"The treasure was found twice: 1645, a shepherd called Ignace Paris fell in a hole and brought back golden coins. He then told he saw a room filled with gold. He finally went mad, trying to protect his gold. The owner of the castle searched for it but did not find it. Later came Saunière who found the scrolls."

Extract from Noël Corbu’s essay dated 1962, deposited in Archives départementales de l'Aude, Carcassonne.