Le Masque de Fer et le mousquetaire, ou le secret de Saint-Mars

The greatest hoax of all time

D'Artagnan always loyally served Louis XIV during all political and diplomatic crises
that the Grand Siècle experienced. This image of the perfect musketeer has been perpetuated throughout the ages
thanks to the heroic and flattering portrait that Alexandre Dumas painted in his novels.
But what about that of Saint-Mars, a perfect negative by Charles de Batz de Castelmore? Nobody
remember him more... And yet, he was in the service of d'Artagnan, and the father of one of the most legendary
known to the world, that of the Iron Mask.
It seemed important to me to talk about this character, who was, certainly, an arriviste, zealous and cruel towards
his inmates, but above all a liar, and a brilliant mythomaniac. Why did he want to create this great
deception, and thus deceive his contemporaries? To do this, we must learn to know the history of
his life... Lies, corruption, and intelligence characterized this century, as well as this elite soldier on the run. I invite you to discover the portrait of a man who transformed the mediocrity of his life into a strange adventure, worthy of the greatest romantic stories.
Donat Guibert