Knights Templar

The Knights Templar - Friday the 13th
This section of the Middle Ages details the emergence of the Religious knight, their achievements, accomplishments and their decline on Friday the 13th, in October 1307 when Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Knights Templar, and 60 of his senior knights were arrested in Paris. This day is remembered in history - it is the reason Friday 13th is deemed to be unlucky.

Discover facts and information about the Knights Templar history, timeline, banking system, their betrayal and their inquisition. Find out about the names of the leaders and the other orders of the religious Teutonic knight and the Hospitallers.

The Knights Templar
The order of the Knights Templar is synonymous with the crusades of the Middle Ages. The Templars were a military order that was originally called the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon.

The Knights Templar

   
  

Religious Knights
The crusades saw the emergence of religious military orders including the Knights Templar, the Teutonic knights and the Hospitallers. The members of the orders of Religious knights were both monks and knights; that is, to the monastic vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience they added a fourth vow, which bound them to protect pilgrims and fight the infidels.

Templar Knights
The Middle Ages saw the emergence of a military order named the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon. Their name was to become the Templar Knights, or the Templars. The role of the Knights Templar was to protect the pilgrims on their journey to Jeruasalem which had been captured by Christian fights during the Crusades. The pilgrims were subject to attacks from the Muslim-controlled lands that they had to cross during their journey.

Knights Templar History
The Knights Templar History started with the crusades of the Middle Ages, a war between Christians and Moslems centered around the city of Jerusalem. A French knight named Hugues de Payens established the order in about 1118 with a group of less than ten friends and family members. Hugues de Payens and his followers set up their headquarters on the sacred Temple Mount in Jerusalem and pledged to protect Christian visitors to the sacred Christian city. The Knights Templar military order grew and was supported by Baldwin II, the king of Jerusalem. The religious military order adopted a strict code of conduct and became trusted by pilgrims across Europe. The scope of the order increased as their role was extended to that of bankers. They not only protected the lives of the Christian pilgrims, but also developed a banking system to protect the money of the travellers. They were given permission to charge interest and this, together with the massive donations from many of their members, made the order extremely powerful and wealthy. Soon many of the European kings were in debt to the Templars banks. Their wealth and power led to their downfall when King Philip the Fair of France attacked and the order which led to the terrible events of Friday the 13th, in October 1307 and the death of the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay and the destruction of the order. The Medieval order was officially dissolved in 1312 by the Council of Vienne.

Knights Templar Banking
When a man joined the Knights Templar he took a strict oath of poverty and all of his wealth,possessions and lands were donated to the order. Donations of money and land were also given by great nobles and Kings. The Knights Templar order therefore became enormously wealthy and became involved in the Templars famous banking activities. 

Knights Templar Timeline
The Knights Templar timeline charts the key dates of the famous people, leaders and events surrounding the religious, military order.

Names of Knights Templar Leaders
The names of all of the Medieval leaders are detailed on this section together with the dates of their leadership as the Grand Masters of the order.

Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Knights were a military-religious order of knights that restricted membership to Germans. Teutonic Knights were members of the order of the Teutonic Knights of the Hospital of the Blessed Virgin.

Knights Hospitaller
The Hospitallers were the Knights of the Order of Saint John the Hospitaller who were also associated with Rhodes and Malta. The Hospitallers grew out of a brotherhood for the care of sick and wounded Christian pilgrims in a hospital at Jerusalem following the First Crusade in 1100 AD.

The Knights Templar
Each section of this Middle Ages website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great people and events in bygone Medieval times including the Templars. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Middle Ages!

Knights Templar

  • Middle Ages era, period, life, age and times
  • Life of a Religious Knight during the Crusades
  • Templars strict codes of conduct
  • Templars History and Timeline
  • The banking system for Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem
  • Names of the Leaders and Grand Masters
  • The orders of the Teutonic Knight and the Hospitallers

Knights Templar

Knight Templar Order - Information about the Templars - Templar Facts - Templar Info - Crusades - Jerusalem - Christians - Middle Ages era - Middle Ages Life - Middle Ages times - Templar Life - Templar History - Information - Templar Facts - Templar Info - Middle Ages Period  - Crusades - Jerusalem - Christians - Middle Ages Life - Middle Ages Times - Templar Life - History of Knights Templar - Information about Knights Templar - Templar Facts - Crusades - Jerusalem - Christians - Templar Info - Middle Ages era - Middle Ages Templar Life - Middle Ages Times - Life - Templars - Templar History - Templar Facts - Information about Templars - Templar Facts - Knights Templar Info - Middle Ages era - Middle Ages Life - Middle Ages Times - Life - Crusades - Jerusalem - Christians - History of Templar - Written By Linda Alchin