Another story related to the treasure of the knights Templar, who was never able to find his explanation, - the mystery of the priest Berenger Sauniure.

1 June 1885 little parish Rennes-Le-Chateau in the foothills of the Eastern Pyrenees, 40 km from Carcassonne got a new priest.

Berenger the Sauniere was then 33 years. The priest was a servant, a peasant girl of 18 named Marie Denaro.

In Rennes-Le-Chateau lived just 200 people. The parish was very poor, and in the period from 1885 to 1891, the income of the priest was a little more than 60 francs a year.

A few miles from Rennes-Le-Chateau, on the hill to Busy, still are the ruins of a medieval fortress, a former Templar commandery. On the other side of the parish, is not very far away, are the ruins of the family residence Bertrand de Plansfor, fourth Grand master of the Order of the Temple in the middle of the XII century.

The Church at Rennes-Le-Chateau was built in the eighth or ninth century, but is built on the old Foundation, referring to the period of the Visigoths. The curator's got the Church in a sad condition, almost collapsing. In 1891, having borrowed money from parishioners, he starts the repair. In the course of the work moves to another place of the altar stone, resting on two columns, left over from the era of the Visigoths. One of them turns out to be hollow, and in it lay a wooden sealed tubes. Of them Sauniere retrieves four parchment scroll.

Three documents - a family tree. One 1243 dated year and has a seal Forms of Castile, the second - from 1608 printing Francois Pierre d'Ampoule, the third of April 24, 1695 printing Henri d'Ampoule.

The fourth document signed by Canon Jean-Paul de Negro de Fandriana and refers to 1753. It contains excerpts from the New Testament into Latin. But on one side of the parchment words that are not consecutive, without spaces between them, and they inserted extra letters. On the other side of the lines are broken and are in complete disarray, and some letters written over one another. Rather, it is a cipher.

Sauniere with the consent of the village mayor takes documents to the Bishop of Carcassonne. He immediately sends a priest in Paris, having paid all travel expenses. In Paris inspect documents including Abbot Bia, Director of the Seminary of Saint Sulpice and its cousin Emil Offe preparing to become a priest, scholar of linguistics and of a secret code and is very closely associated with various secret societies occultists.

Back at the Rennes-Le-Chateau, Sauniere continues repair and extracts from the land carved plate, approximately related to the VII or VIII century and possibly closing the ancient tomb.

Then start miracles. On the local cemetery is the grave of Mary, the Marquise d'Atul de Plansfor. Her tombstone was established about 100 years ago still local priest Antoine Bit. The inscription on the stone, full of spelling errors, is exact anagram of the message contained in one of the two old documents. Sauniere, despite his rank, destroys the grave of the awning. Moreover, together with the maid they begin to get around the neighborhood in search of a seemingly unimportant and uninteresting tombstones. And again Sauniere destroys, splits all these stones with hammers in the dust. It shall enter into correspondence with a completely unknown destinations throughout Europe, and writes so many and often, that after his death it turns out that the cost of postage stamps was much higher than his modest salary.

Begin some secret things with different banks, and one of them even send from Paris the representatives who makes a way to Rennes-Le-Chateau with a single purpose - to do things Sauniure. Since 1896, Sauniere's doing a lot not only inexplicable, but the unprecedented spending that, as it turns out after his death in 1917, was estimated... millions of francs.

On the one hand, it improves the life in the village: building roads, paving the water. And at the same time builds on top of the mountain Tower Magdala and builds Villa Betania", a huge building in which he had no time to live.

Before entering the temple, he puts the statue, some semblance of Asmodeus, the Keeper of secrets and hidden treasures, and, according to the ancient Jewish legend, the Builder of the temple of Solomon.

Makes Sauniere and some strange frescoes on the walls of the Church: on one wall depicts a baby wrapped in Scotch plaid, on the other - the body of Christ is carried away into the grave, which is located deep in the night sky, lit by the full moon.

Many believe that these frescoes Sauniere wanted to say something important. But what?..

Meanwhile, the reckless spending continues. A humble priest lives is clearly not on means - buys marble statues, ancient Chinese trinkets, build a greenhouse and the Zoological garden, collects excellent library, arranges for parishioners magnificent banquets and plays host to famous guests - artists, high officials and know. It is not clear that all these people doing ordinary rural priest.

One day to Sauniure comes Archduke Johann Habsburg, cousin of the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef. Later it becomes known that the visitor will put on the account of the remaining large sum.

In Carcassonne changing the Bishop, which requires the curator's explanations. The first attempts to conceal the source of funds, and then refuses to transfer their money to the Church authority. The Bishop through the local court, accusing the Sauniure in speculation cult objects, temporarily removes him from office. The priest appeal to the Vatican, and more new Bishop in his case does not climb.

Mystery death itself Sauniure. on January 17, 1917 happens with him a shot. This is a very symbolic date is the same number, what was carved on the stone tomb of the Marquise de Plansfor that the priest was destroyed. And yet this is the date of the feast of St. Sulpice, the head of the Seminary, which is the Abbot Bleu, who received from the priest of ancient documents.

Five days before the strike, on January 12, members noted that the priest look healthy and flourishing. But on the same day, Marie orders for his master... coffin.

From a neighbouring parish to listen the last confession of the dying, and he called the priest. He closed with him in the room, but soon, as evidenced by an eyewitness, came out perfectly in normal state. Other witnesses say that after this confession had invited the priest appeared large mental health problems. He began to fall in frequent depression and never in my life did not smile. Even if we consider this an exaggeration, anyway, this story looks very, very strange and can not lead to suspicion. From the Church of the documents it is known that to Him in confession was denied...

on January 22 the priest dies, not receiving the remission of sins. The next morning his body, clad in a dress, decorated with many crimson cord with tassels, was planted in a chair on the terrace Villa Betania", and numerous visitors, who came to the funeral, passing by one after another, were torn off from his clothes brush "in memory". This strange ceremony, which shocked villagers, did not find any explanation.

In the Testament Sauniere was announced that he had no money and property, except Villa Betania" and trinkets.

Maid Marie continued to live in the Villa until 1946. After the Second world war the government has put into circulation new banknotes, and the fear of smugglers and nausica in the war profiteers, ordered all French citizens to recycle money, presenting the income statement. Marie to take nothing happened, but one day someone noticed in the garden that surrounds the Villa, it burned thick bundles of old francs.

The following seven years she lives not very luxurious, and even sells Villa Betania". The new owner Noel Corbu it promises before death to trust a "secret"that will make it not only the rich and powerful. But on January 29, 1953 with Marie as its owner happens to be hit, and it takes away his secret to the grave.

The simplest explanation of this whole story - Sauniere found the treasure.

But if he had found a treasure, it is impossible to explain its popularity among the powerful. Money they have, perhaps, was nothing less. Another thing, if the treasure this was not material but spiritual calculus.

Maybe it was the Holy Grail?

Maybe Sauniere received money from Johann Habsburg, betraying the fact of religious mystery?

And not paid if a humble priest Vatican, and resisted all his antics from time to time, so it is not too spread?..

But all this is just our hypotheses, because the treasure of the Templars still has not officially been found and this mystery is still waiting for its discoverer...