Archaeologists have solved the mystery surrounding a lead coffin discovered beneath Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral in 2022. The occupant, previously known only as “the horseman,” has been identified as Joachim du Bellay, a French Renaissance poet who died in 1560.
Researchers used an inscription on one of the coffins to identify Antoine de la Porte, a high priest who died in 1710. However, they knew very little about the other individual, nicknamed “the horseman,” until now. A series of compelling clues led scholars to link the horseman to du Bellay.
The poet’s equestrian abilities are well-documented, and his skeleton showed signs of chronic meningitis caused by bone tuberculosis, a rare disease at the time. Du Bellay also suffered from poor health throughout his life, matching all the criteria of the portrait.
Official records state that du Bellay was interred in Notre-Dame’s Saint- Crépin chapel following his death, but excavations conducted in 1758 failed to uncover his bones. Scholars suspect that du Bellay’s remains were moved to the crossing of the transept at a later date, perhaps in 1569.
While some experts are not convinced about the identity of the horseman, most believe the evidence is persuasive. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of Notre-Dame and its history, as it documents over 2,000 years of history on the Île de la Cité.
Source: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-say-theyve-solved-the-mystery-of-a-lead-coffin-discovered-beneath-notre-dame-180985103/