Archaeology & History

Remains of real-life musketeer d'Artagnan found in the Netherlands

By T.K. Randall
March 26, 2026 ·  8 comments

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Written in 1844 and set in the 17th century, The Three Musketeers - which has since been adapted into countless TV shows, movies and stage plays - tells the story of the swashbuckling and heroic young adventurer d'Artagnan and his companions Athos, Aramis and Porthos.

Now, in a remarkable find, the skeleton of the real-life French soldier who was the inspiration behind the story has been found in the Netherlands.

The discovery was completely accidental and happened during repair work on the Church of St Peter and St Paul in the Dutch city of Maastricht.

The man himself, whose real name was Charles de Batz-Castelmore, had been a musketeer for King Louis XIV and was killed when he was shot in the throat during the siege of Maastricht in 1673.For years, his final resting place had remained a complete mystery.

"A section of the floor in the church had subsided, and during the repair work, we discovered a skeleton," Deacon Jos Valke told L1 Nieuws.

"He lay buried under the altar in consecrated ground."

"There was a French coin from that time in the grave. And the bullet that killed him was lying at chest level, exactly as described in the history books. The indications are very strong."

Efforts are now underway to confirm the discovery by way of DNA testing.

Source: The Guardian | Comments (8)

Tags: Musketeers