Villa Bethania

The Villa Bethania was constructed in the French village of Rennes-le-Château between 1901-1905 as part of the former estate of the Abbé Bérenger Saunière, in the name of his maidservant Marie Dénarnaud.

Its foundation stone was laid on 3 June 1901 and building work was completed by May 1905. The architect was Tiburce Caminade of Limoux, the Master builder Elie Bot from Luc-sur-Aude, and the contractor in charge of building the roof was Joseph Fabre of Dourgne. Surviving receipts and existing account books belonging to Saunière reveal that the construction of his estate that included the Villa Bethania and the Tour Magdala (and purchases of land) between 1898 and 1905 cost 26,417 Francs.

The interior of the Villa Bethania is decorated with religious symbolism that includes a terracotta statue version of Murillo's painting Assumption of the Virgin, a figurine of the Infant Jesus of Prague, a painting of Thérèse of Lisieux (also known as Thérèse of the Child Jesus) and a painted copy of a tapestry by the artist Alphonse Mucha. Stained glass windows depicting symbolism of the Sacred Heart complement the Sacred Heart statue of Jesus Christ situated above the entrance to the Villa.

Saunière stated during his ecclesiastical trial that it was intended as a home for retired priests.

In January 1909 the bishop of Carcassonne transferred Saunière to the village of Coustouge. Saunière refused the nomination and resigned. He remained in Rennes-le-Château - in 1910 building a special conservatory by the side of the Villa Bethania that served as a Private Chapel, containing an Altar where he continued to celebrate Mass - obtaining his religious materials from Pascal Faraco of Carcassonne, who dealt with religious items that had previously belonged to French priests that had been expelled from the country.

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