skeleton unearthed in a Maastricht church could belong to the French soldier who died during the siege of the city in 1673.

Bones found after the partial collapse of a church floor

Human remains were discovered in the nave of a modern church whose origins date back to at least the 13th century. The excavation was undertaken following repair work necessitated by a partial floor collapse in February 2026. After their exhumation, the bones were transferred to an archaeological institute in Deventer, in the eastern Netherlands, where they are currently undergoing analysis. A DNA sample was taken on March 13, 2026, and is currently being examined in a laboratory in Munich.

Wim Dijkman mentions a serious possibility, but nothing is certain at this stage.

For archaeologist Wim Dijkman, who says he has been working for 28 years on the search for the remains of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, this discovery could be a major moment in his career. While emphasizing the need for caution, Dijkman stated that he has "High expectations"According to L1 Nieuws, a statement subsequently adopted by several news outlets, no definitive scientific confirmation has yet been made public.

The location of the tomb and a French coin support the hypothesis

Another element put forward in the case concerns the precise location of the burial. Deacon Jos Valke, present during the initial excavation, explained that a French coin was found near the skeleton. He also pointed out that the remains were located where the altar had been, an area traditionally reserved for high-ranking individuals. According to Jos Valke, this clue reinforces the idea that this was not an ordinary deceased person.

Who was Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan?

Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan, was a Gascon nobleman from Lupiac, in what is now the Gers department. An officer in the service of the French monarchy, he served successively under Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV, before being immortalized in 19th-century literature by Alexandre Dumas. The fictional character of d'Artagnan, popularized by The three Musketeers and through numerous film and television adaptations, draws directly from this historical figure.

He died in Maastricht in 1673, but his burial place was never definitively established.

Sources agree that Charles de Batz de Castelmore was killed during the siege of Maastricht in 1673, most likely by a musket shot. However, his burial place has never been definitively identified. Local tradition, still promoted by tourism and heritage professionals in Maastricht, has long maintained that he was buried in or near the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in Wolder, now a district of Maastricht. This hypothesis was previously put forward by the historian Odile Bordaz in the 2000s, although without conclusive archaeological evidence at the time.

A credible hypothesis, but still far from definitive proof.

The interest generated by this discovery stems from the convergence of several clues: the location, the chronology, the presumed rank of the deceased, and the material artifacts recovered during the excavation. However, the identification of the skeleton as Charles de Batz de Castelmore can only be definitively established if scientific analyses produce conclusive results. As things stand, the media outlets that have reported the story are referring to a major historical possibility, but not to a definitive certainty.

Why this discovery is already attracting interest far beyond the Netherlands

The potential identification of Charles de Batz de Castelmore's remains would have implications far beyond the purely archaeological realm. It would touch upon the military history of Louis XIV's reign, Franco-Dutch heritage, and the global imagination surrounding Alexandre Dumas. More than 350 years after the musketeer's death, Maastricht remains a significant site of remembrance surrounding his passing, the city continuing to preserve this historical narrative within its local heritage.