THE knights templar they were a medieval Christian chivalric religious order born in 1118. They were intended to fight in Holy Land against Muslims during the so-called crusades and protect the pilgrims who visited Jerusalem. The Order enjoyed the support of the Church and managed to acquire enormous riches. He was therefore responsible not only for military operations in the Holy Land, but also for administering the vast accumulated patrimony. The history of the Templars ended at the beginning of the 14th century, when the king of France Philip the Fair he had the grand master of the order and other leaders condemned to death. Numerous have flourished on the Templars throughout history legends and “fantastic” stories which have no basis. Today, however, there are various “neo-Templar” associationsmade up of lay people.
The birth of the Templars in the 12th century
The birth of the Order of the Knights of the Temple (or Templars) takes place in the context of the Crusades. As we know, in 1099 the crusaders conquered Jerusalem and other territories in the Holy Land. After the conquest, it became necessary to defend the territory and protect the Christian pilgrims who went to visit the places. They were born, therefore orders of chivalrythat is, organizations of men who chose to remain in Palestine as fighters and led a life similar to that of monks.
The Templar order was one of the orders born in the Holy Land. So while the term “crusader” generally indicates a warrior who took part in the Crusades, “templar” more specifically indicates a crusader belonging to the Templar order. The order was founded in 1118 and took its name because it was based on the Temple Mount, the place where in ancient times the Temple of Solomon and the Second Jewish Temple stooddestroyed by the Romans in 70 AD After the affirmation of Islam, two important mosques were built on the Mount, the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque (not surprisingly, the place today is also known as the Temple Mount) . The building of the al-Aqsa mosque was the seat that the king of Jerusalem, Baldwin II, assigned to the Templars.
The Order was founded by Hughes de Paynsa French aristocrat who had participated in the First Crusade, and a small group of his companions in arms. To become a Templar, one had to take a vow of chastity, poverty and obediencelike the monks, but the lay state was preserved.
The growth and activities of the Templar order
The number of Templars increased rapidly, reaching hundreds and then thousands of units. The Order enjoyed the support of the Church: in 1139 pope Innocent II the bubble issued Omne datum optimumwith which he recognized the Templars and sanctioned their full autonomy from political authority. The Order, consequently, was exempt from taxes and had to account for its actions only to the Pope.
Thanks to the bequests of the faithful, the Templars became a rich and powerful organization. Over the years they opened branches in France and, to a lesser extent, in other European countries. The Templars mainly dealt with three activities: the management of land ownership; the activity bankingmade possible by the substantial financial resources and fiscal and legal privileges they enjoyed and the military operations in the Holy Land. The order also distinguished itself inbuildingbuilding castles, religious buildings and other structures.
The battles of the Templars in the Holy Land
The Templars took part in the crusades fought from the 12th century onwards and distinguished themselves as valiant knights, but in 1187, when the Muslim army led by Saladin reconquered Jerusalem, the Order also had to leave the city. It therefore established its headquarters in Acrea city on the Palestinian coast, and acquired possession of the island of Cyprus. Its military importance began to decline, also because the idea of a crusade gradually faded. In 1291, with the fall of Acrethe Christian presence in the Holy Land disappeared and even the Templars were forced to leave the territory.
Why the leaders of the Templars were killed: the end of the order
With the end of the Christian presence in the Holy Land, the Templars lost their raison d’être. Furthermore, the Order came into conflict with the king of France, Philip known as the Handsome. At the beginning of the 14th century, at the behest of Philip, they were accused of blasphemy and other atrocities. It is not known how true the allegations were. The king was probably intent on grabbing the riches of the Order and did not tolerate the presence of such a powerful organization, but it cannot be ruled out that some of the accusations were true. What is certain is that the “leaders” of the Templars, starting from the grand master, Jacques de Molaywere put on trial and sentenced to death. Pope Clement V chose not to defend the Order and ordered its dissolution, also sanctioning that their properties passed to another chivalric order, that of the Hospitallers of San Giovanni. Philip, however, still managed to get his hands on part of their wealth. Jacques de Molay and other Templars were burned at the stake in 1310.
Legends about the Templars
The Templars are the protagonists of numerous legends. One of the most widespread claims that they had found the Holy Grailthe vessel where the blood of Jesus had been collected. According to another story, they had come to know construction secrets of the temple of Solomon and therefore Freemasonry derived from them, inspired by the ancient masons’ guilds (in reality Freemasonry was born 400 years after the end of the Order). Another legend has it that the enemies of the Templars, starting from Philip the Fair and Clement V, died from the curse launched by Jacques de Molay.
The legends, however, they have no basis. The Templars were simply a chivalric order, engaged in fighting and, above all, in the management of its movable and immovable heritage. Not surprisingly, after the trial and the end of the order, i Templars were soon forgotten. Legends and “fantastic” stories began to flourish many centuries later, during the Enlightenment, in the most anticlerical environments, with the aim of hurling accusations at the Church. Since then, the legends have never faded.
The Templars today
Today there are various “neo-Templar” associationswidespread above all in Europe and North America, which consider themselves in a certain sense heirs of the experience of medieval knights and intend to propose it again in a modern key. For example, in our country the association is active Catholic Templars of Italywhich has also opened offices in other countries. These groups, despite being animated by a religious spirit, do not enjoy official recognition by the Holy See and have no “direct” connections with the Knights Templar who existed in the Middle Ages.
