OUR LIFE IN CHALABRE:

An American Expat in
the South of France

RENNES-LE-CHATEAU

(April 2005)

A Google search for "Rennes le Château" finds 1.3 million sites. No need therefore to recap here the story of its colorful priest Berenger Sauniere, his mysterious wealth, the as-yet-undiscovered treasure, and the village's historical connections to the Merovingians, the Holy Grail and other famous Mysteries, whigh recently inspire Dan Brown's best-selling DA VINCI CODE. It can all be found here.

Rennes-le-Château stands proudly atop of a hill in Languedoc about 20 miles east of Chalabre and we drove there on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.



View of Couiza, the nearest big town, from the mountain road leading to R-L-C


The surrounding countryside
(North)


The surrounding countryside
(South)


A pittoresque ruin on a street corner in R-L-C


R-L-C's Main Street


Mysterious Carving on a wall - is the Treasure near?
(we wish!)


A cross on a street corner


The famous Tour Magdala


Another View of the Magdala Tower 


Abbe Sauniere's House


The Watch Tower


A street of R-L-C

 
The Entrance to the Gardens


A Cross in the Church Gardens


Virgin Mary Statue in the Church Gardens

 


An Old House in R-L-C