Come-Sourde Stone

This stone was found in the presbytery. It could be the stone of "Come Sourde", which had been found by Ernest Cros (one of Sauniere's friend) in the mountain of Come Sourde. Enest Cros had left it in the presbytary. This stone bears marks, as if it had been hit by a chisel and hammer. It seems someone had wanted to erase what was written on it.

Ernest Cros had made a copy of it.

The Story - 1st part

Marie d'Hautpoul and Father Bigou

Antoine Bigou had succeeded his uncle Jean as priest of Rennes le Château in 1774 .He was the confessor of marchioness of Hautpoul.It is said that she told him a very important family secret and gave him some documents just before she died. It is said that she asked him to tell the secret to another person who would understand it's importance. Marie de Négri Dables, Lady of Hautpoul died on January 17^th 1781 and was buried in Rennes le Chateau’s churchyard

Bigou hid the documents in one of the pillar that held the altar in the church.

In 1791,he laid a flagstone on the marchioness’ tomb.

He had some strange signs carved on the tombstone : ET IN ARCADIA EGO :I who am also in Arcadia

Moreover,as the lady died on January 17^th 1781,the date on the grave should be MDCCLXXXI instead of MDC O LXXXI

In the church,he had the Knights flagstone laid before the altar,but the sculpted side was facing the ground.

He was considered a non-juring priest and he had to flee to Sabadell,Spain,where he died on March 21^st 1794 after he had told the secret to Father Jean Vié (priest in Rennes les Bains) and to Father Emile François Cayron (priest in St Laurent de la Cabrerisse). Both men were priests of their towns from 1840 to 1872

The signs on the tomb were erased by Sauniere ,but we know of 2 reproductions of it.One was made by Eugène Cros( an amateur archeologist),the other by Eugène Stublein.On Stublein’s drawing though,the greek letters ( et in arcadia ego) do not appear.

The Story begins with
Berenger Sauniere