The facts on Mount Sion and the crusaders

Ever since the Priory of Sion was made famous by popular literature as well as a recent relaunch of a similarly named association, Sion rings a bell with people interested in the crusades in general and Templars in particular. What are the facts?

Louis IX and his Holy relics

"In 1236, the Latin emperor of Constantinople, Baldwin II, approached the West for help in defending his moribund empire, one of the Latin States of Greece, born of the diversion of the fourth crusade in 1204. Early in 1237 he went to meet the French king Louis IX in Paris, telling him that, having run out of resources, he was obliged to borrow money against the relics with which Constantinople was still crammed, even after its sacking of 1204. Owing to his inability to repay the loans, these relics were at risk of falling into his creditors hands. On two occasions Louis IX redeemed the pledge. 

The high expenses of Templars in the Holy Land

Keeping the Templar army in the Holy Land took considerable effort. Some figures.

The medieval religious Orders as peace negotiators

"The religious military orders of the Middle Ages are often characterised by the image of soldier-monks, dedicated to combat, prayer and nothing else. This image has been strongly nuanced by contemporary historiography. Today's authors add to the military function of the orders, assistance, hospitality and activities in the economic, social, religious, artistic and other fields. Some examples. 

Templars and water

The Templars carefully chose the site where they would build their "domus". One of the most important points was accessibility to water. What was the situation at Arville Commandery, France?

André de Montbard - co founder of the Knights Templar

André de Montbard (ca 1068-17 October 1156) was the fifth Grand Master of the Knights Templar and also one of the early members if not one of the founders of the Order. His life started and ended in Burgundy, France, heartland of the Knights Templar as well as the Cistercians. It shows a remarkable link to both.

The Templecombe Head - Templar, lid or relic?

The Templecombe Head is an interesting artefact. The panel depicts a head, which was interpreted as that of Jesus. It was discovered in 1944 in the plaster covered ceiling of a woodshed adjacent to a common cottage in the village of Templecombe, Somerset, England. A quick scan by TN rendered a lot of data. A brief summary of the main points.

An unknown letter from Jacques de Molay found

 

"A recent finding at the Archives of the Crown of Aragon, has produced an unknown letter from Jacques de Molay, the last Master of the Order of the Knights Templar, addressed to Ramon de Bell-lloc, Commander of the Order, dated 21st January 1296. What is this letter about?

Commemoration of the 707th anniversary of the death of Jacques de Molay

On March 18, 2021 we commemorate the 707th anniversary of the death of the last official Grand Master of the Knights Templar, Jacques de Molay. However, according to Alain Demurger and others the most probable date of the execution was March 11, 1314.

De Molay, born between 1244-1249, was put to death in Paris by the King of France. He was the 23rd and last Grand Master of the Knights Templar although at the time he was simply indicated as the Master from Outremer. He lead the Order from 20 April 1292 until it was dissolved by order of Pope Clement V in 1307. What is known of his last moments?