In 1900, the priest bought 6 pieces of land, using the name of Marie Dénarnaud and began to build his "estate". The architect was Tiburce Caminade, the building contractor Elie Bot who had 17 workers under his orders, all of them were fed by Saunière. The stones were cut in St Sauveur and brought back on donkeys. First, Saunière had the villa "Bethania" built. He wanted it to become a retirement house for the priests of the diocese after his death.

In the garden, there were many exotic trees and animals : two dogs (Faust and Pomponet), 2 monkeys (Capri and Mora), peacocks, cockatoos, exotic fishes...

Some water went from a citern to a fountain. There was a wonderful view of the area from the promenade.

vue

Story - 4th part

The Domain

Bethania Villa

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Magdala Tower

Click the photo to go to the Magdala Tower page

He also planted an orange grove and built a neo-gothic tower where he had his library (he had 10000 postal cards and 100000 stamps). It was called Magdala tower and it had 22 crenels.

The whole work lasted 8 years. If one looks at the map of the domain,one will see it looks exactly like Mary Magdalene’s walk from Magdala to Bethania.Magdala tower represents Galilee and Bethania Mansion,Judaea. It is said that many famous people artists and politicians visited the priest (the Fine Arts State secretary Henri Charles Etienne Dujardin-Beaumetz, a freemason who belonged to the lodge called "La clémente amitié" (the merciful friendship)).

It is told Saunière entertained Stephen of Hasbourg would have given some money to the priest for his research. Father Saunière lived in splendour, he was corresponding with many famous people and banks and received important money orders. He was in contact with the Petitjean bank in Paris. He also had accounts in the Bank of Langudoc and Roussillon in Perpignan, in the Bank Pommier and Pavie in Toulouse. Gérard de Sède said he had an account in Budapest (he consulted the accounts himself in 1971 when the bank didn't exist anymore).

Anyhow, Saunière's way of life began to worry the Bishopric who had heard many complaints about him from other priests in the area. Monseigneur de Beauséjour, bishop of Carcassonne wanted to send him to Coustouges. Saunière refused to leave and resigned from his belonging to the Church. a new priest, Father Marty. He was appointed to Rennes on July 2^nd 1909 and settled there on July 4^th . He was appointed in Rivel in 1912. Villagers prefered attend Mass in Father Saunière's private chapel. The altar was the original church's altar..

On january 17th 1917, Saunière had an attack just before the Magdala Tower. He asked for Father Rivière, priest of Couiza. The confession was long and when Rivière went out the room, he was very pale... Saunière received the last Sacraments and 2 days later he died from a brain haemorrhage on january 22^nd 1917.

(Note : some people thought the way the villagers behaved was a mystery : they took away the bobbles from the blanket that covered the priest's body. It was only a devotion act, and an ancient occitan tradition.)

Saunière died, leaving many plans behind him : he wanted to have a car , to have the road tarred and another tower built, to have a chapel in the graveyard, to rebuil Renne-le-Château walls.

It is said he spent 659 413 F (gold value) or 23 079 455 todays francs.

When his testament was opened, everyone learnt he owned nothing. Everything belonged to Marie Dénarnaud. She lived alone until Noël Corbu bought her estate for life. Marie Dénarnaus and the Corbu family were good friends, so she made Noël Corbu her sole legater on 07/22/1946. After Marie's death, Corbu opened a restaurant in the villa Bethania and he told the priest's story. He recorded a tape and played it for the restaurant's clients. He spoke the REAL facts but he also invented some of his own. He didn't earn much money and Mr Corbu died in a car crash in 1968. Saunière's estate was bought by an occultist from lyon : Henri Buthion who made very... " special " lectures. todays, it's owned by a SCI which opened another restaurant and offers lectures about different themes.