• The charter
  • The spirit
  • The legend
  • The Museum

The Charter

A  Musketeer of Armagnac is a person of his or her own time who, whilst always prepared to fully participate in the modern way of life,  always maintains a respect for traditional values 
This is what the Company of Musketeers stands for, and it is for this reason that more and more candidates wish to join the Company.

Such admiration cannot be sustained without a real attachment to the personage of d’Artagnan. Who of us, in his adult life, has not been captivated by the exploits of d’Artagnan ? Who of us does not seek to emulate in some measure his commitment, action, courage and style in the name of liberty?

And what is fantastic is the link between the adult and the child. It is this link that leads us to the incredible discovery that the life of the real d’Artagnan surpasses in panache and fantasy the d’Artagnan of the novel that everyone believes epitomises the ideal life.

It is  respect for these ideas that enables us to enjoy to the full our Musketeer evenings where deeds, style and a common understanding are the prevailing themes.

But a Gascon is nothing without his lands, and the Gascony soul is present as much in inanimate objects as in people.The most direct way to rediscover the urge to seek new conquests and to breathe the scents of our hillsides, the aromas of our dinners and the perfumes of our vines is to savour the wondrous nectar that is the glorious product of our vineyards. Its bouquet is redolent of all the delights of our land, and without it the Chapter would not be worthy to welcome you.

The Spirit
The General Staff, led by its Captain, Aymeri de Montesquiou, consists of around thirty members. It ensures that the Musketeering spirit is maintained in the Company, and organises a calendar of events not only in Gascony but in countries around the world, including Holland, Germany, Switzerland, The United States, Italy, Lebanon, The U.K., Norway, Belgium, Spain, Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Senegal, Saint Martin, Sweden, China, Malaysia……
         
Its responsibilities include vetting the entrance submissions of potential Musketeers, today ever more numerous, to ensure that the quality of recruits is maintained.
 
  Palais Stupinigi Conference M.ZOPPI M. Aymeri de Montesquiou Mme Bianca VETRINO M. CANNELLA
         
  The Company is made up essentially of those personalities who, by their fame and personal qualities, have demonstrated that they have completely adapted to modern life and understood its present day complexities.    
        The historical reconstitution of the Battle of Turin

The Legend
So just what is it that justifies the ever increasing commitment to the annual Chapters? Why are there so many candidates who wish to become Musketeers, despite so many being refused entry to the Company?

In the first place, the character of d’Artagnan and his legend has a great deal to do with it. Who among us hasn’t been bewitched in his adult life by the wonderful memories of reading those romantic tales when we were 12 years old, when we sought to escape our daily environment to find freedom. It is now that we are able to understand that the main character of the books of our adolescence is no more brilliant, more exciting, more passionate, more of a realist or more of an idealist than the real d’Artagnan. And it is at this moment that the dream turns into a question.

There are occasions when one may have doubts about the meaning of life. Yet when one questions a life lacking in style, glory and action, d’Artagnan has shown us how to overcome such doubts. He demonstrated that it is possible to live within oneself with detachment but understanding, to act simply for pleasure rather than for what the act may bring, to recognize people for who they truly are, rather than simply accepting them superficially. These are just some of the salient points of a life style that one seeks to live, and following the principles of d’Artagnan is one of the central aims of the Company.
 

The Museum
 

Some of the objects acquired by the Company that  form the nucleus of our Museum, which includes some remarkable pieces.

Click on the images to enlarge them. (downloading time may vary according to the quality of your internet connection).

Colours of the 1st Company of Musketeers - 1640

These banners no longer exist, and they are therefore made to order by the Company following the designs of the time. Some doubts still persist as to the accuracy of the colours. (123ko)		  

Colours of the 2nd Company of Musketeers - 1670

The 2nd Company was known as the Grey Musketeers from the colour of their horses’ coats. (108ko)		  

Musket - 1680

Length 150cm, weight 12kg, in remarkable condition.
(18ko)		  

Bandoleer - 1700

Also in a remarkable state of preservation, it is an accessory to the musket.
(50ko)		  

Jacket of the 1st Company of Musketeers.

As with the Colours, the originals no longer exist and are made to order by the Company according to the designs of the time. Doubts exist as to the accuracy of the colours. (50ko)		  

Issue N° 0 of the news sheet "Le Mousquetaire"

Specimen copy of the news sheet of Alexandre Dumas .
(68ko)		  

Issue N° 154 of the news sheet "Le Mousquetaire"

Copy of the news sheet of Alexandre Dumas .
(70ko)		  

Book

1765.
(55ko)
 
  

Book

1780.
(55ko)