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Muslim Spain in the Middle Ages
Muslim Spain in the Middle Ages.
via Muslim Spain in the Middle Ages.
One of my favorite journey’s was through Spain two years ago. I agree with Tony this country is a must see for medieval fans especially all the Templar fans.
I enjoyed this article and pictures. Segovia is like dropping into a fairy tale and the Castle of Alacazar is amazing and the round templar church at the base of the mountain is unique and very impressive as well.
Knights Templar History Channel Documentary
Old Rhodes Harbor Castle
This is definitely worth the watch and a good purchase for your dvd archives if you are an avid Knights Templar Order fan and researcher.
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
New Knights Templar Order Group on LinkedIn
If anyone is interested in engaging in an open discussion regarding the most mysterious group of knights ever created then go
A Knight Never gets Outdated
check out the new Knights Templar Order on LinkedIn. This group is open to anyone interested in discussing theories regarding the Knights Templar from 1118 to the Present. This group is also open to literary updates on new books and artistic expression by visual artists. Here is the link to join the group: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=4746627&trk=anet_ug_hm
The Knights Templar Uncloaked is Released! Check out this book for the Holidays
The long awaited debut of my Knights Templar Series is finally here. The first book released is my companion fact book of all
The Long Awaited Theoretical History of the Knights Templar Order Post 1307
the interesting points I discovered doing my research on the mysterious Knights Templar Order of old and even the modern Order today. This book is a great conversational guide to the many fascinating points regarding the mysterious history of the Knights Templar post the demise of the order in 1307 (Black Friday the 13th). There are over 125 pictures in the book and the interior is done in full color or colour if your English. This book will help all those future fans of my 9th Templar Series the fictional adventure mystery thriller scheduled to debut sometime next year, understand many of the interesting discoveries I used to craft the novel. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed the research and the writing of it. The foreword is by George Smart, the History Channel documentary commentator from the Knights Templar documentary and the author of his own book on the Knights Templar. Here is the link to go check out my book and hopefully purchase it for your own use or your own Knights Templar Fan.
Join the LinkedIn Group about the Knights Templar
If you are really interested in the Knights Templar and want to keep up with the latest information on all of my projects and uncovered information, then join my LinkedIn Group on the Knights Templar. I will be keeping you abreast and current on all the book projects, the documentary film regarding our planned dig and excavations in the Holy Land with the modern day Knights Templar ban of Brothers going next year. Also I will keep you up to date on the planned release of the 9th Templar fictional novel and the screen play I am working on to turn it into a major motion picture. Here is the link for you to join the group. http://www.linkedin.com/groups/9th-Templar-Knights-Templar-Fan-4500608?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
Knights Templar Project Needs Your Support
We only have 50 days left if we are going to attract the micro funding made possible through Kickstarter to allow us to get the Knights Templar Book published and the screen play for the documentary written and ready for solicitation to the various interested Directors and Producers. IF YOU are a Fan of the Knights Templar Order and the mystery that surrounds the lore of the Knights Templar, then we desperately need your help. With Kickstarter you can donate as little as $10 and up to $100 to help us make this project come to fruition. Every donation is appreciated and most get some type of reward related to the project, such as a free Ebook or other great items. The $100 donations get an EBook, Signed First Edition limited Advanced Reader Copy and a very cool T-shirt along with their names listed in the books acknowledgements as key supporters that made this project possible. Let’s make this an awesome new book and documentary so the world can uncover and uncloak the mystery that surrounds the Knights Templar Order of old and learn their impact on modern society today. thank you all in advance. here is the link for you to go and make your small donation towards this exciting project. Only 50 days left to raise funds for Knights Templar book. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2002007093/knights-templar-secret-history-book-and-video-trai
The Knights Templar Project… Why it Matters!
History is filled with proof that those who dare to imagine the seemingly impossible to others, are the ones that break all previous human limitations.
Sir Don Allen Holbrook, Chev, KTJ
For those of you that are Knights Templars and/or fans of the topic… you will not want to miss this three part opportunity to become engaged in the modern mystery and the unveiling of many little know facts and secrets. The first project is the most important as it sets the tone for the second and third aspects to come right out of the pages and onto the television and possibly the big screen.
What makes all this really cool is that with all this new technology even a normal guy like myself that would not normally have had the money to take on such an endeavor can do so. With the help of my many friends in the entertainment world, my friends in Hollywood and the book publishing business, we have created an enormous opportunity to bring the entire little known or discussed post 1314 history of the Knights Templar to life for all of you as fans.
Each of you can participate in this project for as little as much as you feel comfortable. If you can spare $10 then that is awesome… no donation is going without appreciation and every donation gets an awesome reward. Our promise is if you help an average guy like me fulfill his dream to bring this to you, I will give you the best product you can find about the Knights Templar Theoretical History post 1314. My Templar Project will make sure that everyone at a minimum receives a copy of the EBook and most will receive an original first edition signed special limited edition copy of the book. Some of you will be invited depending on your donation level to attend our special events for the launch of the Historical Documentary in Phase 3.
Our plan is to in phase one create the Knights Templar Theoretical History- The Knights Templar Uncloaked. Then create the film infrastructure such as the beat sheet, film treatment, and screen play for the documentary film. Our director is going to use this to prepare the budget and consider talent for the planned 60 minute documentary.
In Phase 2, we are going to be raising money for the Templar Dig and Excavation in the Holy Land led by Modern day Knights Templar members of the Knights Templar Order. Our discovery will be recorded on film and I will be the official historian on the project. This project is sanctioned and approved by the Government of Israel, Palestinian Authorities and will be also assisted by our colleagues at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
In Phase 3, we will be producing the documentary and editing the film to create the most insightful show about the Knights Templar that has been created to date. Each of you as enthusiasts will have the opportunity to participate in these projects. The cool thing is that with Kickstarter (crowd funding) we can create the funding without asking folks for tons of money. You can participate in helping is bring this to fruition for as little as $10 or as much as you desire from there. The current project rewards top out at just $100 each. So by allowing average normal folks like me to raise money like this it doesn’t create much of a financial burden for any of you to help me make my dream project come true.
I really hope you will take a few minutes and click on my kickstarter project and show your support for making this important work related to this cool topic, the Knights Templar Order come to fruition. Thank you so much for all your support and any additional marketing and assistance in making others aware of this is greatly appreciated.
You are all Awesome!
Veritas vos Liberabit (The Truth Shall Set You Free)
Knights Templar Famous Places
Today we really only know about a few of the most famous of Templar historic locations. At their height of wealth and power the Templar Knights held between 9,000 to 11,000 properties across all of Europe and the Holy Lands including some islands such as Cyprus in the Mediterranean.
Knights Templar Holdings in Christendom
Most of us may know about the top 10-20 places but even that might be aggressive. But there has been little research done to assist those interested in the locations of many linked Templar sites around the world.
Let’s start out our investigation by looking at specific Regions:
Outremer or the Holy Land (the Levant)
Knights Templar Holdings Outremer (Holy Land) the Levant
Jerusalem- Of course the
Templar Quarters under Solomon’s Temple Jerusalem
knights first temporary headquarters was on the Temple Mount the original site of King Solomon’s Temple. This is where they took of residence in the former Temple Stables and legend says they began their excavations under the Temple almost immediately.
Acre- AKKO in Arabic- was the final stronghold of the Templars in the Levant/Outremer. Their famous fortress was where they made their last stand against the Saracens before they finally retreated to their fortress on Cyprus to regroup.
The Last Remains of the Templar Towers and Castle at Acre, Israel
Atlit (also known as Pilgrims Castle)- Chateau Pelerin- lost in 1291 to the Mamluks just after the fall of ACRE. This was the Knights Templar’s strongest fortress and it could host 4,000 knights in siege conditions. It has a secure water source and deep excavations and a vast tunnel system. The castle remains still stand today near the Port City of Haifa, Israel.
Atlit Castle- also called Pilgrims Castle- Haifa Israel
Chastel Blanc- Was a fortified keep that had a chapel, garrison and office quarters for the knights in the hills of
Chastel Blanc Keep 1905
Syria. From the Keep the knights could see the Templar coastal fortresses of Tartus, the Mediterranean Sea, mounts of Lebanon, the Krak des chevalier fortress inland and Akkar to the south. The keep had a large warning bell tower that could sound the alarm to other Templar warning posts of any invasion or approaching hostiles due to it’s commanding views in all directions.
Ruad Island- This sole island fortress in Syria gave the Knights a bridgehead and staging area to raid into Syria and especially Tortosa now called Tartus on the shore… this was the last piece of land held by the Templars in the holy land. The knights
Arwad Castle on Ruad Island off of Tartus Syria Coast
maintained a garrison of 120, knights, 400 bowmen and several hundred infantry men on the island up until 1302. The Muslims laid siege to the island an negotiated a surrender where safe passage was guaranteed for the surrender, but the Muslim’s dishonorably broke that negotiated cease fire by executing all the infantry and bowmen and sending the remaining Knights Templar to Cairo to be imprisoned.
Mediterranean region:
Turkey:
Old Rhodes Harbor Castle
The Templars took part in the raid and conquest of Constantinople. Many believe to remove key artifacts and safe guard them from the eventual Muslim onslaught… more likely for their own use and knowledge. The Templars controlled two major castles in the Southern tip of Turkey on the approach to Antioch and Aleppo. These were Bagras Castle and Trapessac Castles. Known as the
Grand Master Knights Templar Courtyard Rhodes
Gatehouse to the Knights Castle
Gates to Syria. After the loss of land by the Knights Templar in the Levant (Holy Land) also known as Outremer the Knights first moved their major forces to Cyprus, but later along with other orders moved a huge contingent of knights to Rhodes in an attempt to keep their staging forces near the Holy Land. Eventually the Knight of St. John (Hospitallers) moved their HQ to Malta and kept a major presence on Rhodes as well. The Templars who were very aggressive castle builders fortified Rhodes and Cyprus in their belief that they would soon be reinvading the Holy Land a dream that Jacques de Molay refused to give up on up until his death. Many of the Templar’s Governing Council had advised Jacques de Molay to establish permanent island bases rather than raise concerns over the return of the Templar forces to Christendom, where the monarchs would see their veteran knights as potential foes or even worse a possible invader trying to carve out their own kingdom from within the monarchs own territory. The Hospitallers did indeed make their fortifications on islands such as Rhodes and
Guarding the Harbor the Castle of the Knights Templar
Malta, but the Templars remained committed to negotiating for an invasion of the Holy Land and moved many of their troops back to France. This of course only exasperated their relationship with King Phillip IV and led to the eventual coup within the Vatican that ended with the Templars disbandment by the Church. The fortifications on Rhodes such as Lindos Castle show the prowess of the Templar Castle schemes and their desire to protect their harbors for commerce and transportation of their knights and logistics similar to their fortifications at La Rochelle France.
Approaching the Grand Masters Castle Rhodes
Trapessac Castle near Kirikhan/Hatay province Turkey
Cyprus-
Kolossi Castle Cyprus near Limasol
Kolossi Castle another heavily fortified Keep with castle curtain walls around it just 9 miles from the Limasol Cyprus. This served as the operational headquarters for the Knights Templar in the region of the holy land after they were pushed out of the holy land by the muslims. Jacques de Molay kept his residence here much of the time as he envisioned building support to reinvade the holy land and retake the Holy City and Christian heritage.
Croatia:
Vrana Croatia- Along the Dalmatian coast the Knights Templar and the Benedictine Monks had established a fortified castle high above the village and the Benedictine Monks Chapel in the town to project power into the region. The Knights Hospitallers were given this property after the betrayal of the Knights Templar by the Catholic Church in 1312.
Vranna Castle Croatia
Italy: Rome the site known as “the hole of Rome” was originally a Knights Templar fortified castle and monastery until 1312 when it was forcibly given to the Knights Hospitaller and then later the Knights of Malta.
The Fortified Village of Castignano is part of the route to Jerusalem by the Crusaders. The Templars built a commandery here and legend has it they buried part of their treasure somewhere nearby this village or within the old fortified keep and village. The villagers still have a festival of the Templars every year.
The Castello della Magione (also Magione di San Giovanni al Ponte or Spedale di San Giovanni in Gerusalemme alla Magione) is a medieval castle in Poggibonsi (province of Siena, central Italy). It is an example of a medieval “Mansio” (residence) that belonged to the Knights Templar. The castle includes the ancient church and the “spedale” (hotel) for the pilgrims in transit to Rome on the Via Francigena. The complex is near the ancient crossing of the Via Francigena over the Staggia River, near the Bonizio bridge, now destroyed.
Switzerland:
The current Knights Templar Headquarters are in Geneva. This country befits and holds similar many of the most common and closely guarded values of the original Knights Templar. The oldest abbey established in Switzerland is Sion, in the Valais Canton. There is a twin peaks overlooking the town, meaning new Jerusalem or holy place in the Alps. The twin mountains house the cathedral of Sion and the Castle Tourbillion. These date back to the beginning times of Swiss Confederation formation around 1291. A time when the Templars were known to be looking to establish a European mainland stronghold outside of the Holy Land as they were being pushed out of the Levant by the Muslims and the Christians had lost their stomach to fight on any longer.
These are suggestions that certain historians and conspiracists alike deem to be true that suggest that the Knights Templar did in fact form Switzerland. The evidence and likelihood seem pretty plausible to me. The county of Valais in the city of Sion has a particular Templar tie in the founding history.
Here in Sion, the Valais Canton of Switzerland there are two massive castles on two twin peaks. Tourbillion and Valere Castles each tower high above the old city. Rumors have always floated that this is where the Templars originally set up shop after their flight from France.
Twin Castle Valere and Tourbillion in Sion Switzerland
Castle Chateau Valere Sion Switzerland
— In the history of the first Swiss Cantons there are tales of white coated knights mysteriously appearing and helping the locals to gain their independence against foreign domination.
— The founding of the early Switzerland pinpoints exactly to the period when the Templars were being persecuted in France by King Philip IV of France.
— Switzerland is directly to the east of France and would have been particularly easy for fleeing Templar brothers from the whole region of France to get to.
–The Templars were one of the earliest known banking systems in early day Europe. King Phillip in fact was deeply in debt to the Templars.
–Not only were The Templars were big into banking, but also farming, engineering, and clock making (of an early type). These same aspects can be seen as importance to the commencement and gradual forming of the separate states that would eventually be Switzerland.
— The Swiss don’t really know the ins and outs of their earliest history (or suggest that they don’t.)
— They are famous for being secretive and independent as were the Templars.
–The famous Templar Cross is incorporated into the flags of many of the Swiss Cantons. As are other emblems, such as keys and lambs, that were particularly important to the Knights Templar.
–The Swiss were and are famous for their religious tolerance – and so were the Templars.
Hungary:
The Order of the Knights Templar appeared here, in Hungary in the second half of the XII century. The supposition, that knights settled down in our country in 1147, when the crusaders of Louis VII, French king passed through Hungary , is unproved. The first house of the Templars, which could be proved with sources, was the monastic quarters of Vrána near the coast of the Adriatic . Namely, the Benedictine monastery of Saint Gregory in Vrána belonged to the Templars already in 1169. After that, in the last decades of the XII century, the Templars appeared in Hungary again and again. They got further landed properties, monastic quarters, for example the city of Zengg , with the church of Saint George (between 1172–1185), Boisce (1186), and the list does not end here. From the beginning of the XIII century, the Order started to spread, relatively, rapidly in the Kingdom, which, above all thanks to the donations of our kings – Emery and Andrew II –, who supported the ideal of crusaders. (Both of them declared under oath that they led the crusade, and Andrew kept his promise, he participated in the Fifth Crusade in 1217.)
Typical Templar fortified Commandry tower/Keep
According to the sources, known at present, until the abolition of the order in the XIV century, the Order of Knights Templar owned fourteen monastic quarters (Boisce, Béla, Dubica, Esztergom, Gecske, Glogonca, Gora, Keresztény, Nekcse, Okriszentlo1rinc, Szentmárton, Vrána, Zablata, Zengg) and almost 50 other landed properties (area, temple, castle, city, house, fish pond, etc.) in the Hungarian Kingdom in the Middle Ages. This number is absolute value, of course, so it shows that the Order had gathered this fortune altogether during the one and half century, which they spent in Hungary . In comparison with other areas in Western Europe , this is very little. At the time of the dissolution, for example, the Order had 40-40 monastic quarters in England and in a province of France , Provance, whereas, in Aragon and Catalonia , it had 32 altogether. According to our data, the number of monastic quarters in Hungary is almost one-third of the quarters of the Order in western Europe..
It is evident from the list that the quarters and holdings of the Order in Hungary were, above all, in the southern provinces of the country – in the areas, which were called at that time Slavonia and Croatia .
- Vranna Castle Croatia Coast
Poland:
The Templars were given the area now known as Chwarzczany and built a fortified chapel there near the border of Poland and Eastern Germany. The knights maintained a small garrison to control the agricultural region and the ten villages associated with this commandery.
Czech Republic:
Prague- Celetna Lane- the Royal Way… The house At the Temple (No.27) stands at the place, where used to be a church of Knights Templar in the 13 th century. The street, that goes through the house, is therefore called “Templova”. After the Order of Knights Templar was abolished in 1312, the members used to meet secretly in the basement of the house. A stone altar of the order was discover there later. A hospital with a church was built there instead and the building finally became a dwelling house in 1784.
Just 3 hours southeast of Prague lies the Templar Winery of Templarske sklepy (Templar Wine Cellars) which is associated with the arrival of a mysterious clan of the Templar Knights which came to the region Cejkovice about 1230 AD. The first written evidence of the clan’s existence has been recorded in 1248. Along with building the Templar Knights’ mansion, huge wine cellars have been built in dimensions unmatched in our region in the 13th century. A new epoch of wine growing has begun in the region and its vicinity thanks to the Templar agricultural knowledge probably being brought by way of their French wine knowledge. The region has been ruled by many different Dynasties and Orders over the past centuries such as the Noblemen of Lipa, the Vickovci Dynasty, the Jesuits, and the Habsburgs.
Denmark:
Bornholm Castle and churches is Located 40 kilometers southeast of the southern tip of Sweden but territorially part of Denmark, the island of Bornholm is one of the oldest visible rocks in the world. Formed through volcanic activity more than 1700 million years ago, the small granite island has an area of approximately 600 square kilometers (230 square miles). Its rolling hills are covered with a patchwork of farms, pastures and beautiful forests, the coasts are graced by sandy beaches and rocky cliffs and its traditional villages are home to some of the friendliest people in Europe.
Templar Round Church Bornholm Island
Archaeological excavation reveals the island to have been settled since at least 3600 BC, when numerous dolmens and Neolithic mounds began to be constructed. A majority of the mounds show evidence of having been used for burials while others, lacking burial remains, indicate possible astronomical and ceremonial use. Scattered here and there across the island are many boulders and flat, glacier-scoured rock surfaces that are engraved with mysterious symbols and geometric forms, small cup-shaped depressions, and carvings of ships. Conventional archaeological theory, unable to date the engravings or explain their function, attributes them to Bronze Age inhabitants (1800-500 BC). These rock engravings may, however, date from a far earlier age and may have functioned as sea and star maps for ancient mariners.
In medieval times, the island was known as Burgunderland or Burgunderholm, from
Hamershus Castle bornholm Island
which the present name derives (holm is an old Danish word for island). During the transition to Christianity between 1050 and 1150 AD, around 40 runic stones were erected around the island and today most of these are found in the vicinity of churches and old bridges where they have often been reused as building materials.
Clearly the most famous of the ancient constructions of Bornholm Island are its medieval round churches. The current hypothesis among historians is that these structures were not intended solely for religious practices but that they also had a defensive function. Given their assumed construction period in the 12th century, this makes seems to make sense as the Baltic region was then subjected to near continuous raids by Slavonic pirates from the island of Rugen, off the German coast. Originally the four churches had flat roofs so that they could be defended from any angle, and the cone-shaped roofs were not added until several centuries later. Upon deeper consideration, however, the idea that the churches were used for defensive purposes makes little sense when one considers the limited space within the churches. Each of the four round churches, except for Nyker, have three floors but the lower floor has limited space because of the enormous central pillar and the upper two floors are too small and cramped to accommodate more than a few dozen people. Additionally, if places of refuge were needed during times of attack, it would have been far more logical for the population to have gathered within the fortresses of Gamleborg and Lilleborg, which were vastly more secure and defensible during the time of the supposed pirate raids.
There are still more mysteries to these four round churches that cannot be explained by the conventional historical interpretation. What was the purpose of the round shape and from where did it architecturally originate? While there are scores of other churches dating from the same period of time throughout Denmark and other parts of Scandinavia, there are no other churches with the distinctive round shape of the Bornholm buildings. Equally mysterious is the location of the four round churches relative to one another, to the geography of Bornholm and to the nearby islet of Christianso (12.5 miles northeast of Bornholm). In other words, who really built these churches and for what purpose?
To find answers to these questions two researchers looked beyond the conventional historical interpretation and were repeatedly led to the medieval religious order of the Knights Templar. Writing in their book, The Templars’ Secret Island, Erling Haagensen and Henry Lincoln present evidence linking the four round churches of Bornholm with the controversial and much misunderstood religious brotherhood of the Templars. According to these authors the location of the four round churches of Osterlars, Nylars, Olsker and Nyker, indicates a complex but beautiful pattern of landscape geometry incorporating three, four, five, six and seven sided figures. In addition, the round churches reveal the key to further landscape geometry, which is linked to the other medieval churches on Bornholm and nearby Christianso, and is also mirrored in the extraordinary landscape geometry of Rennes le Chateau in southern France.
Historically it is known that the original nine founders of the Templars spent nine years secretly excavating hidden passages beneath the Temple of Solomon on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, after which they unexplainably became immensely wealthy. What did the nine Templar knights find; great wealth, objects of mysterious power, texts of secret esoteric teachings, or all these things? What was the connection between the Templar knights and the explosively rapid development of the Cistercian monastic order that has so many fascinating connections with early Christianity in Scandinavia and Bornholm? And, if vast treasures were discovered beneath the Solomon’s Temple, where were those treasures then hidden away? Geo-radar surveys conducted at the Osterlars church on Bornholm and the church of Rennes le Chateau have revealed what seem to be previously unknown crypts beneath the church floors. Did the Templars store their treasures at these sites?
Haagensen and Lincoln have done pioneering work in the analysis of Bornholm’s sacred geography but the authors believe that deeper and more esoteric secrets remain to be discovered. The celestial alignments of the island’s Neolithic constructions and the round churches need to be studied in more detail (for example the upper windows in the Osterlars church were positioned to be in alignment with the sunrises of the winter and summer solstices). Additionally, ancient pagan symbols encoded in carvings and frescos found in the four round churches and also at Poulsker church in south Bornholm need to be examined with a broader knowledge than that of the conventional historical approach.
France:
Paris Temple- the main strong hold of Templar power and diplomacy in Europe up until the betrayal and capture of their knights by King Phillip IV on October 13, 1307. Remnants of the temple still lie along the Seine river today. You can see the Templar plague documenting the burning of the last public grand master Jacques de Molay on the bridge over the Seine that is placed on the Ille de La Cite in view of Notre Dame Cathedral.
Chateau les Rennes Area has the village of La Couvertoirade is located on the Larzac plateau. This well-preserved fortified town was owned by the Knights Templar, under orders from the Commandery ofSainte-Eulalie, from the twelfth century. The Templars built the fortress there during the 12th and 13th centuries; its two upper floors have since been removed. Following their dissolution in 1312, the Templars’ property in the causses was taken by the Knights of St John of Jerusalem who were responsible for building the curtain wall at La Couvertoirade between 1439 and 1450.
Commandry at Arville in Central France and today there is a museum on the crusades there.
Commandry at Coulommiers is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is also the name of a cheese of the Brie family produced around that city. The Templars controlled this area for the agricultural value it could add to their vast estates.
Chateau de Chinon Castle- is a castle located on the bank of the Vienne river in Chinon, France. It was founded byTheobald I, Count of Blois. It was here that King Phillip IV imprisoned most of the Templar Knights, including Jacques de Molay until they were tried and sentenced and many executed.
La Rochelle-The Knights Templar had a strong presence in La Rochelle since before the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine, who exempted them from duties and gave them mills in her 1139 Charter.[4] La Rochelle was for the Templars their largest base on the Atlantic Ocean,[5]and where they stationed their main fleet.[6] From La Rochelle, they were able to act as intermediaries in trade between England and the Mediterranean.[5] There is a legend that the Templars used the port of La Rochelle to escape from France with the fleet of 18 ships which had brought Jacques de Molay from Cyprus to La Rochelle. The fleet allegedly left laden with knights and treasures just before the issue of the warrant for the arrest of the Order in October 1307,[7][8] and the legend continues that the Templars allegedly even left for America from this port. The Templars maintained a large fortified castle with port access and their own fortified wharfs here. This gave them direct access to the Bay of Biscayne and the North Atlantic.
Spain:
Segovia is a city in Spain, the capital of Segovia Province in the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is situated north of Madrid, 30 minutes by high speed train. The Segovia Cathedral and Templar Castle are major landmarks as well as the Castle of Alacazar perched high above the village. The ancient Roman Aquaduct system supplied the vast agricultural region with water. Segovia sits in a deep ravine like a fairy tale village and just appears out of nowhere as you approach on the plateau from Madrid. The Templars used this as a major power base in this region of Spain.
Ponferrada is also noted for its Castillo de los Templarios, a Templar castle which covers approximately 16,000 square meters. In 1178, Ferdinand II of León donated the city to the Templar order for protecting the pilgrims on theWay of St. James who passed through El Bierzo in their road to Santiago de Compostela.
The castle hosted the Knights Templar’s Grand Master of Castille. However, the Templars were only able to enjoy the use of their fortress for about twenty years before the order was disbanded and its properties confiscated in 1311. Several noble houses fought over the assets until Alfonso XI alloted them to the Count of Lemos in 1340. Finally theCatholic Monarchs incorporated Ponferrada and its castle into the Crown in 1486. As with many other historical sites in Europe, many of the blocks that at one point formed the walls of the castle were removed and used in local construction projects. Extensive restoration works are ongoing.
Peniscola, often called the “Gibraltar of Valencia,” is a fortified seaport, with a lighthouse, built on a rocky headland about 220 feet (67 m) high, and joined to the mainland by only a narrow strip of land (Peníscola is a local evolution of Latin peninsula). The history of the place goes back to the Iberians. Later the town became Phoenician, namedTyreche, then Greek, under the name Chersonesos (meaning “peninsula”). It was next captured by theCarthaginians under Hamilcar Barca; legend has it that this is the place where he made his son Hannibal swear an oath that he would never be a friend of Rome.[1]
The present castle was built by the Knights Templar between 1294 and 1307.[2] In the fourteenth century it was garrisoned by the Knights of Montesa, and in 1420 it reverted to the Crown of Aragon.
Miravet is a municipality in the Comarca of Ribera d’Ebre in the province of Tarragona, in Catalonia, Spain.
The village and the caste was founded by the Moors and rebuilt by the Knights Templar and transformed into a fortress-monastery, after the conquest of 1153. It is considered to be the largest fortified complex in Catalonia, and one of the best examples of Romanesque, religious and military, architecture of the Templar order in the whole Western world.
Portugal:
The town of Tomar was born inside the walls of the Convento de Cristo, constructed under the orders of Gualdim de Pais, the fourth grand master of the Knights Templar in the late 12th century.
Tomar is one of Portugal’s historical jewels and more significantly was the last Templar town to be commissioned for construction. Tomar was especially important in the 15th century when it was a centre of Portuguese overseas expansion under Henry the Navigator, the Grand Master of the Order of Christ, successor organization to the Templars in Portugal.
Tomar Portugal
The Castle of Almourol is medieval castle, located on a small islet in the middle of the Tagus River, in the civil parishof Praia do Ribatejo, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the municipal seat of Vila Nova da Barquinha, in the Portuguese Centre Region. The castle was part of the defensive line controlled by the Knights Templar, and a stronghold used during the Portuguese Reconquista.
Sweden:
Skara- Home of Arn Magnusson a legendary Knights Templar who returned from the crusades to assist in the formation of the country of Sweden, as depicted in the movie, Arn-The Knights Templar made in Sweden.
old trash. It allows us to learn much about how our medieval predecessors lived. Today’s street grid is in much the same as then and street names like Tullportagatan and Gråbrödragatan (Tollgate and Grey Friar streets) reveal something of the city’s past. The early history of Skara is described at the Västergötland Museum exhibition named “Medieval Skara”. The focus is on Skara’s period of greatness when the city was a centre of power during the medieval formation of the Svea Kingdom. There is also an exhibition about Arn.In the early Middle Ages, Skara was a centre for both church and state. It was a ‘metropolis’ by the standards of the day boasting some 700 inhabitants in a city surrounded by a high fence made up of posts, wooden poles and earthen walls. The low slung residences pushed up against workshops, cowstalls and food storage sheds. People lived on top of each other, awash in the stench of dung and waste. The difference between city and country was small – everyone had animals and raised vegetables on small plots. Commerce and trades flourished alongside this cultivation. Skara was both a meeting and a market place. On market days a motley mix of merchants, farmers and craftsmen peopled the square, along with monks, nuns, ecclesiastics, children, jesters and animals. Foreign songs and new instruments penetrated the murmur of the madding crowd providing proof of the international trade and contact with the continent via the port of Lödöse on the Götaälv river.
The Skara cathedral stood on the city’s highest point. Its spires towering over the city marked the city centre and served as landmark for visitors. It is the year of our Lord 1150.While praying in the cathedral Arn’s mother Lady Sigrid has a vision directing her to donate the Varnhem estate to the Cistercian Order.
Bergenhus Castle Norway
England:
London Temple Church-The Temple Church is a late-12th-century church in London located between Fleet Street and the River Thames, built for and by the Knights Templar as their English headquarters. In modern times, two Inns of Court (Inner Temple and Middle Temple) both use the church. It is famous for its effigy tombs and for being a round church. It was heavily damaged during the Second World War but has been largely restored. The area around the Temple Church is known as the Temple and nearby is Temple Bar and Temple tube station.
Garway Temple in Herefordshire-The earliest record of a monastery on the site is in the seventh century, but it is with the arrival of the Knights Templar in 1180 that the history of the church at Garway becomes clearer. The Knights Templar built a stone hut in honour of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem Garway Church
The excavated foundations of part of the round church can be seen clearly on the north side of the present church, and the original carved chancel arch survives. Most of the current church, which is no longer round, is probably 13th century including the massive defensible tower which was once separate from the main church building. There are numerous carvings both inside and outside the building including a green man, a sword believed to be Templar, a fish and a snake.
Royston Cave Herefordshire- This was believed to have been a secret Templar meeting place after the Templars were placed on the most wanted list by the English and French Crowns. The cave decorations are believed to have been created by the Templars to tell a tale of their history and knowledge of the ancient mysteries.
The carvings in the Cave include four saints. Below the original entrance is St. Christopher, patron saint of travellers, with the child Jesus on his shoulder and staff in hand. Moving to the left high up on the west part of the wall is St. Katherine. Farther to the left is St. Lawrence who was martyred on a gridiron. Next is the figure with drawn sword which might be St. Michael or possibly St. George, patron saint of England who in symbolic terms saved the lady (the church) from the dragon (the devil or the oppressor). St George’s sword points to what might be the twelve apostles with Judas the small figure at the back towards the right-hand end of the row.
The large panel on the left of St. Christopher represents the Holy Sepulchre having a damaged figure of Christ awaiting the resurrection above the large niche on the left. Mary Magdalene, or an angel on the right-hand side sits on the stone rolled away from the entrance. The dove and the hand above represent the Holy Spirit. The niche below probably held a lamp.
The long row of figures below includes both men and women and although none can be identified those marked with crosses are possibly saints and those with hearts are martyrs. The two small figures below St. Katherine may be (although this is by no means certain) Richard I (Lion Heart) and his Queen Berengaria whose crown is shown floating above her head as she was never actually crowned Queen. The long vertical cross on their left is a branched or floriate cross and represents the high altar. Although currently identified as a cross there is a possibility that it represents a sword.
Beneath St. Lawrence is a figure with upraised arms that has been variously identified as King William of Scotland and King David. Interestingly, a similar figure appears at the head of a 13th century illuminated manuscript of Psalm 69, now in Trinity College Library, Cambridge, where King David is shown rising from the water. Psalm 69 is a plea for help and a lament about being misunderstood.
Elsewhere in the Cave are Calvary scenes with Mary and John and a group believed to show the Holy Family but uncertainty surrounds the remaining figures in the Cave. There are several large niches among the carvings, which may have been for relics or lights.
Glastonbury Abbey- Somerset County-
The Kolbrin Bible is truly special it is a copy of the Kolbrin from the version from India, where Christ is believed to have traveled and preached during his 18 years not mentioned in the bible. It was originally called the Bronze Book which survived the burning of the Glastonbury Abbey in 1184 AD. That is critical, because the Glastonbury Abbey is located squarely on the ground that was gifted to Joseph of Arimathea and the Virgin Mary by Christian King Avaragus after the crucifixion of Christ. The family of Avaragus launched all our western versions of Christianity, from Catholicism to Protestant churches. The Templars gave special credence to the importance of this Abbey.
The Glastonbury Abbey site became a sovereign nation almost until the time of the burning of the Abbey. This is where Joseph of Arimathea began building a library which eventually survives in the form of Cambridge and Oxford to this day. Edward the First of England tried to destroy this document for several reasons.
Though no one can really know his mind set, we can presume that this version of the Bible challenged the Catholic Bible as being the only word of God. It also told a much broader story of the creation of the earth and Adam and Eve than the Bible and therefore was considered blasphemy.
The Kolbrin may not mimic our versions of the Bible, but it is the farthest thing from blasphemy. This is the surviving document taken from the original tales told by the Virgin Mary and Joseph of Arimathea. The story of the creation of the world and the people who were here when Adam and Eve came to the earth is vindicated by modern geology, astronomy, scientific theory and other surviving manuscripts from all four corners of the world.
Some believe the lost Bible of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel who were captured by the Assyrians in the 8th Century BC and taken all along the length of Europe into Britain before Joseph of Arimathea returned with the Virgin Mary. Their story is clear in this document and extends backwards in time to the exodus from Egypt before the tribes were lost. That perspective is priceless beyond measure. The moral codes of this book are worth the effort.
The Astronomy is worth the effort. The anthropology and science are worth the effort. As an added treat the Kolbrin gives us more about the life of Jesus himself. We must be careful to understand that over a thousand years of copying a document that the manuscript was influenced by various groups of people, not the least of which were the original Knights Templar, who believed that Jesus was wonderful, but some speculate that they did not believe he was the Messiah.
Remember that the burning of the Glastonbury Abbey came at a particularly interesting time. This was the time of Robin Hood and the Knights Templar at their best. The abbey is said to be the burial place for Joseph of Arimathea, the Virgin Mary and King Arthur.
Templecombe- A painting discovered in 1945 by Mrs Molly Drew in the roof of an outhouse of a cottage in Templecombe, England, has been the subject of various speculations. It has been on display in St Mary’s Church in the village since 1956 (the only Templar-related site to have survived there), and has been carbon-dated to 1280 AD.Some people believe that it is a Templar-commissioned image of either Jesus Christ or the decapitated head of John the Baptist,although it is without a Halo. The painting is best known as possibly being a copy of the image on the Turin Shroud, and therefore evidence of the Turin Shroud being in the possession of the Knights Templar during its “hidden years”.
Wales:
The village of Templeton may derive from “The Templar’s Farm” or (“Tun”). It is possible that the Knights Templar had some form of religious house and small fortification here before their possessions were taken over by the Knights Hospitallers at the direction of the Catholic Church. In 1282 Templeton was referred to as “Villa temparil” which means the “Vil” or settlement of the Templars and “Villa Templarorium Campestris” – the vil of the Templars in the fields. In 1283 there was also a reference to “Burgesses”. These burgesses were “de vento” – “of the wind” meaning they were not property owners within the settlement but were permitted to come in and out of trade on a regular basis. Templeton is in the region of Pembrooke, which William Marshall, a known Templar supporter was the Earl of Pembrooke and has a major castle at Pembrooke to project power in his realm. He of course was the founder and promoter of democracy in England with his support for the Magna Carte. It was this idea that many believe inspired the Templars to establish similar concepts in Switzerland and the America’s.
Cornwall:
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Scotland:
Temple at Midlothian was a small area in the region of Edinburgh. The Templars had land holdings here established by Hugh de Payens himself around 1127 AD.
In 1127, Hugues de Payens, the first Grand Master met with David I in Scotland, and was granted the lands of Balantrodach. In 1129, the Council of Troyes formally recognized the Order. Balantrodach became their principal Templar seat and Preceptory in Scotland until the suppression of the order between 1307 and 1312.
As Temple, being just to the South of the Firth of Forth, was an area of the country occupied by England at this time, Knights were prosecuted, but not all were found guilty. Nearby to the North, politics was even more on their side — Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated, and so was not required to follow papal commands, and at war with England, it has been suggested he may have been welcoming to powerful and desperate allies.
Following 1312 and the Papal Bull (edict) entitled Ad providam, King Edward II of England abolished the Templars in both England and Scotland. According to the edict, all Knight Templar property was to be seized and handed over to the control of the Knights Hospitaller, who had a preceptory at Torphichen, although North of the Firth of Forth, Robert the Bruce, being under interdict at the time, was reluctant to do so.
Many Templar Knights may have assimilated within the Hospitallers. But it’s not necessarily the case that the Templars everywhere, immediately ceased to be. Indeed, North of the Firth, in Scotland the Order combined with the Hospitallers and continued as The Order of St John and the Temple until the reformation.
“Legend has it that treasure of the Knights Templar was removed secretly from Paris, to be hidden in Temple. A local legend states: ‘Twixt the oak and the elmtree/You will find buried the millions free.’ French legends about the Templar treasure apparently also state that the treasure was taken to Scotland, with the knights landing on the Isle of May, the first island they would encounter in the Firth of Forth. Geographically, this would take them to the mouth of the river Esk, which could take them on to Rosslyn…”
Rosslin Chapel and Castle-Roslin Castle (sometimes spelt Rosslyn) is a partially ruined castle near the village of Roslin in Midlothian,Scotland. It is located around 9 miles south of Edinburgh, on the north bank of the North Esk, only a few hundred metres from the famous Rosslyn Chapel. This is where the Sinclair family is believed to have commissioned the Templar history in symbolism within the ornate carvings in the Chapel.
Roslin Castle as it looked originally
There has been a castle on the site since the early 14th century, when the Sinclair family, Earls of Caithness and Barons of Roslin, fortified the site, although the present ruins are of slightly later date. Following destruction during the War of the Rough Wooing of 1544, the castle was rebuilt. This structure, built into the cliffs of Roslin Glen, has remained at least partially habitable ever since. The castle is accessed via a high bridge, which replaced an earlier drawbridge. Roslin was renovated in the 1980s and now serves as holiday accommodation. Legend has it that the Sinclairs were direct relatives of the Templar founder Hugh de Payens.
Ireland:
Clontarf Castle, Dublin-The first castle on the grounds, of which no trace remains, was built in 1172 by either Hugh de Lacy, Lord of Meath, or his tenant Adam de Phepoe. Clontarf was subsequently held by the Knights Templar and, after their suppression in 1308, passed to the Knights Hospitaller, until they were in turn deprived of it at theDissolution of the Monasteries. The last prior, John Rawson was created Viscount Clontarf in 1541 in return for surrendering the castle and its lands to the crown.
Iceland:
The theory is that the Knights Templar came to Iceland in 1217 to find a
hiding place for their treasure and that Snorri Sturluson, the author of
Prose Edda and other mediaeval scripts, helped them create the underground
dome in Iceland’s central highlands. A group of scientists believe the Holy Grail and other lost Templar objects, which according to Christian mythology were guarded by the Knights Templar, may
be located in the rural district Hrunamannahreppur in southwest Iceland. This could also have been a stop over on their route around to North America, following the trail of the Vikings.
North America:
Trinity Church, New York. Long believed to have been built using Templar funds and hiding clues to Templar investments in the new country and the support of a Republic built on democracy and freedom from religious and monarch persecutions.
Kensington Rune stone- in Minnesota is fabled to have been a Templar marker left on one of their early journeys from the north of Canada and the Hudson bay region.
Oak Island in Nova Scotia rumored to have been a Templar hiding spot for centuries now.
Touro Tower in Rhode Island is thought by some have been a templar shore based marker for early explorations of the new America region by Templar explorers.
Now once we have built this proper very high level listing you can begin to see just how much influence these knights and their collaborative collective of wealth truly had in those nearly two centuries of power and sway.
The Ninth Templar Story 