After the taking of Jerusalem by crusaders in the year of grace 1099, pilgrims started to travel to Palestine in ever greater numbers to worship at the tomb of Christ, the Holy Sepulchre. It was to ensure their protection that in 1119-1120, a knight from Champagne, Hugh de Payns, founded an order which was going to become extremely famous, the "Templars" Yet, who, today, still recalls that, originally, the "Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon" could be counted on the fingers of one hand ?

After the Council of Troyes in 1129, the Order of the Temple experienced huge growth, creating hundreds of commanderies in the West and playing a key role in the defence of the Crusader States. Enjoying the unfailing support of the papacy, in the 13th century, it became such an economic and financial force that it soon generated jealousy among temporal powers and, in particular, the King of France, Philip IV of France. From glory to tragedy, this was the fate of the brothers of the Temple, who were accused of ail forms of evil in 1305 and who were ail arrested on the same day, the "fateful" Friday 13 October 1307. As was their Grand Master, Jacques de Molay, most of them were burnt at the stake after being unfairly tried. Removed from the esotericism of which, ail too often, they are the subject, this work offers to take a clear look at the incredible history of these soldier monks, the Knights Templar.

A reference collection to learn about History, from our origins to the present-day, with a summarised text by a historian and a rich iconography (150 to 200 documents) completed by a specific cartography.

Foreword

Ah ! The Knights Templar.

They are present everywhere in France : all those sites claiming their "Templar" church or chapel, those subterranean passages sheltering their magnificent treasure. For many long years, even I, after hearing my grand-father's affirmations, was convinced of the existence of the hamlet of "Les Moines-Rouges", next to my village of birth. Unfortunately, it was nothing but legend.
And, ail those "secret" societies which claim to be the heirs of the Temple, barely hesitating to add, if necessary, a hint of "freemasonry".
The Order of the Temple was dissolved in the year of grace 1312, but it still appears to be very much alive, at least in our memories, as can be seen by the thousands of publications and articles devoted to the subject. One thing should be made clear from the outset, there is the history of the Order and there is the legend, which still continues to consume a huge amount of ink ! Only the first aspect of the Templar epic is covered in this book : an attempt to understand how and why the "Temple" experienced such a success and grew to such an extent that, in the 13th century, it was a formidable military and financial power just as much in the East as in the West.
And yet, the number of the "Poor Knights of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon" could be counted on the fingers of one hand when they first answered the call of the knight from the region of Champagne, Hugh de Payns.