Cool Finds

Does This Skeleton Found Beneath a Dutch Church Belong to D’Artagnan, the Man Who Inspired ‘The Three Musketeers’?

Workers discovered the skeleton during recent repair work at the church in Maastricht. D’Artagnan died during the siege of the city in 1673

Sonja Anderson | Daily Correspondent

March 27, 2026

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Workers were repairing a Dutch church when they stumbled upon a skeleton hidden beneath the floor tiles. Now, officials say it could be the remains of Charles de Batz de Castelmore. The 17th-century French soldier—who is also known as D’Artagnan—is the inspiration behind The Three Musketeers by the French novelist Alexandre Dumas.

Experts are currently analyzing DNA recovered from the skeleton and comparing it with DNA from descendants of the real D’Artagnan’s father. In the meantime, however, they’re urging the public not to jump to conclusions before the analysis is complete.

“This has truly become a ⁠top-level investigation, in which we want to be absolutely certain—or as certain as ​possible—whether it is the famous musketeer,” independent archaeologist Wim Dijkman tells Reuters’ Toby Sterling and Piroschka van de Wouw.

The discovery was triggered by loose tiles in the St. Peter and Paul Church, which is located in the Dutch town of Maastricht. Last month, workers began restoring the church’s floor.

“During the repair work we discovered a skeleton,” Jos Valke, the deacon at the church, tells L1 Nieuws’ Opdenacker and Christianne Schreuder, per a translation by Artnet’s Vittoria Benzine. “I immediately called Wim.” He knew that Dijkman, a retired Maastricht city archaeologist, had been researching D’Artagnan for decades.

The Three Musketeers follows a young French nobleman named D’Artagnan who travels to Paris looking for adventure. There, he befriends three of Louis XIV’s musketeers, Athos, Porthos and Aramis. D’Artagnan joins the musketeers, and the four friends embark on a series of swashbuckling escapades.

Dumas (with the help of his ghostwriter, Auguste Maquet) published the novel in 1844. He was inspired by the 1700 book Memoirs of Monsieur D’Artagnan by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras, a sensationalized account of the real musketeer’s life.

The real D’Artagnan was born into a noble family in France in the early 17th century. Like Dumas’ character, he served under Louis and rose through the ranks of the musketeers. In 1673, while fighting in the Franco-Dutch War, he was killed by a musket ball during the siege of Maastricht.

Skeleton found in Dutch church may be famous musketeer d'Artagnan

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Legends held that D’Artagnan may have been buried in Maastricht’s St. Peter and Paul Church, and researchers have long wondered whether they were true. The French army camped nearby during the siege, and a letter written around the time of D’Artagnan’s death stated that he’d been buried in consecrated ground.

According to CNN’s Jack Guy, Dijkman had been urging church officials to allow him to excavate the site for many years.

The grave also contained several other pieces of evidence. “We found the bullet that put an end to his life, and we found a coin from 1660 in his grave,” Valke tells BBC News’ Paul Kirby.

Dijkman is waiting for the results of additional testing before celebrating the discovery, telling L1 Nieuws that he wants a comprehensive investigation. According to El País’ Isabel Ferrer, experts in a German lab are currently studying DNA from the skeleton’s teeth. Researchers in the Dutch city of Deventer are trying to confirm the individual’s age and sex, per BBC News.

“When you add it all up, then, it seems plausible to us,” Valke tells Reuters. “But of course, nothing ​is certain yet.”

Sonja Anderson | Read More

Sonja Anderson is a writer and reporter based in Chicago.