"The Three Musketeers," another seminal work by French author Alexandre Dumas that inspired dozens of film adaptations, is the stuff of pop culture and historical legend. Now it seems the remains of d'Artagnan, the French soldier who originally inspired Dumas' story, have been found in the Dutch city of Maastricht, where d'Artagnan died in 1673 at the age of 61 or 62.
Born Charles de Batz de Castelmore in 1611, he served King Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard. He died on June 25, 1673 at the siege of Maastricht during the Franco-Dutch War.
A skeleton which could belong to d'Artagnan, the French soldier who inspired the novel "The Three Musketeers," has been discovered in a church in Maastricht, the Dutch city where he died centuries ago. The skeleton was found in the nave of a modern church whose origins date back… pic.twitter.com/PgLqU5GrGV
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 25, 2026
The skeleton was found in Maastricht, in the nave of a modern church whose origins date back to at least the 13th century, during repairs related to a partial floor collapse in February, reported L1 Nieuws, a media outlet in the province of Limburg.
Charles de Batz de Castelmore, known as d'Artagnan, the famous musketeer of Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV, spent his life in the service of the French crown.
The Gascon nobleman inspired Alexandre Dumas's hero in "The Three Musketeers" in the 19th century, a character now known worldwide thanks to the novel and numerous film adaptations.
D'Artagnan was killed during the siege of Maastricht in 1673, and there is a statue honoring the musketeer in the city. His final resting place has remained a mystery ever since.
This is a significant historical find, if the remains are confirmed to belong to Castelmore.
If it is him, and i believe it is,hopefully his remains are returned to his birth place.....Le Cháteau de d"Artagnan in Gascony.
— Anton Ó hAodha (@AntonHaodh41181) March 25, 2026
That would be the ideal outcome of this accidental discovery.
It was rumored that Castelmore was buried at the church, but there had been no evidence of this until now.
🇳🇱 The remains of d'Artagnan may have been discovered in the Netherlands
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 25, 2026
More than 350 years after the death of the legendary French musketeer, human remains have been found beneath the floor of a Dutch church that could belong to him.
D’Artagnan was killed during the Siege of… pic.twitter.com/S9KsD74d8U
This is reminiscent of the time they found the remains of Richard III under a parking lot.
Amazing! In a church in Maastricht, a skeleton has been found that may belong to the musketeer d’Artagnan. He died there in 1673 and was likely buried on the spot. For centuries, his grave remained a mystery. An accidental discovery during renovations. https://t.co/IBYFZjzI8K pic.twitter.com/FhfbjkObpu
— Klaas Meijer (@klaasm67) March 25, 2026
While Castelmore's life in and of itself was full of service to the French Crown, most people know the highly fictionalized version of the books and film. He's been portrayed by dozens of actors, including Orrin Johnson (1916), Gene Kelly (1948), Jim Backus (1964), Michael York (1973), Chris O'Donnell (1993), and Francois Civil (2023).
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