Stunning discovery: the skeleton of d'Artagnan found in Maastricht

A skeleton that could belong to d'Artagnan has been discovered in a church in Maastricht, the Netherlands, the city where the musketeer died over 350 years ago. The discovery occurred during repair work, following a partial collapse of the floor.

Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan, was a famous musketeer in the service of Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV, inspiring the novel "The Three Musketeers" by Alexandre Dumas. D'Artagnan was killed during the siege of the city of Maastricht in 1673, and his burial place has remained unknown. A French coin found alongside the skeleton suggests the importance of the individual, and the grave's location, previously under an altar, indicates that it could be a person of significance.

The skeleton has been transported to an archaeological institute in Deventer, and a DNA sample is currently being analyzed in Munich.

Archaeologist Wim Dijkman, who has been searching for d'Artagnan's remains for 28 years, believes that this discovery could be a highlight of his career.