After opening his restaurant at Rennes-le-Château in the mid-1950s, Noël Corbu circulated the story that, in 1891, Saunière discovered parchments in the hollow pillar beneath his altar; and that these related to the treasure of Blanche of Castile. 'According to the archives' her treasure consisted of 28,500,000 gold piecesthe treasure of the French crown assembled by Blanche to pay the ransom of Saint Louis (a prisoner of the infidels) whose surplus she had hidden at Rennes-le-Château. Saunière had only found one part of it, so it was necessary to continue his investigations.