This episode features our frequent and very popular guest Elyse Rivin. If you enjoy her episodes, please consider supporting her on Patreon.

Knights Templar accept a romanticized and exotic imagery attached to them. But reality is different from the lore that surrounds them. Annie Sargent and Elyse Rivin talk about it in this episode of the podcast.

The moving-picture show past Ridley Scott The Kingdom of Heaven is a great example of a romanticized version of the Knights Templar. But is is based on real people and things could have happened the style he showed information technology in this excellent pic. The events happened so long agone we have to fill in a lot of stories. What is for sure is that the Knights Templar were a reflection of their times and what was happening in French civilisation at the time. Permit'south talk about their amazing rise and sharp fall.

For those of yous who would like to stay in an old Commanderie, this one comes highly recommended by a fan of the evidence who's stayed there herself.

Who Were the Knights Templar in Reality?

Knights Templars were warrior monks. Their official start happened with the Pope in 1129. They had already been fighting for near 30 years by then, simply they were recognized officially by the Pope at that time.

They were established equally "the poor knights of Christ and of Solomon's Temple" but that was a mouthful then in French they started calling them "les Templiers" which ways the ones from the Temple because their headquarters were in Jerusalem on the ruins of Solomon'southward Temple. This is the site of the Mosque of Al-Aqsa today.

A Cursory Recap of the History of the Knights Templar

In the year 1009 at that place were different groups of Arabs from different parts of the Arabian Peninsula who were fighting ane-another.  The grouping that took over and established a new Caliphate in 1009 was substantially Egyptian. When  they took over they closed the area down and would no longer allow Christians to enter their territory at all. This meant that Christians would be denied access to get worship in Jerusalem.

This was a large trigger for the start of the Crusades considering Christians felt information technology was vital to be able to take a pilgrimage to Jerusalem as the birth identify of Christianity.  In Western Europe the Popes had more influence and more than money than whatever of the individual kings that reigned in Europe. That'southward why everybody listened when they called for reconquering the Holy Land.

Pope Honorius 2 decided to recruit knights as an ground forces for himself. But he wanted them to first exist loyal to defending the religion and then to defending the interests of the Pope. This order of Monks who were as well skilled knights came to be known every bit the Knights Templar.

These monks had to pledge allegiance to the Church, exist chaste and took a vow of poverty besides. But deep down most of them were knights and warriors beginning. In the perspective of the culture of the Center Ages beingness a defender of the religion was an attractive proposition. Even better than ruling over a large prosperous dukedom or county because your reward would be great in heaven.

The Knights Templar Were Warriors Commencement

It'south sometimes difficult to understand if these were monks or warriors. It seems they were by and large warriors. For example, they helped to Pope endeavour to retake southern Italia from the Normand.

This is a painted mural in the urban center hall in Toulouse that depicts the 24-hour interval when Pope Urban II came to Toulouse in 1096. His intention was to go the Count of Toulouse, Raymond V to become Crusade for him in the Holy Land. This was the first and most successful crusade that took place in 1099.

Painting that shows the pope entering the city of Toulouse
Arrival of the Pope Urbain Two to Toulouse in 1096 past Benjamin Constant. You can meet this mural at the Salle des Illustres at the Toulouse urban center hall.

One of the odd behaviors of the Knights Templar is that they were supposed to shave their heads but they never washed. Imagine the impression they left for Muslims who were very clean!

Les Commanderies in France

Knights Templar were supposed to be cocky-sufficient. I of the things they did to stay afloat was to establish Commanderies the whole way between various points in French republic and the Holy Land. As pilgrims were now encouraged to go to the Holy Land, they walked  12000 kilometer to get there + a boat ride to cross the Mediterranean.

There were both rich and poor pilgrims going to the Holy State and they needed protection from robbers. Pilgrims deposited money at one Commanderie, got a coupon certifying that had had deposited the coin. Then were able to withdraw equally needed in the local currency much like what we practice with a bank today.

At the fourth dimension, neither Christians or Muslims could charge interest (merely Jews could do that) but they could exchange money and that'due south when the Knights Templar charged a fee.

The Templars had plenty money to build their own armada of boats (they charged passage) and they besides transported cargo around the Mediterranean for a fee.

They reinvested their earnings into fortified buildings chosen Commanderies all over France. Commanderies were a place where pilgrims rested from their travels and where knights could industry goods to sell and influence local Lords on behalf of the Pope.

Another way the Knights Templar made money was by selling relics. They are the ones who sold Jesus' Crown of Thorns to Saint Louis. This was nifty business organisation and they became extraordinarily wealthy.

In that location  are nonetheless a lot of Commanderies left in Europe that yous tin visit today. There are some in England, France, Germany, Espana and Italy. The best preserved Commanderie in France is most Meaux.

The Downfall of the Knights Templar

For 200 years all the Knights Templar did was crush everyone in battle and make incredible amounts of coin. Every bit you can imagine, this led to resentments. After 1291 and the loss of the 9th cause, both the Pope and the French King thought this might be their take a chance to become rid of them.

After many exchanges between the King of France Philippe le Bel and Pope Bonifacio Eight, Philippe finally announced to the Pope that he would dissolve the gild of the Knights Templar.

The Pope claimed the Male monarch of France had no correct to dissolve a religious order, but that didn't stop him. Philippe le Bel arranged to abort all the Knights Templar he could catch by surprise on the aforementioned day.

The merely style to subdue a group of men who were essentially killing machines was to take them by surprise and that'due south what the King of France did. The King ordered Jacques de Molay arrested forth with hundreds of other Knights Templar. He had several of them burned at the tip of the Ile de la Cité in the park we telephone call Vert Gallant today. The others were killed all over France anywhere they could find them.

All their possessions were taken by Philippe le Bel and gave them to the Hospitaliers Knights who were in contest with the Templars all along. The Hospitaliers all the same exist today.

Plaque that states that this is the area where Jacques de Molay was burned on March 18, 1314
The Plaque reads: Jacques de Molay, last Chiliad Master of the Society of the Temple was burned in this place on March 18th, 1314.
More Nearly Popes in France | Saint Louis & The 5th Crusade

FOLLOW US ON:

Electronic mail | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Subscribe to the Podcast

Apple Google Spotify RSS

Support the Show

Tip Your Guide Extras Patreon Audio Tours Trade