Charles de Batz de Castelmore

Charles de Batz de Castelmore, Count d'Artagnan, was a Gascon musketeer serving under Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France. He is best known as the inspiration for the main character in Alexandre Dumas's novel, *The Three Musketeers*. D'Artagnan died in Maastricht, Netherlands, 350 years ago. He is newsworthy because remains believed to be his have been discovered under a church in Maastricht. The bones were exhumed from beneath the former altar of St Peter and Paul Church. Jos Valke, a deacon at the church, assisted in the unearthing of the skeleton. The discovery is significant because it offers the potential to learn more about the historical figure behind the fictional hero and potentially confirm details about his life and death.