13.04.2016 - 14:36

By the beginning of the 14th century, there were about one and a half dozen spiritual knightly orders in Europe. The Order of the Templars (Knights of the Temple) was by no means the richest; the Hospitallers had much more significant land holdings. And yet the most powerful was the Order of the Knights of the Temple. Only the Templars, relying on material resources, created a gigantic economic and financial structure from their organization, turning it into a transnational corporation, which had no equal in medieval Europe.

Order of the Poor Knights of Christ

In 1099, the Crusaders conquered part of Palestine from the Arabs and took Jerusalem. This was especially surprising because... Preparations for the First Crusade were carried out extremely poorly. There was no money, no organization, no prepared plan. At the call of the pope, thousands of Christians in a fit of religious ecstasy shouting “Let us take the Holy Sepulcher from the infidels!” spontaneously moved to Palestine, having absolutely no idea where it was, how to get there and what awaited them all there.

And, nevertheless, the campaign achieved maximum results; Jerusalem and part of Palestine were conquered. In the recaptured territories, four Christian states arose: the County of Edessa, the Principality of Antioch, the County of Tripoli and the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Thousands of pilgrims flocked to Palestine, eager to see the Holy Land. But not everyone had pleasant memories of the excursion. Travelers were robbed and stripped in the Holy Land as often as in sin-ridden Europe.

And then the crusaders, who settled in Palestine, began to organize detachments that took on the function of protecting the pilgrims and providing them with comprehensive assistance. The first were the Italians who founded the Order of the Hospitallers. The French knights said, “Why are we worse?!” and in 1119, 9 soldiers of Christ announced the emergence of a new order - the “Poor Knights of Christ,” better known to us as the Order of the Templars.

They were really poor. This poverty was even reinforced by the charter, which directly prohibited a knight from having more than three pieces of pack, regardless of whether it was a horse or the symbol of the Order was the image of two knights sitting on one horse (they say they only have money for one mare). However, if the Knights of the Temple remained poor, the order itself did not remain poor for long.

The Order grew, transferred its activities to Europe, branches of the Order appeared in France, England, Spain, and Italy. As its numbers grew, so did its wealth. Each person who joined the ranks of the Templars donated part of their property to the organization, often quite significant. Kings, barons, and counts presented significant lands as gifts to the Order and bequeathed considerable valuables. All this was common practice for all orders that existed at that time. However, the Templars, unlike others, moved away from the practice of simple accumulation of wealth. They began to “make money” themselves.

Moneylenders

XI-XIII centuries, deep Middle Ages. And yet, trade is developing, the beginnings of future industry are appearing, but they cannot live without credit. The Christian tradition does not welcome usury, so this area was left to the non-Jews. It was a risky business, since not repaying a debt to a Jew was not considered a sin. Therefore, interest rates were prohibitively high - 40%! It is unknown what justifications the Templars found for themselves before God, but the Order began to actively give money in interest.

The Templars lent at the “divine” 10%. Initially, excess amounts were formalized as a voluntary donation or donation. Subsequently, the templars complained to the pope, and he allowed them to officially engage in usury.

All of Europe was covered with a network of comturias - branches of the Order where one could turn for help. By the beginning of the 14th century there were already more than 5,000 of them. All these “branches” were interconnected into a single network, which allowed the Templars to introduce an interesting innovation into the financial system of Europe - the check. Today, few people think about who invented it and when. So: the check was invented by the Templars.

Templar "check" and other "chips"

Every knight who decided to go to fight in Palestine needed money: to buy weapons, armor, a horse, and he had to feed himself on the road; he couldn’t carry enough food with him for the whole journey! The knight hoped to repay the debt through military trophies. (It was assumed that the infidel Muslims would be happy to reimburse the Christian knight for his expenses on the expedition.)

The loan was secured by property (usually ¾ of the value of the collateral), and the knight received in his hands... a piece of parchment. According to this document, the bearer in any commuria could cash out the amount indicated in it (in whole or in part) and receive it in any currency commonly used in the area. The “check” was “long-lasting” - if desired, the amount on it could be replenished. Lovely, how convenient! It is interesting that the Templars, who had no idea about fingerprinting, certified each “check” with a fingerprint of the owner.

The Templars built roads. Merchants, pilgrims, travelers - everyone will prefer to move along the paved route rather than wade through the thicket. At the crossroads of the roads, another komturium was set up, where travelers could rest, spend the night, have a snack, and buy feed for horses. Here you could even hire an armed escort to accompany you. Any entrepreneur will say that such a “point” on a busy highway (hotel, cafe, gas station, store, currency exchange office - all under one roof) is a super profitable business, and the Templars created a whole network of inns “Relax with the Templars” in Europe. And this is the XII-XIII century!

The Templars also came up with a safe deposit box. Anyone could deposit with them the valuables that were placed in the casket. And no one could open it in the absence and without the permission of the owner. Reliable as in a Swiss bank. Even kings trusted the Templars with their valuables. At the request of the owner, these valuables were transported to any point in Europe. Safety guarantee – 100%. An attack on the Templar, on the people of the church, is sacrilege, they are under the protection of the pope! Anyone who does this will be cursed and excommunicated from the church. However, they transported valuables under heavy security, relying not only on the intercession of the pope, but also on the force of arms.

The Templars were the largest real estate traders in Europe. The knight who returned from a campaign did not always bring with him enough funds to pay off his debt. And it happened that he did not return at all. In such cases, castles and lands became the property of the Order. Becoming owners of estates, the Templars traded lands and agricultural products.

In 1139, Pope Inoccent II, with his bull, removed the Order from the jurisdiction of secular authorities. The Templars no longer obeyed royal officials, or even the king himself! Above them there is only God and the Pope - God’s vicegerent on Earth. In practice, this meant that the Templars received the right of free movement throughout Europe (super Schengen!) and complete exemption from all taxes and duties. Every businessman's dream! Yes, in such conditions only the lazy will not get rich! But the Templars were not lazy.

Significant sums accumulated in their hands. Kings borrowed money from them. When Edward I of England came to power, the Templars presented him with two thousand promissory notes from his father. And Edward paid for everything. By the beginning of the 13th century, King Philip IV of France became one of the Order's largest debtors. Only, unlike the English king, Philip did not want to repay his debts.

Philip's police operationIV

He went down in history as the Iron King. From his country, he put together a single power, in which there is only one opinion - the opinion of the king. He crushed the internal opposition and replaced the obstinate Pope Boniface VIII with the “pocket” Clementius V. Philip looked at the Templar Order with lust and apprehension, realizing what a dangerous enemy this organization could become with its financial and military power (the Order remained a military organization, its elite consisted knights). And besides, I don’t want to give away money!!! And a plan arose in Philip’s head on how to solve all the problems with one blow.

On September 22, the Royal Council decided to arrest all Templars in France. Messengers galloped to all corners of France. Royal officials, local inquisitors, and commanders of military detachments received double envelopes on which it was indicated: to open on the morning of October 13, Friday.

Friday the 13th

On the appointed day, the envelopes are opened. They contain a royal order to arrest all the Templars that the hand of a royal official can reach. A hair-raising reason was given: it turns out that the Templars have secret rituals, practice the sin of Sodomy, when being initiated into the Order, the candidate must spit on the image of Christ, and other horrors. And then they bring in the next arrested person, and he breaks free and shouts: “This is a mistake! I am not to blame for anything! The king's order?! This can't be true! A year ago, during a riot of the mob, the Templars hid the king, he owes his life to the Order!” But as we have already said, Philip did not think that he owed anyone anything.

About 1,000 people were arrested. They immediately begin to torture them. Just yesterday these people were members of the most powerful Order, even the king could not order them, they serve only God and the Pope, and today they break their hands, burn them with fire: “Admit it, did you worship Satan?”

Grand Master Jacques de Molay himself was arrested. Less than a year had passed before he arrived in Paris at the invitation of the king. There was a solemn meeting, Philip asked de Molay to become the godfather of one of his children. Yesterday (yesterday, October 12!) the Grand Master attended the funeral of Princess Catherine, a relative of the king, he stood next to Philip! And Philip IV smiled at him, showed his respect and affection!!!

And dad! Why is Clement V silent?! And on November 22, the “pocket pope” issues a bull in which he orders all Christian monarchs to arrest the Templars and confiscate the lands and property belonging to the Order. The persecution of members of the Order begins in England, Germany, Italy, Spain and Cyprus.

Two weeks after his arrest, Jacques de Molay begins to confess. Most Templars repent of their sins and admit everything: yes, Satan flew to the meetings of the Order, with hooves and horns, yes, they spat on the crucifix, yes, they kissed each other in the most obscene places, there was sodomy and bestiality... what else is needed admit? The executioners are zealous, the legists are recording. It is necessary to prove that the Order served Satan, then the Templar treasures can be legally confiscated.

The Templars tried to organize a defense. The inspirations were Pierre de Bologna and Ren de Provins. Both were from humble origins (“de” in the 14th century meant “from”). Most likely, Pierre was not just from Bologna, but also graduated from the University of Bologna, where Roman law had been taught since the 11th century. Both lawyers ended sadly: Ren de Provins was sentenced to life imprisonment, Pierre de Bologna mysteriously disappeared.

The end of the Templar Order

And in France at this time the “processing of the population” is underway. Philip is afraid of a riot. The Order's charter ordered the Templars to distribute bread to the hungry three times a week. In lean years (and in Europe there were more of them than fruitful ones), the templars distributed seeds to the peasants for planting. The Order was the largest charitable organization of the Middle Ages. The Templars fed thousands and tens of thousands of people in Europe. They literally saved many from starvation.

Therefore, Philip organizes and conducts a large-scale campaign to discredit the Order. In Paris and major cities they gather representatives of the clergy and carry out “explanatory work”, inform about the “candid confessions” of the Templars. (And the clergy must convey this to their flock.) Separately, they gather eminent citizens and also explain to them who the templars really were. Specialists in conducting black PR campaigns should consider the French King Philip IV as their ancestor.

In 1310 the first executions took place. Moreover, they burned not those who signed confessions, but those who persisted: “There was nothing like that!” In 1312, Clement V convened the Council of Vienna, at which the fate of the Order was to be decided. The Pope proposed to recognize the order as heretical and dissolve it on this basis. Representatives of other orders opposed it (yeah, today it’s them, and tomorrow it’s us?). We came to a compromise: the order itself is good, but its members have stumbled. Those who repented were scattered among other orders or sent to distant monasteries to atone for their sins (depending on the severity of their sins). The property of the Templars should be transferred to the Order of the Hospitallers with the issuance of monetary compensation to the King of France for it. The highest hierarchs of the Order are subject to life imprisonment.

The Grandmaster's Curse

In 1314, the process, which lasted 7 years, was completed. Having heard the verdict, the Grand Master immediately renounced his testimony and declared the Order’s innocence. This is a relapse into heresy and the fire automatically. On March 18, Jacques de Molay was burned. By order of Philip IV, the master was fried over low heat, so that he had enough time to say everything he thought about the king, and he did so.

From the fire, the Grand Master cursed the king, the pope and the royal keeper of the seal Guillaume de Nogaret (the organizer of the process), appointing them (not even a year later!) to meet in heaven. As for Nogaret, he died back in 1313, so don’t believe the novels. But Clement V and Philip IV really died very quickly, the pope a month later, the king seven months later.

As for the countless treasures, the king of France was in for a huge disappointment. Only 400,000 livres were found in the Templar chests. The amount is significant (combined with written off debts), but Philip expected to find millions. They are still looking for the treasures of the Templars to this day, perhaps someday they will be found, but perhaps not: some historians believe that the untold wealth of the Templars is a legend, and nothing more. The king received thousands of promissory notes, which lost their value with the dissolution of the order. The real treasure of the Order was that magnificent financial system created in the Middle Ages, which Philip IV so foolishly destroyed.

• 3812 views

THE BIRTH OF THE ORDER OF THE TEMPLE

The crusades undertaken in Syria and Palestine to liberate the Holy Sepulcher for 200 years attracted hordes of brave people of all classes to the East, driven by a sincere religious feeling, thirsting for achievement and glory, or seeking adventure and profit. (See section "Crusades") When in 1099 the Crusaders managed to take Jerusalem and establish a Christian state in the Holy Land, the influx of pilgrims to the Holy Sepulcher increased significantly. The spiritual-knightly Orders, which arose to fight the Muslims, took care of the needs of pilgrims and protected them on the way from the seashore to the holy places. The most powerful of these Orders was the famous Order of the Knights Templar or Templars.

According to Guillaume of Tyre, the order was founded in 1118. Hugh de Payns and Godefroy de Saint-Omer came to the court of King Baldwin II of Jerusalem and asked permission to guard the pilgrims on the way from Jaffa to Jerusalem. Initially, the order was just a company of 9 knights. Here are their names: Hugh de Payne, Godefroy de Saint-Omer, Andre de Montbard, Gundomar, Roland, Geoffroy Bizot, Payne de Montdidier, Archambault de Saint-Amand. The knights promised to live always like ordinary monks, without property, according to vows of chastity and obedience. They called themselves “the poor brotherly army of Jesus Christ” and at first did not wear any special clothing, but continued to dress in accordance with their profession. In order to provide them with the means necessary for their existence, the patriarch and the king allocated them funds from their treasury. Baldwin II gave them a castle in Jerusalem, near the place where, according to legend, the Temple of Solomon was located, on the southern slope of the Temple Mount. Therefore, they soon began to be called the poor knighthood of Christ and the Temple of Solomon, the knights of the Temple of Solomon, the knights of the Temple, or simply the templars.

It is possible that initially Hugh de Payns and his associates simply wanted to create another monastery or a knightly brotherhood similar to the Order of the Johannites, that is, the Hospitallers, who were involved in organizing and protecting hospices. The Order of the Hospitallers, founded by Amalfi merchants, cared for pilgrims even before the 1st Crusade. The medieval chronicler Michael the Syrian, for example, believed that it was King Baldwin, who perfectly understood the fragility of his power in Jerusalem, who insisted that Hugh de Payns and his comrades remain in the rank of knights and not become monks, so that they could “not only engage in salvation of souls, but also to protect these places from robbers.”
The decision to remain in arms may have been dictated by the growing instability of life in the overseas territories and the constant threat to the lives of the Latins. On Easter week 1119, a group of 700 unarmed pilgrims heading from Jerusalem to the Jordan River was attacked by armed Saracens: they killed 300 on the spot and sold 60 into slavery. The Turks carried out their predatory raids at the very walls of Jerusalem, so it became deadly dangerous to leave the city even for a short time without reliable protection.

In 1127, King Baldwin II sent Hugh de Payns and William of Bourg on a diplomatic mission to Western Europe. They were tasked with persuading Fulk of Anjou to marry Melisende, Baldwin's daughter, become the legitimate heir to the throne of Jerusalem and lead the planned armed campaign against Damascus. In addition, Hugo was going, with the permission of the pope, to recruit candidates to join his order of the Knights of the Temple. It is difficult to say what exactly the number of the Order of the Templars was at that moment - chroniclers talk about nine Knights Templar. However, the fact that it was the master who was chosen by King Baldwin for such an important mission - and he took a retinue of several armed knights - suggests that by the standards of the overseas Latin territories, the order was already quite strong by that time.
After the crusaders took control of the important fortress of Tire on the coast, the Latins were already seriously thinking about attacking the deep Muslim rear. In 1124, Baldwin besieged the city of Aleppo; in 1125 he defeated the Saracen army in the battle of Aizazeo and carried out several raids on lands subject to the emir of Damascus. At the very beginning of 1126, he penetrated even deeper into the Damascus territories with large forces, carrying out several successful operations and capturing abundant booty. It seemed that the capture of Damascus itself was not far off: one more effort - and this richest city would fall, providing the knights with rich trophies. And at the same time, the constant danger of a Muslim invasion will be eliminated and another Frankish state will emerge in the Middle East.
Since the king of Jerusalem had no son-heir, but only three daughters, to maintain stability it was vital for Baldwin to marry his eldest daughter Melisende to some high-ranking nobleman.

The king's envoys had a letter of recommendation to Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux, who was an admirer of the Templars. On January 31, 1128, Hugh de Payns appeared before the council of the city of Troyes, which included the archbishops of Reims and Sens, ten bishops and several abbots, among whom was Bernard of Clevros. The council was presided over by Cardinal Albano, the papal legate. The Council granted the Templars the right to wear white cloaks, own and rule lands and vassals (despite the vow of poverty) and receive tithes as alms.

Having thus founded the Order of the Temple, Hugh de Payns and his knights set out, each separately, in search of comrades-in-arms and donations. April and May 1128 Hugo spent time in Tours and Le Mans at the court of Fulk V, Count of Anjou, where he, on behalf of the King of Jerusalem, Baldwin II, negotiated his wedding with the daughter of the King of Jerusalem, Melisande. Hugo then went to Normandy, where he was received by Henry of England. After Normandy there were England and Scotland, then Flanders. William of Flanders granted the Templars the so-called "Flanders relief" - a payment levied on each heir who took possession of his fief, and this gift from the sovereign received the approval of the Flemish and Norman barons. Another brother of the Order of the Temple, Geoffroy Bizot, settled in Languedoc, where he received gifts.
In Germany, Emperor Lothair donated to the order part of his ancestral domain in the county of Supilinburg. July 4, 1130 brother Hugo Rigo, a knight of the Order of the Temple, in Barcelona receives gifts from the Count of Barcelona and Provence, Raymond Berengary III, who takes the vow of a Templar, swearing from now on to live in obedience and without property that would constitute his property, at the same time he cedes to the order his castle of Granien in Saracen mark with the consent of his son and the barons. Another Spanish lord, Count Ermengarde VI of Urgell (1102-1154), swore, by placing his hands in those of Robert Seneschal and Hugo Rigaud, to hand over his castle of Barbara to the Templars. Around the same time, the knights received the first fortress in Castile under their responsibility. King Don Alfonso of Castile besieged Calatrava, the fortress of the Kingdom of Toledo, from where the Moors went to plunder the possessions of the surrounding Christians. When the fortress was captured, the king handed it over to the Archbishop of Toledo with the right to exercise full power there, provided, however, that he accepted responsibility for its protection. The prelate, considering himself unable to defend the city, entrusted its protection to the Templars, who began to enjoy the rights of archbishop there. Somewhat earlier, between 1126 and 1130, Alphonse I of Aragon and Count Gaston of Béarn, inspired by the example of the Knights of the Order of the Temple, founded an order of a similar kind, to which the king granted the city of Montreal and half of the royal revenues of six cities between Daroca and Valencia. But the prestige of the Templars was much higher, and the Montreal Order soon merged with the Order of the Temple.
On March 19, 1128, two months after the Council of Troyes, Teresa, Countess of Portugal, gave the Templars the possession of Sur on Mondego, along with the castle that blocked the southern route from her county. A few years later, Alphonse of Portugal ratified his mother's gift (March 4, 1129) and granted the order the vast forest of Sera, still in the hands of the Saracens. After fierce battles, the knights, freeing a piece of land, founded the cities of Coimbra, Rodin and Ego. The churches of these cities were subordinated directly to the Pope, without the right of intervention of any bishop.
In Italy, the affairs of the order were not so successful due to the fragmentation of the country, and the Templars settled mainly in ports such as Barletta, Bari, Brindisi, Messina and others, maintaining trade relations with the Holy Land. In total, about 600 donations were made to Hugo de Payns alone. Half of them were properties in Provence and Languedoc, about 1/3 in northeastern France and Flanders, and the rest in other areas of France, Spain, Portugal, and England. They gave not only land, but also markets, fairs, income from land and various farms, even serfs and their families. Not surprisingly, the order's coffers were soon filled, and it was able to expand its operations in Palestine to full strength. The importance of the order also increased when it was able to provide numerous knightly units at the service of the secular rulers of Palestine. De Payns returned to Palestine in 1130. with a magnificent retinue of knights and accompanied by Fulk, Count of Anjou. All lands belonging to that time in Europe were left under the protection of the new knights of the order.

Upon joining the order, knights simultaneously became monks, i.e. took monastic vows of obedience (submission), poverty and celibacy. The Templar Charter was developed by Bernard of Clevros himself and approved at the Church Council in the French city of Troyes by Pope Eugene III in 1128. The basis of the Charter of the Templars was the charter of the monastic order of the Cistercians (not a military monastic order, but simply a Catholic monastic order), the most strict and rigid charter. The knight, entering the Order of the Templars, renounced not only all worldly life, but also his relatives. His food was to be only bread and water. Meat, milk, vegetables, fruits, and wine were forbidden. The clothes are only the simplest. If, after the death of a knight-monk, gold or silver items or money were found in his belongings, then he lost the right to be buried in consecrated ground (cemetery), and if this was discovered after the funeral, then the body had to be removed from the grave and thrown to the dogs. .

Members of the Templar Order were divided into three classes: knights, priests, sergeants (ministers, pages, squires, servants, soldiers, guards, etc.). Unlike, say, the Teutonic Order, the monastic vows of the Templars were accepted by all classes and all the strictures of the Charter applied to all members of the order.
The distinctive insignia of the Knights Templar were a white cloak for knights and a brown one for sergeants with a scarlet eight-pointed cross (also known as the “Maltese cross”), the battle cry: “Beaucean,” and a black and white flag (standard). The coat of arms of the order was the image of two knights riding on one horse (a symbol of the poverty of the Templars). According to some sources, the sergeants’ image of the cross was incomplete and it looked like the letter “T”. You should not assume that the white cloak with a red cross was something like the Templar uniform and they all dressed the same, like modern officers or soldiers. The cut, style, size and location of the cross - all this was determined by the knight himself. It was quite enough to have a white cloak and a red eight-pointed cross on the clothes. In general, it was customary for the crusaders (not only the Templars) to wear a cross on their chest when going on a crusade, and on their back when returning from a campaign.
Only French (later English) of noble birth could become knights of the order. Only they could occupy senior leadership positions. However, this was not strictly observed regarding nationality. Among the knights there are also Italians, Spaniards, and Flemings. Sergeants of the order could be both rich townspeople (who held the positions of squires, accountants, managers, storekeepers, pages, etc.) and ordinary people (guards, soldiers, servants). Priests of the Catholic Church could become priests of the order, however, upon joining the order, such a priest became a member of the order and was subordinate only to the master of the order and its highest dignitaries. The bishops of the Catholic Church and even the pope himself were losing power over them. Priests performed spiritual duties in the order, although the knights of the Order were endowed with the rights of confessors. Any member of the order could perform his religious duties only before the order’s priests (confession, communion, etc.).
The knights were called “chevalier brothers”, the ministers were called “sergeant brothers”. Women were not allowed to join the order (to avoid temptations). Chastity, that is, celibacy, was one of the primary requirements for knights:

“Abstinence is peace of mind and health of the body. Those of the brothers who do not take the vow of abstinence will not find eternal peace and will not be honored to see the Most High, for the apostle cried: “Bring peace to everyone and keep purity,” and without this no one will be able to see our Lord.”

Married knights were accepted into the order, but they could not wear white robes. After the death of married Templars, their property went to the order, and the widow was paid a pension. She had to leave her husband’s estate itself so as not to catch the eye of the templars and, again, not to tempt them. Initially, priests were not accepted into the order, but gradually there were quite a lot of them, they formed a special category of members (for the priest still could not shed blood).
Following the charter and, probably, in order to avoid other forms of sexual vice in the bedrooms where the knights spent the night, lamps had to be lit until the morning, and the Templars were supposed to sleep in a shirt, pants, shoes and a belt. Perhaps this was done so that they could quickly engage in battle in the event of a surprise attack. The person in charge of uniforms should not “distribute garments that are too long or too short, but must select appropriate garments for those who will use them, in accordance with the size of each.” All knights had to have their hair cut short, but they were not allowed to shave, so all the templars were bearded. In appearance no fashionable attributes were allowed - it was prescribed by a general decree that "no resident brother should ever have fur clothing or blankets made from sheep or ram fur" and "should not wear pointed shoes or laces... for all these abominations belong only to the pagans."
Like monks, knights had to eat in the refectory and in silence. And since, “as is known, eating meat is a way of corrupting the flesh,” meat was allowed only three times a week: its complete prohibition could undermine physical strength warriors On Sundays, knights and priests were allowed two meat dishes, while squires and sergeants were allowed only one. On Monday, Wednesday and Saturday the brothers received two or three vegetable dishes with bread. Fasts were held on Fridays, and for about six months - from All Saints' Day (in November) to Easter - food was sharply limited. Only the wounded and sick were released from the post. A tenth of the Templars' food and everything that was left after the meal was given to the poor.

Such a harsh Charter was dictated by the fears of Bernard of Clairvaux and other church fathers that without strict monastic restrictions, the Knights Templar could again reincarnate as sinful laymen. The Order received the right to use land, houses and people, pledging to “rule them with justice.” The Templars were also allowed to collect tithes granted by secular or ecclesiastical authorities. Hunting, including falconry, was prohibited. An exception was made only for hunting lions, which, like Satan, “walk in circles, looking for someone to devour.” The ban was imposed not only on pointed shoes and laces, but also on gold and silver decorations on weapons and horse harness, and a traveling food bag was ordered to be made only of flax or wool.
The brothers should have refrained from frivolous remarks in their conversations - “speak simply, without laughter and humbly, a few, but reasonable words and not shout,” for “in verbosity there is always a vice.” It was forbidden to boast about one's past exploits. The poor soldiers of Christ were instructed to “avoid rivalry, envy, ill will, grumbling, gossip, slander and to flee them like some kind of plague,” and as a preventive measure against envy, it was forbidden to “ask for a horse or weapon that belonged to another brother,” and “only the master is allowed to give horses or weapons to anyone and, in general, to anyone, any thing.”
It was obvious that the knights would inevitably have to come into contact with the laity, but they were forbidden “without the permission of the master ... to go into the villages, except to pray at night at the Holy Sepulcher and at other places of prayer that are located within the city of Jerusalem.” But even in these cases, the brothers were ordered to walk in pairs; and, if it were necessary to stop at an inn, “none of the brothers, either squires or sergeants, can enter the other’s chambers to see or talk with him without prior permission.”
Like the monastery abbot, the master had unlimited power. The master, if desired, could consult with the wisest and most experienced of the brothers, and in serious matters gather a general council in order to listen to the opinion of the entire meeting and “do what is best and more useful, in the opinion of the master.” The master and the order's assembly - the so-called "general chapter" - had the right to punish brothers who violated their vow.

Among the seventy-three articles of this order's charter, approved at the Council of Troyes, about thirty are based on the rules developed at one time by Benedict of Nursia. Bernard and other church leaders sought to turn knights into monks rather than make knights out of monks. Of course, in this charter there are also some military provisions - in particular, those determining the number of horses that a knight can dispose of; there is even a paragraph on the permission - due to the hot climate of overseas lands - to replace woolen shirts with canvas ones in the summer. However, the entire document is clearly aimed at “saving the souls of knights”, and not at organizing an effective security service. The Catholic hierarchy did not seem to have foreseen that the introduction of strict monastic discipline among professional soldiers - and for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire - would lead to the emergence of a highly organized and disciplined heavy cavalry, noticeably superior in power to military units based on a very unstable personal loyalty to the lord or recruited from mercenaries.

The popes issued several bulls granting the order some privileges. The bull of March 29, 1139 granted them autonomy from local secular and ecclesiastical judicial authorities and allowed them to turn trophies into the property of the order. The bull of January 9, 1144 gave indulgence to those donating to the order. The bull of April 7, 1145 allowed the Templars to build special, order churches and establish cemeteries within their walls for members of the order.

Now on Channel One they are showing the series “The Secrets of St. Patrick.” The action revolves around the treasures of the Order of the Temple. We tried to find out what actually happened to the relics of the templars - the Holy Grail, the Ark of the Covenant and other untold riches.

The story itself presented descendants with a fascinating plot in which mysticism and unsolved secrets are mixed. The Templars - the knights of the Order of the Temple in Jerusalem - are its main heroes.

Even the uninitiated heard that the order was fabulously rich. In addition, he kept the Holy Grail and the Ark of the Covenant - relics known from the Bible, which are credited with fantastic properties. But all this disappeared somewhere after the defeat of the order by the authorities.

Damn kings

Frank mysticism accompanies the burning at the stake of Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Order. As if, when the logs had already flared up, he said loudly: “Pope Clement the Fifth! In forty days you will come to me... King Philip IV of France! Not even a year will pass before you join us...”

The gloomy prophecy came true with incredible accuracy. And even beyond measure. Both of the damned died within the specified time frame. The Pope suffered from lupus, the King of France fell from his horse. Next, Enguerrand de Marigny, the “lawyer” who prepared the trial of the Templars, was hanged. Guillaume de Nogaret, who led the “investigation,” died in agony from an unknown illness. The grandchildren of Philip IV lost their throne. Conspiracies and murders continued to haunt the French monarchy. Maurice Druon described the misadventures of the Valois, Artois and the Bourbons in his famous series “The Damned Kings”.

Money bye bye

The Order of the Templars (French templiers, from temple - temple) is a military monastic order. It was created by nine French knights in 1118 - 1119 to guard Christian pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem, captured by the crusaders. There was a residence of the Templars on the site of the ancient temple of King Solomon. The main “base” was located in Paris, at the Temple Temple.

The knights fought with infidels in Palestine, patrolled the roads and were always looking for something in Jerusalem, rummaging through local basements and conducting excavations. The Order grew stronger and richer. Owned ports and roads. Numerous properties were donated to him. And they paid, as they would say now, for the “roof.”

Over time, the accumulated working capital made it possible to organize the banking system. Thanks to her, merchants, having deposited money in one branch of the order, received it in any other using borrowed letters - promissory notes, in essence. This is another mystery of the Templars. Who advised them to introduce a system of mutual settlements, which appeared in the rest of Europe only several centuries later?

By 1305, the order had gained more power than the royal one. Not to mention the treasures. Philip IV the Fair himself owed him. Well, I couldn’t stand it. Organized a trial with the participation of the Pope and the Holy Inquisition. He accused the Templars of embezzlement, tax evasion, sodomy and heresy. This was followed by the destruction of branches of the order throughout the country, arrests, torture, and executions. The Grand Master was burned in 1314. In total, more than 2 thousand knights and squires were sent to the fires.

But here’s the problem: when the bailiffs of that time came to confiscate the property of the Templars, it was not found. All known storage facilities turned out to be empty. Naturally, the Grail and the Ark were not discovered either.

Columbus sailed under the sign of the order

And there were treasures. Were. This was evidenced by numerous eyewitnesses, including Philip the Fair. It’s not for nothing that the Templars were also called “men of silver.” And they later said that they discovered America before Columbus. We sailed there from the port of La Rochelle, not needed for anything else. And they mined the precious metal in Mexican mines. Surprisingly, Columbus sailed to America under the symbol of the Templars - a red eight-pointed cross on a white cloth.

According to another version, the Templars reached the mines of King Solomon, which were located in the dungeons under the residence of the order in Jerusalem. And they dug up a lot of interesting things there, including the Grail and the Ark.

But where did it all go? Taken out? Buried? They very well could. After all, the trial of the order lasted 7 years. There was enough time to figure it out and organize a cover-up operation. But where is the treasure or treasures now?

Hitler searched but did not find

The treasure is sought mainly in Europe. And in near Africa. Since it is assumed that the Templars would hardly have been able to evacuate the valuables further.

Some “hunters” are trying to decipher the inscriptions on the surviving castles and temples of the Templars and examine the drawings of these buildings. They believe that here - in the geometry itself - information leading to the treasure is encoded.

Others examine various suspicious places directly in France, Ethiopia, and Scotland. Even in Western Ukraine. Hitler, for example, was very interested. He even sent Goebbels along with archaeologists from the occult organization Ahnenerbe to Spain. No result.

The small island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea is considered a suspicious place. There is an unprecedented concentration of temples, built very quickly and in accordance with the geometric canons of the Templars.

In Scotland, in this sense, the recently discovered and previously hidden buildings of the ancient Rosslyn Castle are attractive. There is a hypothesis that at one time it was the local residence of the Templars. In the basements of the castle, by the way, there are the graves of knights - possible guardians of hidden treasures. The walls are covered with mysterious signs. There is also a strange column of unknown purpose. Archaeologists do not exclude the possibility that the Grail and the Ark were walled up in it. But to make sure of this, the column must be broken. To which the hand has not yet risen.

Stalin searched but did not find

According to rumors, Stalin was also looking for the treasures of the Templars. After the Ahnenerbe archive came to the USSR. And from the documents it allegedly followed that the Nazis were interested not only in Spain, but also in Latvia. An expedition was sent there in 1943 - 1944. Its last members were evacuated by submarine in 1945.

And Stalin sent an expedition in 1947 to explore local castles. What exactly was found or learned is still a big secret - the work was carried out under the supervision of the special services. But again, according to rumors, some information was leaked. A message appeared on the website kompromat.lv that one of the largest Russian oligarchs was interested in documents obtained from secret archives. They say that for several years he has been financing treasure hunts in Kurzeme in Courland (now the territory of Latvia). But so far we have only been able to find a mysterious, huge boulder overgrown with moss with a Templar cross on it. There is a hypothesis that the cross indicates the direction to the treasure.

They could have hidden treasure in Russia

It is known from the chronicles that the Slavs took part in the Crusades. And many of our princes were familiar with high-ranking Templars. Old Russian pilgrims also visited the Jerusalem residence of the knights. So the assumption that the order took its property to the eastern lands does not look completely fantastic.

One of the versions is associated with an unprecedented construction boom in Moscow from 1307 to 1340. Then a small, seedy estate blossomed in an amazing way and turned into a Grand Duchy. For what money? Didn't the Templars plant it? They could, some historians believe. And they refer to the Novgorod chronicles. Allegedly, they contain references to the arrival in Novgorod in 1307 of 18 overseas rowing ships with “a myriad of gold treasury and precious stones.” As if Prince Yuri Danilovich of Moscow received them and heard from the messengers “all the lies of the prince of the Gauls and the pope.” You have to understand that Philip the Fair and Clement V condemned the knights.

The Templars’ trust is explained as follows: Andrei Bogolyubsky, the son of Yuri Dolgoruky, the founder of Moscow, earned it. Like, he took part in the Second Crusade. And he was almost a Templar himself.

Andrei Yuryevich developed the city of Vladimir and introduced the cult of the Mother of God, especially revered by the Knights of the Temple. And he built the Assumption Cathedral, to decorate which the Templars sent the best stone carvers. Who knows, perhaps the knights subsequently loaded the saved treasures into the secret dungeons of this cathedral. But no one thinks to look for them there. But in vain...

AND AT THIS TIME

The knights were gay, but not heretics

Descendants of the Templars demand rehabilitation from the current Pope. Refers to one discovered in the Vatican secret document- “The Chinon List”, which testifies: 700 years ago, a false accusation was made against the knights. And Clement V knew about this. Just like Philip the Fair.

The document accidentally caught the eye of Barbara Frail, a specialist in secret archives. Dr. Freil claims that Pope Clement V found the Templars guilty of homosexuality. But not in heresy. According to her, the initiation procedure practiced by the knights, during which they spat on the crucifix, really existed. But it was aimed at preparing the Templars for such sacrilege if they were captured by the Saracens. And the court recognized this.

The real reasons for the massacre were political, according to the descendants of the Templars (as they consider themselves). And they demand an apology from the Vatican.

The Templar Order was founded in 1118, after the unsuccessful First Crusade. The name of the order comes from the word “temple” (in Latin “templum”). By temple we mean the Temple of King Solomon, on the ruins of which in Jerusalem the headquarters of the knights of this order was originally located. The Crusaders, who fought incessant battles in the Holy Land, were in dire need of replenishing their constantly thinning ranks, and the special activity of the Templars in this great company quickly brought them to the forefront, giving them both rich trophies and political influence.

But along with the wealth and power of the order, the arrogance of the knightly elite grew. The Grand Master (Master) of the order, de Rydford, made a number of rash steps, and in 1187 Christian Jerusalem fell. The newcomers from Europe were able to retain in their hands only a narrow coastal strip, on which the Templars owned the best lands and the main fortresses.
European monarchs, meanwhile, waged internecine wars and eventually stopped sending soldiers and money to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims.

To the rest of the Templars

The symbol of the cross is present in many religions of the world and is a basic element of faith. Orthodoxy also places him as a central figure and gives him many meanings and functions: protection and salvation from all evil.

In its original meaning, the Templar cross signifies peace in its unity. Four equal rays speak about how the world works: the sun, earth, water and air are united in their totality and personify all life in our world. The Templar cross received its first name based on a similar interpretation of the amulet: the circle of the sun.

After 1206

In 1206, the Egyptian Sultan managed to first push back the crusaders who had settled on the coast, and soon, together with the knightly orders, throw them into the sea. The Holy Land was finally lost to Christians, and the Templars moved their camp to the island of Cyprus, dreaming of eventually restoring their former glory and power.
While the Templars were gathering strength for a new campaign against the Muslims, King Philip IV of France conceived his own “crusade” against the Templars. The fact is that he owed this knightly order a large sum of money - the order had significant funds, carrying out profitable banking transactions. Now Philip IV wanted to be freed from this inconvenience. He needed the money that he owed the Templars for the war with the English king Edward I.
The French king was helped by England's twenty-year litigation with Catholic Church, which significantly undermined the strength of both warring sides. And then Philip IV was dealt two trump cards at once: his sworn enemy Edward I died, and his weak and indecisive son Edward II ascended the English throne. In addition, Philip managed to elevate his own man, Clement V, to the throne of St. Peter.

Soon news came to Cyprus about the new pope’s intention to organize Crusade, and the Templars saw in this a harbinger of their imminent return to their former glory. When the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, the elderly Jacques de Molay, was invited to France, he arrived there with ready-made plan liberation of Jerusalem. Paris greeted him with great honors, which lasted until the fateful day of October 13, 1307. At dawn, by order of Philip, all the Templars were arrested and chained. Torture began immediately, demanding that he confess to heresy.
When the papal order to arrest the Templars came to London, young Edward II did not take any repressive action. Moreover, he expressed doubts to the pontiff about the guilt of the Templars. Only after the release of the official bull of the Pope was the English king forced to take some steps. Only in January 1308 did he issue an order to arrest the Knights of the Templar Order who were in England. But they received a warning three months ago and were able to prepare properly: many Templars went underground, and those who were finally arrested found a way to escape from prison. The Templars safely hid their treasures, jewelry, shrines and most important documents. In Scotland the papal order was not even made public. Thus, England and especially Scotland became a secret refuge for the Templars of continental Europe, and its complete reliability is evidenced by the fact that the Templars helped each other and enjoyed outside support.
The throne of the English king passed from Edward II to Edward III, and he bequeathed the crown to his ten-year-old grandson, who, becoming Richard II, watched from his Tower as the rebel peasants of Wat Tyler raged in London.

Meanwhile, the English people were forced to experience many different hardships. Incessant wars emptied the royal treasury, and the court camarilla stole its remains. The plague epidemic claimed a third of the country's population, and the years of terrible famine brought their harvest of dead. The king still needed money for the war with France, and he introduced new and ingenious taxes. The common people were under the yoke of numerous masters of life. A destructive cauldron of popular anger began to boil.
The Church was not able to correct the situation. Landowners in cassocks were as ruthless towards their serfs as their colleagues from the noble nobility. And among the Templars who had gone underground, religious turmoil reigned. The organization of knights-monks had previously not submitted to anyone in the world except the Holy Father, as the Pope was called. When the pope, Christ's vicar on earth, took up arms against them, it seemed that the connection with the Lord himself was severed. The Templars needed to find a new way to communicate with God. And in those days, any deviation from the teachings of the Church was branded as a godless heresy.

Templar company

Military-religious organization of knights in the Middle Ages

High state award, her badge

The spiritual knightly community turned into a reward

Insignia for military or civil merit

Monastic Catholic. organization with its own charter

Courage Award

Name of centralized Catholic monastic associations

Organization, community with a specific charter

Special insignia as a reward for outstanding services to the state

Story by A. Chekhov

Medieval spiritual-knightly organization

Big Brother Medal

Heroic Promotion

Silk wise guy

Monastic Union

Award accepted on the chest

JK Rowling's novel "Harry Potter and... the Phoenix"

Award named after St. Andrew the First-Called

An honorary award that Vasily Terkin is not chasing

An award that is better than a medal

Award insignia

It makes a man a gentleman

Award on plaque

Award on chest

. "Anna" on the neck

Veteran's Award

Promotion for the hero

. "Harry Potter and... Phoenix"

Named after Andrew the First-Called

. “society of monks” on the hero’s chest

Masonic...

Monastic company as a reward

Merit Badge

Community of monks and knights

Award and Knight Community

State Hero Award

What's more honorable than a medal?

It will be cooler than the medal

Makes a man a gentleman

State award

Secret community in the Middle Ages

Hero Reward

Jesuit community

Maltese...

Brezhnev's favorite jewelry

They, the combat ones, are awarded

Reward

Special Merit Award

Monastic or spiritual-knightly community with a specific charter

Insignia for military or civil merit

Badge of Distinction, Honorary Award for Special Merit

A community with a specific charter

Story by A. Chekhov

. "Harry Potter and... Phoenix"

. "Society of Monks" on the hero's chest

M. lat. the class of holders of one order badge, initially worn as a sign of brotherhood, and now granted by sovereigns for distinction and merit; This order and this sign itself, sometimes granting special rights. church road, place (order) on transportation. Monastic order, Catholic. charter, and the community that accepted it. Zodchesk rank, order or category of pillars (columns), according to their sizes and decorations: Doric, Ionic, Corinthian, Tuscan and mixed. Order holder Moscow selling orders, working them. Ordinary, established or approved; in this meaning only about the title: Oroinary professor, academician. Simple, everyday, ordinary. Ordinary cloth, tea. Ordinary water, kamch. where there is only one ebb and flow per day. Ordination w. installation, ordination of a Catholic clergyman. Ordanarets is a military man who is assigned to send orders and send orders to his superior. Ordoštsgaus m. Commandant's office. Warrant m. written order, prescription; currently used perhaps only about outfits or orders for the release of supplies to the watchmen. Morsk. formation, order, in which a fleet is built for a known purpose, for example. order of battle, battle formation. Ordinata mathematician one of the straight lines defining the location of a point on a plane or in space

Pillars, among the architects. transitional from Doric to Corinthian, taller and thinner, usually with spoons

What's more honorable than a medal?

JK Rowling's novel "Harry Potter and... the Phoenix"

. "Anna" on the neck

Dominican community