Was Berenger Saunière, the priest at the centre of the enigma of Rennes-le-Château, controlled by a secret society? Yes is the answer, but which one? Freemasonry? The Rosicrucians? None of the above; the group was known as the A.A., said to be the successors of the Compagnie de St Sacrement, a 17th century secret society that was prohibited by the French king Louis XIV. Both were said to protect “the secret”, of such gigantic proportions that its nature has never been revealed; no member was able to divulge membership or what “the secret” was – and that is exactly what Saunière did when his superiors questioned him late in life: he remained silent.

In this brilliant example of investigative research, the authors have been able to uncover a hidden dimension to what at first seems to be a non-enigmatic location: the basilica of Notre Dame de Marceille. There, from the 17th century onwards, the same people who were involved with the Compagnie (the Fouquet brothers, Nicolas Pavillon, Vincent de Paul, Jean-Jacques Olier, etc.), were involved in trying to lay their hands on this property. Why? On the surface, the church is like any other, but it has a hidden dimension, which has been successfully kept hidden for more than 500 years: underneath the church lies a secret underground complex, in which not only a monetary treasure was located, but which was also a pagan religious site, which was directly related to “the secret” – and which was once placed under the control of the Templars. After their demise, both the Compagnie and Saunière and his handlers tried to get hold of this underground complex, and its monetary and religious treasure – and of “the secret”.

“This is the best book I have read so far on Saunière. Very good.”
J. Sutherland, Amazon.com

• The Vault of Notre-Dame-de-Marceille
• Photographic overview of the Vault of Notre-Dame-de-Marceille
• The AA: a secret society to protect “The Secret”