This is a characteristic Templar graffiti from Domme (department of Dordogne, France), shown in red to enhance the image of the cross:
Destructor Templi Clemens V. MCCCXII
Destroyer of the Temple, Clement V. 1312.
The year, given in the graffiti, is the date when the Order of the Knights Templar was officially dissolved by the decrees of Pope Clement V. The papal bulls acknowledged the absence of sufficient evidence to condemn the Knights Templar, so the Order was disbanded on the grounds that its reputation had been damaged irreparably. It has been established that even many cardinals of the Church were unhappy with this decision. The graffiti (there are similar ones found at Domme) shows a very distinct attitude towards Clemens V. But whose attitude is it?
During the trials of the Knights Templar, Domme was among the places where members of the Order were imprisoned. The style of the letters used in the inscription generally matches known examples from the 13-14th centuries. In my opinion, the phrase itself indicates that the inscription was made before the death of Clement V (which is corroborated by the date, 1312). It seems that after 1314 there would have been vengeful references to divine judgment against the Pope. Therefore, it is very likely that the inscription was actually made by a Templar in 1312.
The cross that accompanies the inscription is also quite interesting. It is definitely the splayed cross that we now associate with the Knights Templar, drawn within a square.
See also: Knights Templar cross
Geoffroi de Gonneville (born c. 1260) was the Knights Templar Preceptor of Aquitaine and Poitou at the time of the infamous arrests. He was imprisoned along with four other dignitaries of the Order, including the Grand Master, Jacques de Molay.
Ivy-Stevan Guiho makes a surprising statement about Geoffroi de Gonneville in his L’Ordre des Templiers: Petite encyclopédie: “De même que Jacques de Molay, il se rétracta au dernier moment et fut brûlé comme relaps” (Just as Jacques de Mollay, he recanted at the last moment and was burnt at the stake as a relapsed heretic). This is a very strange assertion, especially because elsewhere in the book Guiho identifies Geoffroi de Charney as the only other Templar who was burnt at the stake at the same time as Jacques de Molay.
Regardless of this confusion, Geoffroi de Gonneville was an interesting character. While most Templars simply admitted to various charges (under torture and fear of torture), de Gonneville attempted to offer different explanations for “irregularities” in the Knights Templar initiation procedures. He said that, according to rumors, a certain Grand Master who had been held captive by the Saracines had to incorporate a foreshadowing hint of similar treatment into the Order’s initiation ceremony, that being a condition for his release. De Gonneville’s second guess was that brother Roncelin (presumably, Roncelin de Fos) may have introduced corruption into the Order’s life. Or it may also have been Grand Master Thomas Berard who was responsible for incriminating practices. Finally, de Gonneville surmised that denials of Christ were committed in imitation or remembrance of St Peter, who thrice denied his Savior (hoc fit ad instar seu ad memoriam beati petri qui abnegavit Christum ter). In other words, the Templars were admitting crimes against religion without having a good idea of why and what they were doing. [click to continue…]
During the months immediately following the arrests of the Knights Templar by the agents of King Philip the Fair of France, the Holy See made continuous attempts to assert the Pope’s jurisdiction over the military order and assume an active role in the ongoing investigations. Clement V, of course, was much less concerned about the Templars than he was about demanding proper respect for his own authority. He also justly feared that the Order’s lands and financial resources were going to be appropriated by the crown. After prolonged dealings with the King and his investigators the Pope was finally able to have a large group of Templars delivered to Poitiers where he held his court. It has been suggested that these men were carefully chosen to present the Knights Templar in the least favorable light. They were mostly low ranking members of the Order and some of them likely held a grudge against the institution. The leaders of the Knights Templar who were also on their way to Poitiers were diverted to Chinon in an apparent attempt to invalidate papal inquiries. [click to continue…]
This list of 10 most well known knights in the history of the medieval Knights Templar includes heroes, saints, traitors and even one pirate. The order is largely chronological. If you want to read fascinating stories related to these (an many other) individuals, you definitely should check out Legends of the Knights Templar.
Hugues de Payens – the first Grand Master of the Knights Templar. Served from c.1119 to 1136. Hugues was related to the Counts of Champagne. His family and feudal ties assured that the Knights Templar gained support of upper nobility and influential clergymen such as Bernard de Clairvaux. After the incorporation of the Knights Templar, Hugues de Payns personally traveled to the West seeking support for the newly formed Order.
Godfroi de St Omer – considered one of the two principal founders of the Knights Templar, along with Hugues de Payens. Most likely descendant of the St Omer family in Picardy. [click to continue…]
