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The interviews of the Site :
| J.F. Lhuillier, Mayor of RLC |
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May 2000
 Running May 2000 I achieved a displacement in Rennes-Le-Château. It is on this occasion that I could meet Jean-François Lhuilier, present Mayor of Rennes-Le-Château. He accepted to be suitable to one interview, that will allow us to know it better. Astonishing character to the astonishing course that could want to spend his retirement only in an astonishing place !
I leave you the pleasure to read this report achieved Saturday May 6 on the bench of the" point of view" of the village.
Jean-Patrick Pourtal : Mr. Mayor hello I am happy to meet you. Could tell us to you how you knew Rennes-Le-Château because I don't believe, seen the accent that you have, that you are again a child of the country seems to me t-him ?
Jean-François LhuilierI have the accent of the Touraine, therefore I don't have an accent in phonetics. I knew Rennes-Le-Château through a meeting, of a feminine meeting, today my wife, that now makes soon 28 years or 30 years that I knew Rennes-Le-Château. I was able to, I had the opportunity, to walk the picture of Rennes-Le-Château in all corners of the world, of Africa to the middle orient and until the Pacific. I always want to remain and to make something for the village. Retired now I have of the time, 24 hours out of 24 to work, to make advance this marvelous site.
JPP : Therefore this site you discovered it, as you say it, there are numerous years. A lot of things changed since one year, since you have been elected like mayor of the township. you made important enough works achieve since already one doesn't see only one electric wire more in the village, what is quite pleasant. What are the future works that considered you on Rennes-Le-Château ?
Jean-François Lhuilier : With the agreement and the help of the region, the general advice and the State, this township could surrender owner of the abbot Saunière domain, that to always summer, until this day, in the private domain. I believe that it was the essential of the heritage of the village that it was necessary to make go in the lap of the township. The projects are vast, it is necessary to restore first, and from there to create a site-pole to tourist vocation, to give something serious, of believable of lasting to see and to visit. It is necessary to welcome to best the tourism that is going to come.
JPP : Rennes-Le-Château exists since several hundreds of years to see, can be, several thousands of years. The Saunière business is an important business, close to 300 works have been published. From what I believe to understand, you wish to make discover the village coins other aspects. What are them ?
Jean-François Lhuilier : First a small return on what you have just said. I consider Bérenger Saunière as the developer of a sleepy site, in the sense that he put in first line the history of Rennes-Le-Château. Alas, the sleepy site continues a little to sleep; so much as regards to archeology and the history of the actual site. It is by force a site as the portal of the entry of the church said it! "Teribilis Locus Iste ". It doesn't mean on no account that it must give fear. The place, the site of Rennes-Le-Château, is by force a place a telluric place.
JPP : It seems that this aspect is, to your eyes, very important. In this mind, is it going there to have works ? And if yes what they go to be ?
Jean-François Lhuilier : Currently, with can be one of your competitors, but very certainly friend, channel web; a gait is started by the foundation of France, the EDF foundation in link with Science et Vie Junior, that would be able to, I say well" would be able to ", to come on the site to make a real survey, in particular on the micros cavities, and especially that that to feature to an archaeological aspect of site. They already took care of the pyramid of Kheops. One could work seriously, to underline the traces of the Greek presence on the site, it is not to announce dream, but it is to note the established facts. That is what the Greek are they come to make to Rennes-Le-Château ?
JPP : It is true that when that one has luck to be on the site, one is conscious that it is a very isolated site, it is necessary to have therefore a real will to come there. Therefore of big scientific research works, because it is necessary to use the term, are going to be led. There is nearly a polemic who exists on Rennes-Le-Château that is the presence of the ancient Rhédae! some years ago, some aerial photos would have shown some traces to soil on the tray that we see the place where we add, of old vestiges that some qualify basilica. Consider yourselves of the archaeological excavations, with a big E, in a quite predefined setting for can be finally to put up to date something.
Jean-François Lhuilier : Absolutely, but it is with a rational approach that it is necessary to discover the world hidden of Rennes-Le-Château. It is certainly an objective. I would like to recall that the abbot found a part of it. I would like to replace the abbot in his garment, in his priest's cassock. It was before a whole priest. Certainly he arrived, here, poor and he left from it rich; all hypotheses are valid, all axes of research are thinkable, but it is not necessary to forget ever that the priest was a priest with the faith and that it was a church that he constructed !
JPP : I believe that this remark is very important and it was necessary to say it. If I can allow, a comparison astonishes me: I have the impression that you like this township that Bérenger Saunière could like it as much. I think that some are saying themselves: "but have ourselves a new Bérenger Saunière in Rennes-Le-Château" That thinks yourselves of it ?
Jean-François Lhuilier : No! My formation only stops to the 7 years of Jesuit and 32 years of parachutist. No! I am merely someone that sets an objective, with a local group that forms itself, that develops himself currently in a fast and active way. Becomes knotted are going to try to reach this objective since I use my time free of pensioner to reach this goal..
JPP :Thank you M. the Mayor to have answered these questions and I tell you see you later on the Internet site
Telephonic interview of July 27, 2001 :
Since several months many articles of press are dedicated to Rennes-Le-Château. Some excavations are announced! The discoveries and revelations surprise the reader! Vatican would get involved in the file! Info or intox?
" Rennes-Le-Château the File" wanted in to know more for you! Jean-François Lhuillier, Mayor of Rennes-Le-Château, accepted to answer a telephonic interview July 27, 2001.
Rennes-Le-Château le Dossier : Mr. Lhuillier hello, thank you to answer this interview. Since several weeks, Rennes-Le-Château is a topic that the press likes treating, to the last information, it would seem that something has been discovered under the Magdala tower! To tell can-you-us a few more of them
Jean-François Lhuillier : First of all, hello Mr. Pourtal! I am very happy to be able to clarify a little and in a more rational way everything that is made itself since the last three or four months on the township. It is thanks to a scan of soil that one could localize under the Magdala tower and in the church of the objects or anomalies, since it is called like that in the text of the researchers, a crypt under the church, instead the former altar, and then an object non identified under the Magdala tower. As they use some gamma rays to work, it cannot be about on no account of metal, therefore one thinks that the most probable hypothesis is an object of 90 cm to 1m 03 that would look like a trunk !
RLCD : One saw that several articles of press, of which the one of the Figaro-magazine of July 7, 2001, treated the topic; the tone is astonishing to see strange, that think yourselves of it ?
JFL : First, I am anxious to say that the article of the Figaro magazine, as reporter of facts, is very precise. What surprises me that is the tone used to qualify our théologienne, I think that it is journalist's liberty, but that doesn't waste, to my sense, the article that, him in its report of the facts, is of a remarkable precision, since this article has been made to Rennes-Le-Château in presence of the journalist, in presence of reporters and in tower of table.
RLCD : The research currently tracks it is by the Foundation John Merril. Could explain us to you what it is ?
JFL : John Merril is a foundation that you recover in Europe. You find it currently in intervention in the port of Alexandria. It is a foundation of sponsorship. Of Californian origin. It is interested in a particular way in everything that milked to archeology Christian !
RLCD : On the other hand, This foundation John Meril is bound to an Italian society, the Society ROBADOBA. The Dépêche Du Midi, in its article of June 13, 2001 specified that this society belonged in Vatican. That is some him and how it makes itself that Vatican is interested in the future excavations in the Tower Magdala that is not a place of cult ?
JFL : Vatican is not interested in the excavations under the Tower Magdala! The ROBADOBA society, that has been mentioned in the article of the Figaro-magazine and took by the Dépêche Du Midi, is a society of communication. Its director, who is a high-level intellectual, is a Doctor in Theology. Its deputy is as Doctor in Theology, in a way, this society is the most specialized in Europe. For the meantime it is mandated by the Foundation John Meril, it is for Rennes-Le-Château the representing Europeans of the Foundation John Méril. Its attachment in Vatican is, how to say. Normal. Me I don't work with Vatican. Their profession is to make the communication in Archeology to the intellectual level. They can work with Vatican, but that they are mandated by him, that it is not true !
RLCD : These two people who were present to Rennes-Le-Château last June 14 were Doctor Séréna Tajé and Professor André Baratolo. It is well of them of which one speaks ?
JFL : Mr. Baratolo is of a world reputation and he was mandated directly by the Foundation John Méril, therefore he doesn't belong to the ROBADOBA society! It is an archaeologist who is specialist of the High Antique.
RLCD : Still in the article of the Figaro-magazine, it is said that Doctor Séréna Tajé would have confided you that her mission was, and there me site the newspaper: ".de to destroy all compromising document that we could find! " Is this truth ?
JFL : That been said around a table, it is a whim! I believe that there, the journalist took in a formal way what has been said under a shape of whim. You know, with the humor somewhere but maybe that the Italian don't have the same. She said, at one time: "Yes! And well what one will find, one is going to destroy it! ", it was a joke, it was not an intention !
RLCD : We are going to come back has some things a little more matter-of-fact, if some excavations are hired, how go them to be financed ?
JFL : Anyway, you know that from the moment where there is a process of excavations, a township is resulted from rules. There is a regulation for that. With regard to the discoveries, it is the article 16 of the Civil code and the Law of 1941. With regard to the exploitation of the discoveries, it is part of a file. That starts by a will of the City council that has been demonstrated, that is to say that the City council deliberated. The process of excavations scientist is hired. After it the agreement of the French State is necessary and then a financing is necessary! The agreement is only gotten after presentation of the File. For what is financing it would seem that on the day of today, it is assured by the Foundation John Méril in height of 100 $ 000 to begin.
RLCD : Therefore the Foundation John Méril would be ready, if I can express myself thus, to put on the table 100 $ 000 to hire works ?
JFL : Yes! I think that the characteristic of the discoveries, what one knows some on this day, is worth them extensively
RLCD : In the articles of press, so many those of the Dépêche Du Midi that those of the Figaro Magazine, one tells us that the excavations and works could begin dice the fall. That is some - him ?
JFL : That was a considered gap. If all elements are there one can start between September and the end of the year.
RLCD : Since the number of years that you live in RLC, and that you know its history, that you think that the archaeologists could find under the Tower Magdala ?
JFL : Then there! You know, I don't ask too many questions! There, there is a fact! A fact identified! From there, that is? I don't know! What one can find under there, I dare to hope that will be himself something important, of very important! But not for a question of currency or of abjectly material, that it is something that can allow us to make a return very certainly on our past, on the beginning of our civilization.
RLCD Something that would touch the basis of the Civilization more in a religious sense or a social sense ?
JFL : In the sense of the big movements of population. One has an idea, currently of the report of the ancient Greece and Europe, for example from the point of Bibracte, that was, to the subsidized how much by the state in its time. One wanted in to make a seat of the birth of the civilization Gallo-Roman meadow. If one could demonstrate that our site, what is very truly, has had some exchanges with the ancient Greece, and well I believe that it would be a real treasure. In this kind of civilization movement it could bring a more, it would be fantastic !
RLCD : In the Figaro-magazine it is said that you think that Rennes-Le-Château is the real Gallic metropolis and not the one of another region expensive to François Mitterrand, besides you mention: Bibracte
JFL : One makes me mention Bibracte! Simply and for the good and unique reason that I didn't know where was Bibracte has one month again! And me me in madman in more! It will be a marvel to discover something positive in this axis
RLCD : We know that good number of owners of the abbot Saunière domain searched under the Magdala tower. It would seem that one of those there even arrived until the rocky base under the tower. How do you explain that he didn't find anything ?
JFL : And there is a divine justice well! Effectively, between two points of excavation, with holes that exist again, it is besides a scandal that one could dig and recreuser, and so on. What has been discovered is between two wells of excavations and I find that very state of mind
RLCD : Since we speak of archeology, why it would not be considered to achieve some excavations on the tray to the foot of the village, where some situate the site of a mausoleum ?
JFL : The problem of the archaeological excavations, I understood it when I arrived to the head of the township, it makes two years and half. It is simple, it is necessary to be first believable, it is necessary to have the elements that allow specialists to come to realize first and that it was not possible since there was a few too much drift around Rennes-Le-Château. On this day, with the scientific elements that we possess, we can hire this kind of research including at the bottom of the village, including everything that you announce currently that made the object since these thirty papers last years and other. If you prefer, one is going to leave from a scientific element, of a scientific report.
RLCD : Let's suppose that it is discovered something important and that this something, as the Figaro-magazine said it, either in relation with the Catholic religion, how the village of Rennes-Le-Château goes it to manage the influx of visitors ?
JFL : There were already many of them, you know! We are currently to 70 000, 80 000 visitors per year of which 25 000 that go in the domain. One already tripled in some years the number of visitors, merely while tightening the seriousness of the visit. The mystery exists, first Rennes-Le-Château is a marvelous site, then, it is a site that is very certainly telluric, in the physical sense of the term, and finally it is a site to mystery that brings people, and it is normal. Now with these new discoveries it will bring of it of advantage and well on, it is going to be necessary to manage. It will be made serenely. One is going to organize and then the village will remain what it is that is to say a site and absolutely marvelous place !
RLCD : As to all thesis there is an antithesis, let's suppose that it is not there anything discovered and that all this uproar didn't succeed to anything. What would be your position and didn't fear yourselves to be discredited ?
JFL : If him there to nothing? That appears very difficult to admit, but it is not serious! Let's admit that there is not anything today! Let's admit that what has been localized doesn't exist or doesn't have really formal in succession, and well it will be a departure toward something besides structured like research. Why want yourselves to all price that it is a treasure ?
RLCD : I didn't speak of that !
JFL : I believe that there is the marvelous in this history! And if one can approach the marvelous from a rational demonstration. When you walk to RLC, on soil there are two or three meters of earth that separate you of the rock only, and there are two thousand five hundred years of history under these thick two or three meter. Then if it proved to be that in what has been discovered under the tower, one cannot find, for example, that of the business deprived of the priest who would have been buried there, some clothes, what seems a little impossible, and if one recovered under this crypt in the church the two tombs that would be those of that and well it would be an element of departure.
RLCD : Finally although it happens this operation of press is an excellent country marketing for Rennes-Le-Château. Already feel yourselves them fallen again of these different articles in the village ?
JFL : To the level of the press campaign, that is rather besides surprising, it is necessary to know that it organizes itself of the conferences in Aude around this discovery. I am surprised, since no one possesses elements to make a conference. I am by train, since ten minutes, to tell you the business, no one possesses those elements! That one can take the liberty to make some conferences or to spill in discussions on the topic appears me a little light !
RLCD : It is for that that I wished that we achieved this interview to sum up these last évènements.
JFL It is with pleasure !
RLCD : I thank you, the Internet site" Rennes-Le-Château the File" thanks you! Goodbye !
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