Paris, 1920s. An unusual book called "The Mystery of the Cathedrals", written under the pseudonym Fulcanelli, begins to appear in esoteric circles. It explores in detail the idea that European Gothic cathedrals are actually alchemical texts, cryptographically "written" in stone and pointing to the secrets of the Philosopher's Stone.
The introduction to the English edition read:
Fulcanelli is one of the most mysterious occult figures of the 20th century. He was a French alchemist and esoteric author, whose identity is still unknown. His name, or rather a pseudonym, apparently comes from the ancient Roman god of fire, Vulcan.
In 1937 Fulcanelli was visited by Jacques Bergier, an engineer from Russia (Jacob Berger). At the time, Bergier was involved in nuclear research with the renowned physicist Andre Helbronner. When Jacques asked Fulcanelli to explain the nature of his work, the alchemist replied that four thousand years of philosophy and his whole life cannot be contained in 4 minutes. However, he pointed out that the secret of alchemy is hidden in the way to manipulate matter and energy to create a force field through which you can access the hidden reality. This, he said, is the Great Work.
Understandably, Fulcanelli was describing aspects of quantum mechanics that the world's greatest scientists were just beginning to understand at the time. He told Bergier that the ancient knowledge he possessed was passed on to only a handful of people every century. Fulcanelli noted that scientists are on the verge of success in their nuclear development, but he also warned him about the global danger of atom fission.
Fulcanelli survived World War II and disappeared completely after the Liberation of Paris, according to journalist and author of books on alchemy Louis Povel. Every attempt to find him has failed.
Promotional video:
The last person to see Fulcanelli was his former student - Eugene Canselier. In 1952, Canselier was summoned by an alchemist to a castle in the mountains of Spain. Eugene was surprised to see that Fulcanelli looked twenty years younger than the last time they met. At that time, the master should have turned 115 years old.
Many tried to find it in subsequent years, but none succeeded. It was rumored that the master had uncovered the secret of the Philosopher's Stone and gained immortality. Various versions of his biography were also put forward, but the personality of the Great Alchemist remained only a subject of discussion. Some said that Fulcanelli did not exist, the book was a hoax, and the author himself was simply an invention of the illustrator Jean-Julien Champagny - the artist was known as a notorious joker. Others believed that the master simply had a brilliant mind ahead of his time.
Perhaps Fulcanelli was indeed the recipient of the esoteric knowledge of the alchemists. However, those who can shed light on this mystery keep their mouths shut.