Knights Templar Historical Tour Update

The Templar Historical Tour

For many the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment is a life long passion. It has become a way of following our passion for historical studies and a fun use of our leisure hours. The popularity of the history and discovery channels is evidence of this rise in popularity of our thirst for knowledge. Many folks have stumbled onto the mystery and conspiracy story of the downfall and dispora of the Knights Templar Order during 1307 to 1314. The movie the Da Vinci code and Dan Brown novel created yet additional interest in these very unique warrior monks. Their rise to power and immense wealth was something the world had never experienced. Their story and the lack of definitive evidence of what happened to their treasury and the majority of their members remains a modern mystery.

Many authors such as myself have become fascinated with this historical mystery. There are so many elements such as what did they discover under King Solomon’s temple. How did this so interest St. Bernard de Clairvoux that he petitioned the Knights official status from the Pope and Vatican. Then you have their betrayal and torture by the French King Phillip IV (the fair) and Pope Clement V. The disappearance of the Templar treasury and archives before the monarchs could move to seize them is yet another mystery that is still unknown and remains unknown.

My favorite mystery is the apparent purposeful withholding of the 9th founding members name. Why did they keep his identity a mystery? Perhaps to keep one person anonymous to be their guardian of their secrets.

For some of us this mystery is something akin to a pilgrimage. What better way to spend a vacation than to follow the trail of the Templars from their origins to their alleged demise and then the unsolved clues of their dispora. To many of us this is somewhat of a dream vacation. As such it cannot be completed on a typical 7-14 holiday. It also is not something we just decide and pay for on the spur of a moment.

Behind the scenes it is a massive undertaking of logistical planning to create the route, locate our transportation and lodging along with our historical guides.

So, we are putting this plan in place to design the trip outlined below for a 2015 departure. There several reasons we are looking so far out. First, we are going to create a planned payment plan so the cost to go is not do prohibitive to most of us working folks. Second, we have to negotiate all the logistics and find a tour size that will be achievable. At this point I believe it will be limited to 30-40 people total, with double occupancy rooms or single for a slight premium.

Third, we need to have time to market this trip and fill 100% of the available slots so the cost is kept to a reasonable amount for our participants.

1.) Edinburgh- Roslin Chapel- We begin our journey at the most famous Templar site in Scotland in Edinburgh to see the castle and also the royal mile, then onto Roslin Chapel and the ruins of Roslin Castle, where many believe the ornate carvings leave clues to the Templar mystery. We will also tour the battlefield at Bannockburn where the Scots defeated the English led by Robert the Bruce. Legend says that a mounted contingent of White mantled surcoat Templar heavy cavalry appeared to the flank of the English in support of the Scots and routed the English as they retreated under the thunderous charge of the Templars.

2.) London- Temple Church
After arriving in Jolly old England we will tour the city and see the famous and highly secluded Temple Church along with the Tower of London. The next day we will sojourn out to see the cave called Royston Cavern, where legend says many Templars gathered in secret to lay their plans for the future after their betrayal.

3.) Paris- Jacques de Molay & Old Templar HQ. We will journey by train through the Chunnel to the city of romance. This is where the last Grand Master was tried and burned at the stake. Home of the ancient Templar Temple HQ.

4.) Payens- wine country Hugh de Payen home town. We journey to the ancient home of the Templars founder Sir Hugh de Payen. Located in the wine country region of the Champagne region. What could be better vineyards and Templar museum. Next we head to the village of Clairvaux, where St. Bernard met with Sir Hugh and wrote his recommendation for the official recognition of the Templars from the Pope.

5.) Chinon Castle- now back to mid-France to see Chinon Castle where the last of the Templars were held captive and tortured by the church.

6.) Tomar Portugal- now we land in Templar heavily influenced Portugal to see the Templars castles and post 1307 HQ in Tomar. Then onward with our eastern route to Spain via train.

7.) Segovia Spain- we now arrive in central Spain to visit the fairytale land of Templar influence, where many of the knights rallied to turn back the onslaught of Muslim invaders trying to create a toehold to invade Europe. Our motor coach will stop at several Templar castles. Next back east and across the Pyrennes mountains and we reenter southern France.

8.) Carcassone- Cathar stronghold and also the chateau les renness where yet another Templar mystery has been told. On our way to the country many believe was formed by the fleeing Templars, modern Switzerland, we stop at the ancient power seat of the Cathars in the medieval walked city of Carcassonne France and then visit Chateau les Rennes the next day. Back on the train bound for the French papal seat during the last years of the Templars.

9.) Avignon- French Papal Capitol during the Templar betrayal home of Pope Clement V. Now onto Switzerland via the TGV fast train.

10.) Geneva- HQ- Valais province Sion Templar settlement area post 1307. This is the city where the modern order has its business HQ. The home of banking and precision watch making. We will tour the Valais canton and visit the city of Sion, rumored to be where a large contingent of Templars settled and then organized the Templar values into the worlds oldest and most secretive country. It was here in 1314 at Mortgarten pass that the Templars organized a rag tag group of farmers and peasants and defeated the Austrian army to create the kingdom of Switzerland.

11.) Swiss Glacier express to Lichtenstein and Salzburg Austria then to Vienna to view the further reaches of Templar influence in this region. Some of the most breathtaking scenery in the Alps. Then we begin to train south to the popular port city of Venice.

12.) Venice- Templar hotbed during crusades and allies during inquisition was where the Templar fleet was made and also where a very supportive Italian Doge ruler may have assisted in the Templar dispora by landing their fleet in stages and sending their knights and treasures overland into Switzerland for safe passage. Next well board a plane for a short flight to Istanbul to see the city where some believe the Templars found many of their archives and relics during the 4th crusade when they assisted in the sacking of the city to support their Venetian allies.

13.) Istanbul- Gateway to crusades as the beginning of the land route to the Holy Land. We will tour the ancient walls, cathedrals and markets as many have done for centuries. We then board a plane and fly to the island of Cyprus.

14.) Cyprus- Templar HQ post crusades. The castle at Limosol was Jacques de Molay’s HQ after the crusaders fall at Acre. The Templars received the island as a purchase from Richard the Lion Heart, to give them a safe haven to rebuild and regroup Templar resources in order to stage the failsafe location to support the crusaders in the Holy Land. Now we fly to the center of conflict since the time of Christ.

15.)) Jerusalem/Acre- here we visit the Temple Mount where the Templars allegedly excavated and discovered their first mystery and secret. We will visit the Templars religious headquarters and see the birthplace of Christ. Then visit the battlefield at Hattin, where Saladin destroyed the crusader army and commenced the expulsion of the crusaders from the Holy Land. Next we will fly to Egypt to see the seat of Saladin’s power.

16.) Cairo- Saladin Fortress & Valley of the Kings. We will see the Great Sphinx and tombs of pharaohs at the Pyramids. Some believe a Templar reconnaissance party looted this area before they left the Holy Land. The next stop is the little country of Ethiopia to see the home of the Holy Grail. Many think the Templars traced the Grail to this former kingdom of Sheba, King Solomon’s lover and mother of his illegitimate son. Through the Templars discovery the secret home has been protected ever since by a secret brotherhood that could be of Templar origins. Next we fly to the tiny island of Malta.

17.) Malta- Templar/Hospitaller Stronghold post crusades. Here is where the knights rallied with the Hospitallers to control the Mediterranean Sea region. Then we fly to Rome to view the Vatican and learn about the Templar cover up by the church discovered in the ancient Vatican Archives, called the Chinon Parchmont that found the Templars innocent.

18.) Rome-Vatican & Chinon Parchment. Our group will tour the Vatican and visit the Vatican archives as well as visit the modern HQ of the Knights Hospitaller Order. Then take in some Roman culture before we head back to our home countries.

All in all the trip should prove to truly be a once in a lifetime experience. Our group will blaze across Europe then the Eastern gateway to the Holy land then off to North Africa on a modern grail quest then back across the Mediterranean Sea to the Ancient Roman Empire capital to view the official Catholic record proving the Templars were innocent. Clearly this final piece of the puzzle confirms the Templars were destroyed as a real conspiracy to destroy their power and steal their wealth.

For those of you interested in this journey please begin to make me aware of your interest as I will be attempting to determine interest in this trip and confirm we can create critical mass to make it financially feasible.

NNDNN

Veritas vos Liberabit