A discovery in the Dutch city of Maastricht may finally solve a centuries-old mystery: The burial place of Charles de Batz-Castelmore d’Artagnan, the inspiration for the hero of Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers.
Earlier in March, workers repairing the floor of the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the Wolder district uncovered a skeleton which gave clues the bones could be those of the famous swashbuckler, sparking excitement among historians and archaeologists.
D’Artagnan, a 17th-century Gascon nobleman, was a musketeer and a spy for Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France, the Sun King. His daring exploits alongside his dashing comrades Athos, Porthos and Aramis, were immortalised by Dumas and made d’Artagnan an enduring figure in literature, stage, and screen.
He died in 1673 during the siege of Maastricht, reportedly from a musket shot to the throat, but his final resting place has remained unknown until now.
Deacon Jos Valke, present during the initial excavation, said several clues point to the skeleton being the legendary soldier. “He lay buried under the altar in consecrated ground,” he said.
“There was a French coin from that era in the grave, and the musket ball was found at chest level, exactly as described in historical accounts. The indications are very strong,” Valke stated.
The skeleton was removed from the church and transported nearly 200km east to an archaeological institute in Deventer for preservation and further study. A DNA sample taken from the skeleton on March 13 is currently being analysed in a laboratory in Munich.
Scientists plan to compare it with DNA from descendants of d’Artagnan’s family to confirm the identity.
Several additional authentication tests are planned in the coming weeks. According to the French newspaper Le Parisien, these include carbon-14 analyses, which can provide insights into the individual’s lifestyle and environment, alongside further DNA testing.
Once these results are complete, researchers may be able to confirm whether the remains indeed belong to the famous musketeer.
Retired Maastricht archaeologist Wim Dijkman, who has spent nearly three decades searching for d’Artagnan’s grave, urged caution despite the excitement. “I am a scientist, and I will only say it is d’Artagnan when I am certain,” he told Courrier International.
If confirmed, this discovery would rank among the most sensational archaeological finds in the Netherlands.
The location of the grave adds to the intrigue: D’Artagnan was killed during the siege of Maastricht while attempting to take the city for Louis XIV and the church site had long been suspected as his burial site by historians.
Odile Bordaz, a leading biographer of d’Artagnan, had repeatedly requested research permission but that was only recently granted.
A quote from d’Artagnan: “I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery,” captures the fearless character of the musketeer.
If the skeleton is confirmed as d’Artagnan’s, debates may arise over its final resting place.
The city of Maastricht could keep it for historical and tourist purposes but France may request repatriation — drawing playful comparisons from some internet users to the return of Napoleon’s body in 1840.
If it's him, we want his corpse back in France, napoléon style pic.twitter.com/mq6BqD5Lz7
— F SKΦ 🇫🇷 🇮🇳 (@fa36420) March 25, 2026
