Are These the Bones of the Fourth Musketeer? This Dutch Village Hopes So.

Volunteers in Wolder made a discovery beneath the chapel floor of St. Peter and Paul’s Church, where rumors had long claimed the fourth musketeer’s remains. A skeleton was found under heavy gray stones, raising expectations that the bones belonged to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as Count d’Artagnan. Local volunteers formed a nonprofit group led by Jos Valke, using metal detectors to locate the old church foundation and then examining loose floor stones. By February, they unearthed a skull, and in March they announced they had located what might be d’Artagnan’s skeleton. Further testing is required to confirm identity, with results expected within weeks.

"Volunteers in Wolder made a thrilling discovery in St. Peter and Paul's Church, which for centuries was rumored to be the final resting place of the fourth musketeer from Alexandre Dumas's famous story. There was a skeleton under the heavy gray stones of the chapel floor. Expectations were immediately high. Surely the bones belonged to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, also known as Count d'Artagnan, who served under King Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard, and was dramatized, fictionalized and immortalized in Dumas's The Three Musketeers."

"That's why a group of community members set out to see if they could find d'Artagnan earlier this year. Jos Valke, the deacon of the church, and other locals formed a nonprofit group that started with metal detectors, located the old church foundation, and eventually looked underneath some loose floor stones. By February, they unearthed a skull. In March, they announced that they had located what might be d'Artagnan's skeleton, and that tests would be needed to confirm his identity."

"Now we're waiting, Mr. Valke said. Anxiously waiting, explaining that he expects results within the next few weeks. The skeleton found beneath the floor of the church.Credit...via Agence France-Presse Getty Images Thank you for your patience while we verify access."

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