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97-502: It is located 30 km (19 mi) south of the town of Chinon and 25 km to the east of the town Thouars . The area south of Loudun is the place of origin of a significant portion of the Acadians , one of the early founding people of New France in Canada. Loudun, an ancient town, contains numerous old streets, buildings and monuments of which five are Government-listed monuments . It

194-613: A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. The historic town of Chinon is on the banks of the river Vienne about 10 kilometres (6 mi) from where it joins the Loire . Settlement in Chinon dates from prehistoric times, with a pronounced importance for both French and English history in the Middle Ages. At this period rivers were the main trade routes, and the Vienne joins both the fertile regions of

291-565: A Mongol general named " Mulay " who occupied Syria and Palestine for a few months in early 1300. The Mongol Mulay and the Templar Molay were entirely different people, but some historians regularly confused the two. The confusion was enhanced in 1805, when the French playwright and historian François Raynouard made claims that Jerusalem had been captured by the Mongols, with Molay in command of one of

388-552: A composure which won for them the reputation of martyrs among the people, who reverently collected their ashes as relics." (Note: the account varies by one day, not unusual for chronicles of the middle ages) In September 2001, Barbara Frale found a copy of the Chinon Parchment in the Vatican Secret Archives , a document which explicitly confirms that in 1308 Pope Clement V absolved Jacques de Molay and other leaders of

485-548: A cultural centre. During the Middle Ages, Chinon further developed, especially under Henry II (Henry Plantagenêt , Count of Anjou , and crowned King of England in 1154). The castle was rebuilt and extended, becoming his administrative center and a favourite residence. It was where court was frequently held during the Angevin Empire . On Henry's death at the castle in 1189, Chinon first passed to his eldest surviving son from his marriage with Eleanor of Aquitaine , Richard I

582-675: A few other dignitaries of the Order of the Temple were incarcerated there prior to trial and eventual execution. Chinon again played a significant role in the struggle for the throne between the French and the English during the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453) when the heir apparent, the future Charles VII of France sought refuge and installed his court there in 1425. The province remained faithful to him and he made lengthy stays with his court there. In 1429,

679-522: A joint force to a staging area on the island of Ruad , from which raids were launched on the mainland. The intent was to establish a Templar bridgehead to await assistance from Ghazan's Mongols, but the Mongols failed to appear in 1300. The same happened in 1301 and 1302, and the island was finally lost in the Siege of Ruad on 26 September 1302, eliminating the Crusaders' last foothold near the mainland. Following

776-582: A legendary figure. Little is known of his early years, but Jacques de Molay was probably born in Molay, Haute-Saône , in the County of Burgundy , at the time a territory ruled by Otto III as part of the Holy Roman Empire , and in modern times in the area of Franche-Comté , northeastern France. His birth year is not certain, but judging by statements made during the later trials, was probably around 1240–1250. He

873-482: A timber ceiling. Remains of richly painted decoration from the period subsist around the upper windows and in the northern arcade. It is now a Historical Monument, and since 2002 it has housed a small wooden frame theatre used for musical and theatrical events. The imposing façade, or west front, actually the second one built, dates from 1050 AD. It has a central portion, once richly decorated with carved stones depicting figuratives scenes that were largely mutilated during

970-555: A tour of the West to try to muster more support for a reconquest of the Holy Land. Developing relationships with European leaders such as Pope Boniface VIII , Edward I of England , James I of Aragon and Charles II of Naples , Molay's immediate goals were to strengthen the defence of Cyprus and rebuild the Templar forces. From his travels, he was able to secure authorization from some monarchs for

1067-702: A year to choose the next Pope, the Frenchman Clement V, who was also under strong pressure to bend to Philip's will. Clement moved the Papacy from Italy to Poitiers , France, where Philip continued to assert more dominance over the Papacy and the Templars. The Grand Master of the Hospitallers, Fulk de Villaret , was also delayed in his travel to France, as he was engaged with a battle at Rhodes . He did not arrive until late summer, so while waiting for his arrival, Molay met

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1164-599: A young man, he was received into the Order of the Templars in a chapel at the Beaune House, by Humbert de Pairaud , the Visitor of France and England. Another prominent Templar in attendance was Amaury de la Roche, Templar Master of the province of France. Around 1270, de Molay went to the East ( Outremer ), although little is recorded of his activities for the next twenty years. After

1261-454: Is also a participant in the Loire Valley cycling tourism circuit. Saint Mexme is the patron saint of Chinon, credited with having saved the town and its inhabitants in the 5th century from dying of thirst during a siege with a massive rain and thunder storm. This moment is depicted in one of the stained glass windows of the apse in the church of Saint Etienne in Chinon by the atelier Lobin in

1358-404: Is also quoted as 18 March 1314. Of Molay's death, Henry Charles Lea gives this account: "The cardinals dallied with their duty until 18 March 1314, when, on a scaffold in front of Notre Dame , Jacques de Molay, Templar Grand Master, Geoffroi de Charney , Master of Normandy, Hugues de Peraud , Visitor of France, and Godefroi de Gonneville , Master of Aquitaine, were brought forth from

1455-478: Is also the location of a vicus type archaeological site. Loudun is the birthplace of: Loudun is the place of death of: Chinon Chinon ( French pronunciation: [ʃinɔ̃] ) is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department , Centre-Val de Loire , France. The traditional province around Chinon, Touraine , became a favorite resort of French kings and their nobles beginning in

1552-457: Is described therein as depicting "the tragic climax in the career of Jacques DeMolay, the hero and martyr who is the exemplar of our Order." The stage instructions include that "[t]he foremost point to be remembered is to portray Jacques DeMolay as the hero and to select an interpretation for the DeMolay Degree which will enhance the lessons of fidelity and toleration." The drama concludes with

1649-621: Is known of his actual life and deeds except for his last years as Grand Master, he is one of the best known Templars. Jacques de Molay's goal as grand master was to reform the order, and adjust it to the situation in the Holy Land during the waning days of the Crusades . As European support for the Crusades diminished, the French monarchy sought to disband the order and claim the wealth of the Templars as its own. King Philip IV of France , deeply in debt to

1746-541: Is located in the heart of the Val de Loire , 47 km (29 miles) southwest of Tours and 305 km (189 miles) south west of Paris . It extends on both the banks of the Vienne , with the historic town mainly on the northern bank, at the foot of the medieval castle. Chinon's importance derives in great part from its geographical position, located on the Vienne just before it joins the Loire . From prehistoric times, rivers acted as

1843-478: Is the parish church of the eastern quarter, not far from the collegiate church of Saint Mexme. It was completely reconstructed in the Flamboyant Gothic style, with the exception of the lower portion of the bell tower, in the 15th century. It has a large single aisle covered by ribbed vaults. The apse contains stained glass windows depicting scenes of religious importance in Chinon and the surrounding regions:

1940-755: The Council of Vienne , the Order of the Knights Templar was abolished by papal decree. Molay was sentenced to death together with Geoffroi de Charney in 1314 as a direct result of cardinal legates' decisions and actions rather than being ordered by King Philip the Fair . He was burned at the stake on the Ile des Javiaux in the Seine. The most probable date of the execution was according to Alain Demurger and others 11 March 1314 although it

2037-694: The Fall of Acre to the Egyptian Mamluks in 1291, the Franks (a name used in the Levant for Catholic Europeans) who were able to do so retreated to the island of Cyprus . It became the headquarters of the dwindling Kingdom of Jerusalem , and the base of operations for any future military attempts by the Crusaders against the Egyptian Mamluks , who for their part were systematically conquering any last Crusader strongholds on

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2134-528: The Poitou and the city of Limoges , and is a tributary of the Loire, which acted as a traffic thoroughfare. The site was fortified early on, and by the 5th century a Gallo-Roman castrum had been established there. Towards the mid 5th century, a disciple of St Martin , St Mexme, established first a hermitage, and then a monastery to the east of the town. This religious foundation bearing his name flourished in

2231-518: The Temple of Solomon , had been the repository of secret wisdom and magical powers, which Jacques DeMolay had handed down to his successor before his execution and of which the eighteenth-century Freemasons were the direct heirs." The modern Masonic Knights Templar is an international philanthropic and chivalric order affiliated with Freemasonry, and begun in Ireland perhaps as long ago as 1780. Unlike

2328-547: The 17-year-old Joan of Arc came to Chinon to meet and to acknowledge him as the rightful heir to the throne. After interrogation to prove she had been sent on a mission from God and with the men and arms then accorded to her, she would go on to break the siege of Orléans in June and open the way for Charles to be crowned at Reims in July 1429. The meetings in Chinon with the future Charles VII of France and his acceptance of her constituted

2425-585: The 1861 edition of the French encyclopedia, the Nouvelle Biographie Universelle , it even lists Molay as a Mongol commander in its "Molay" article: Jacques de Molay was not inactive in this decision of the Great Khan. This is proven by the fact that Molay was in command of one of the wings of the Mongol army. With the troops under his control, he invaded Syria, participated in the first battle in which

2522-513: The 19th century. The hermitage, then monastery founded by Saint Mexme was destroyed in the 10th century, thus requiring reconstruction around the year 1000 A.D. It is at this date that it became a collegiate church . Its importance was confirmed not only by its architecture, but that it was subject directly to the Holy See in Rome. The collegiate church of Saint Mexme was the main religious edifice of

2619-456: The 1st millennium. In 2006, the window openings were embellished with stained glass, following the designs of the painter Olivier Debré . They provide an unbroken view of the surrounding landscape. Around the collegiate church are several former canonical residences, dating from the Ancien Régime. The Chapelle Sainte-Radegonde is half built into the rock face on the eastern outer limits of

2716-521: The Church". The sudden arrest of the Templars, the conflicting stories about confessions, and the dramatic deaths by burning, generated many stories and legends about both the Order, and its last Grand Master. In France in the 19th century, false stories circulated that Molay had captured Jerusalem in 1300. These rumors are probably related to the fact that the medieval historian the Templar of Tyre wrote about

2813-516: The Cross". He was also forced to write a letter asking every Templar to admit to these acts. Under pressure from Philip IV, Pope Clement V ordered the arrest of all the Templars throughout Christendom. The pope still wanted to hear Molay's side of the story, and dispatched two cardinals to Paris in December 1307. In front of the cardinals, Molay retracted his earlier confessions. A power struggle ensued between

2910-723: The Egyptian Mamluks or having to retreat because of a civil war within the Mongol Empire, such as having to defend from attacks from the Mongol Golden Horde to the north. In 1299, the Ilkhanate again attempted to conquer Syria, having some preliminary success against the Mamluks in the Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar in December 1299. In 1300, Molay and other forces from Cyprus put together a small fleet of sixteen ships which committed raids along

3007-626: The Egyptian and Syrian coasts. The force was commanded by King Henry II of Jerusalem , the king of Cyprus, accompanied by his brother, Amalric, Lord of Tyre , and the heads of the military orders, with the ambassador of the Mongol leader Ghazan also in attendance. The ships left Famagusta on 20 July 1300, and under the leadership of Admiral Baudouin de Picquigny, raided the coasts of Egypt and Syria: Rosetta , Alexandria , Acre , Tortosa and Maraclea , before returning to Cyprus. The Cypriots then prepared for an attack on Tortosa in late 1300, sending

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3104-571: The Lionheart . On Richard's death in 1199, it then passed to the youngest of their children, John Lackland . King John would lose the castle in a siege in 1205 to the French king Philip II Augustus , from which date it was included in the French royal estates as the royal duchy of Touraine . The castle in Chinon served as a prison for a time when Philip IV the Fair ordered the Knights Templar arrested in 1307. Jacques de Molay , Grand Master, and

3201-593: The Mongol divisions. " In 1299, the Grand-Master was with his knights at the recapture of Jerusalem. " This story of wishful thinking was so popular in France that in 1846 a large-scale painting was created by Claude Jacquand , titled Molay Prend Jerusalem, 1299 ("Molay Takes Jerusalem, 1299"), which depicts the supposed event. Today the painting hangs in the Hall of the Crusades in the French national museum of Versailles . In

3298-653: The Mongols did achieve a brief victory in Syria which caused a Muslim retreat, and allowed the Mongols to launch raids into the Levant as far as Gaza for a period of a few months. During that year, rumors flew through Europe that the Mongols had recaptured Jerusalem and were going to return the city to the Europeans. However, this was only an urban legend , as the only activities that the Mongols had even engaged in were some minor raids through Palestine , which may or may not have even passed through Jerusalem itself. Regardless of what

3395-456: The Mongols may or may not have done, there is no evidence that Molay was ever a Mongol commander, and he probably never set foot in Jerusalem. It has been claimed that Jacques de Molay cursed King Philip IV of France and his descendants from his execution pyre. However, the story of the shouted curse appears to be a combination of words by a different Templar, and those of Molay. An eyewitness to

3492-500: The Order including Geoffroi de Charney and Hugues de Pairaud. She published her findings in the Journal of Medieval History in 2004. Another Chinon parchment dated 20 August 1308 addressed to Philip IV of France , well known to historians, stated that absolution had been granted to all those Templars that had confessed to heresy "and restored them to the Sacraments and to the unity of

3589-495: The Pope to discuss other matters, one of which was the charges by one or more ousted Templars who had made accusations of impropriety in the Templars' initiation ceremony. Molay had already spoken with the king in Paris on 24 June 1307 about the accusations against his order and was partially reassured. Returning to Poitiers, Molay asked the Pope to set up an inquiry to quickly clear the Order of

3686-411: The Pope. For this, one of Clement's predecessors, Pope Boniface VIII , had attempted to have Philip excommunicated, but Philip then had Boniface abducted and charged with heresy. The elderly Boniface was rescued, but then died of shock shortly thereafter. His successor Pope Benedict XI did not last long, dying in less than a year, possibly poisoned via Philip's councillor Guillaume de Nogaret . It took

3783-480: The Revolution, flanked by two side towers partially rebuilt in the 15th century. Some decorative interlacing and plant motifs can still be seen. This second façade was most likely architecturally influential in the region at the time. It forms, with the first façade from the year 1000 AD conserved in the interior, a narthex with a large barrel-vault with semicircular arches; the walls present blind arcades. Visible in

3880-572: The Sultan was vanquished, pursued the routed Malik Nasir as far as the desert of Egypt: then, under the guidance of Kutluk , a Mongol general, he was able to take Jerusalem, among other cities, over the Muslims, and the Mongols entered to celebrate Easter. Modern historians, however, state that the truth of the matter is this: There are indeed numerous ancient records of Mongol raids and occupations of Jerusalem (from Western, Armenian, or Arab sources), and in 1300

3977-553: The Templars and the Hospitallers were officially asked to come to the Papal offices in Poitiers to discuss these matters, with the date of the meeting scheduled as All Saints Day (1 November) in 1306, though it later had to be postponed due to the Pope's illness with gastro-enteritis . Molay left Cyprus on 15 October 1306, arriving in France in late 1306 or early 1307; however, the meeting

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4074-514: The Templars of the central house of Paris were arrested. Philip then had the Templars charged with heresy and many other trumped-up charges, most of which were identical to the charges which had previously been leveled by Philip's agents against Pope Boniface VIII . During forced interrogation by royal agents at the University of Paris on 24, and 25 October, Molay confessed that the Templar initiation ritual included "denying Christ and trampling on

4171-407: The Templars should be merged with the other military orders, perhaps all placed under the authority of one king, and that individual should become the new King of Jerusalem when it was conquered. In 1305, the newly elected Pope Clement V asked the leaders of the military orders for their opinions concerning a new crusade and the merging of their orders. Molay was asked to write memoranda on each of

4268-510: The Templars, had Molay and many other French Templars arrested in 1307 and tortured into making false confessions. When Molay later retracted his confession, Philip had him burned upon a scaffold on an island in the River Seine in front of Notre-Dame de Paris in March, 1314. Both the sudden end of the centuries-old order of Templars and the dramatic execution of its last leader turned Molay into

4365-419: The accusations brought against his order. Any further opposition by the Templars was effectively broken when Philip used the previously forced confessions to sentence 54 Templars to be burnt at the stake between 10 May and 12 May 1310. The council which had been called by the Pope for 1310 was delayed for a further two years due to the length of the trials, but was finally convened in 1312. On 22 March 1312, at

4462-408: The architectural presence and importance of its castle and town; from the interior of the historic town itself; and from the rocky outcrop, either from the castle itself, or along the high narrow roads along it that lead past semi-troglodytic homes and caves to the chapel of Saint Radegonde, giving a panoramic view of the historic town and the valley that opens up on the other side of the river. Chinon

4559-549: The autumn of 1296, Molay was back in Cyprus to defend his Order against the interests of Henry II of Cyprus , which conflict had its roots back in the days of Guillaume de Beaujeu . From 1299 to 1303, Molay was engaged in planning and executing a new attack against the Mamluks. The plan was to coordinate actions between the Christian military orders, the King of Cyprus, the nobility of Cyprus,

4656-561: The banks of the Vienne River are the caves , or wine cellars, for Chinon's well-known Cabernet Franc -based red wines. The historic town of Chinon presents an interesting architectural ensemble, from the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Renaissance when the Loire Valley was the seat of the king's court. Topography has played a major role: the formerly fortified town was developed at

4753-487: The case of the Order of DeMolay's ritual, by Frank A. Marshall at founder Land's request in 1919. The first, and less dramatic, of the two degrees is called "the Initiatory Degree", wherein initiates are escorted around the meeting room and instructed in the precepts and Seven Cardinal Virtues of the Order. The second of the two degrees, known as "the DeMolay Degree," which, along with the Initiatory Degree, members and observers are sworn to keep secret, dramatically recreates

4850-449: The charges would be increased and would become, according to the procedures, lists of articles 86 to 127[3] in which will be added a few other charges, such as the prohibition to priests who do not belong to the order. Philip wanted the Templars arrested and their possessions confiscated to incorporate their wealth into the Royal Treasury and to be free of the enormous debt he owed the Templar Order. On 14 September, Philip took advantage of

4947-417: The church of Saint Maurice to its end where it was formerly enclosed by the fortifications. It also, at the main crossroads of the "Grand Carroi", offered the only access to the castle from within the town, and is the street that Joan of Arc took to go up and meet the future Charles VII in 1429. The stone houses are made of the local tufa stone, a soft luminous limestone, easy to carve and lending itself to

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5044-442: The collegiate church of Saint Mexme. Here the houses are often larger, some presenting courtyards and gardens, dating from the late 15th century and on, a few fine examples of which were the canons' residences. To the south one can join the promenade along the river, or go up the rocky slope north east to the Chapelle Sainte-Radegonde . The quarters of the former fortified town and that of Saint Etienne-Saint Mexme are divided by what

5141-406: The commission condemning the four to life imprisonment; however, according to the ritual, "so incensed was the king at the noble defiance and defense of DeMolay and Geoffroi de Charney that he overrode the Commission’s verdict and hurried DeMolay and de Charney to the stake on an island near the Cathedral, where they were barbarously burned." [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from

5238-478: The dismay of the prelates and wonderment of the assembled crowd, Jacques de Molay and Geoffroi de Charney arose. They had been guilty, they said, not of the crimes imputed to them, but of basely betraying their Order to save their own lives. It was pure and holy; the charges were fictitious and the confessions false. Hastily the cardinals delivered them to the Prevot of Paris , and retired to deliberate on this unexpected contingency, but they were saved all trouble. When

5335-403: The end of the 12th century or beginning of the 13th, with Angevin Gothic style vaults. This style can be found in the Angevin territories, but not restricted to them. The vault is fairly bulbous in form, marked by very ornate sculptured and painted vault bosses, at the junction of the ribs and the capitols at the rib springs. A chapel from the 15th and a side aisle from the early 16th century mark

5432-421: The execution stated that Molay had shown no sign of fear and had told those present that God would avenge their deaths. Another variation on this story was told by the contemporary chronicler Ferreto of Vicenza , who applied the idea to a Neapolitan Templar brought before Clement V, whom he denounced for his injustice. Some time later, as he was about to be executed, he appealed "from this your heinous judgement to

5529-460: The export of supplies to Cyprus , but could obtain no firm commitment for a new Crusade. There was talk of merging the Templars with one of the other military orders, the Knights Hospitaller . The grand masters of both orders opposed such a merger, but pressure increased from the Papacy. It is known that Molay held two general meetings of his order in southern France, at Montpellier in 1293 and at Arles in 1296, where he tried to make reforms. In

5626-437: The first statue of Joan of Arc in a church, placed there in 1900, two decades before her canonization. Jacques de Molay Jacques de Molay ( French: [də mɔlɛ] ; c. 1240–1250 – 11 or 18 March 1314 ), also spelled " Molai ", was the 23rd and last grand master of the Knights Templar , leading the order sometime before 20 April 1292 until it was dissolved by order of Pope Clement V in 1312. Though little

5723-404: The foot of the castle on the rocky outcrop, protecting the northern side, with the Vienne River in the south. Apart from the natural defensive protection on both sides, this fact makes a long narrow urban space, with the main streets running parallel to the river. The town was developed on both sides of the river: the fortified town at the base of the castle; the canons' quarter to the east; and on

5820-486: The forces of Cilician Armenia , and a new potential ally, the Mongols of the Ilkhanate (Persia), to oppose the Egyptian Mamluks and take back the coastal city of Tortosa in Syria . For generations, there had been communications between the Mongols and Europeans towards the possibility of forging a Franco-Mongol alliance against the Mamluks, but without success. The Mongols had been repeatedly attempting to conquer Syria themselves , each time either being forced back by

5917-425: The form of a youth group for young men aged 12 to 21, sponsored by Freemasonry, and named after the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar. DeMolay International , also known as "The Order of DeMolay," was founded in Kansas City in 1919 by Freemason Frank S. Land. Similar to what happens in Freemasonry, new members are ceremoniously initiated using "degrees" that are part of the Order's secret ritual, authored, in

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6014-559: The fortress. Apart from townhouses and convents that were built, the city changed little up to the Revolution . In the 1820s, however, the fortifications were pulled down and the banks of the river Vienne were opened up to the outside. In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Chinon grew to the east, towards the railway station, and to the north on the hill. The historic centre was registered as a conservation area in 1968, and since that time has been undergoing restoration in order to preserve its historic, natural and architectural identity. Chinon

6111-455: The future of the Templars. In the meantime, the Order's dignitaries, among them Molay, were to be judged by the pope. In the royal palace at Chinon , Molay was again questioned by the cardinals, but this time with royal agents present, and he returned to his forced admissions made in 1307. In November 1309, the Papal Commission for the Kingdom of France began its own hearings, during which Molay again recanted, stating that he did not acknowledge

6208-590: The initial degrees conferred in a Masonic Lodge , which only require a belief in a Supreme Being regardless of religious affiliation, the Knights Templar is one of several additional Masonic Orders in which membership is open only to Freemasons who profess a belief in the Christian religion . The full title of this Order is The United Religious, Military and Masonic Orders of the Temple and of St John of Jerusalem, Palestine, Rhodes and Malta . The story of de Molay's brave defiance of his inquisitors has been incorporated in various forms into Masonic lore; most notably in

6305-399: The issues, which he did during the summer of 1306. Molay was opposed to the merger, believing instead that having separate military orders was a stronger position, as the missions of each order were somewhat different. He was also of the belief that if there were to be a new crusade, it needed to be a large one, as the smaller attempts were not effective. On 6 June 1306, the leaders of both

6402-407: The jail in which for nearly seven years they had lain, to receive the sentence agreed upon by the cardinals, in conjunction with the Archbishop of Sens and some other prelates whom they had called in. Considering the offences which the culprits had confessed and confirmed, the penance imposed was in accordance with rule — that of perpetual imprisonment. The affair was supposed to be concluded when, to

6499-423: The king and the pope, which was settled in August 1308 when they agreed to split the convictions. Through the papal bull Faciens misericordiam , the procedure to prosecute the Templars was set out on a duality, whereby one commission would judge individuals of the Order and a different commission would judge the Order as a whole. Pope Clement called for an ecumenical council to meet in Vienne in 1310 to decide

6596-434: The late 15th and early 16th centuries. The Renaissance châteaux which they built new or erected on the foundations of old fortresses earned this part of the Loire Valley the nickname "The Garden of France." Chinon played an important and strategic role during the Middle Ages, serving both French and English kings. Chinon is known for its wine , castle , and historic town. Its part of the Loire Valley has been registered as

6693-447: The living and true God, who is in Heaven", warning the Pope that, within a year and a day, he and Philip IV would be obliged to answer for their crimes in God's presence. Philip and Clement V both died within a year of Molay's execution; Clement succumbed to a long illness on 20 April 1314, and Philip died due to a stroke while hunting. Then followed the rapid succession of the last Direct Capetian kings of France between 1314 and 1328,

6790-415: The loss of Ruad, Molay abandoned the tactic of small advance forces, and instead put his energies into trying to raise support for a new major Crusade, as well as strengthening Templar authority in Cyprus. When a power struggle erupted between King Henry II and his brother Amalric, the Templars supported Amalric, who took the crown and had his brother exiled in 1306. Meanwhile, pressure increased in Europe that

6887-424: The mainland. Templars in Cyprus included Jacques de Molay and Thibaud Gaudin , their 22nd grand master. During a meeting assembled on the island in the autumn of 1291, Molay spoke of reforming the Order and put himself forward as an alternative to the current grand master. Gaudin died around 1292 and, as there were no other serious contenders for the role at the time, Molay was soon elected. In spring 1293, he began

6984-487: The medieval period, being rebuilt and extended four times. The eventual complex contained a large and highly decorated church and a square of canons' residences. Closure and partial demolition during and after the Revolution of 1789 have damaged this once very important church. The imposing second façade still stands, with its nave dating from the year 1000 A.D. Its important remains have been restored as historical monument and

7081-595: The meeting of Queen and future Saint Radegonde and Saint John of Chinon in the 6th century; the miracle of Saint Mexme saving Chinon from a siege with a rain and thunder storm in the 5th century; the death of Martin of Tours in Candes-Saint-Martin in 397; and the meeting of Joan of Arc and the future Charles VII in 1429. They were produced on commission by the Atelier Lobin in Tours in the 19th century. It also houses

7178-495: The mystique of the Templars to the builders of Solomon's Temple . The stories of the Templars' secret initiation ceremonies also proved a tempting source for Masonic writers who were creating new works of pseudohistory . As described by modern historian Malcolm Barber in The New Knighthood : "It was during the 1760s that German masons introduced a specific Templar connection, claiming that the Order, through its occupation of

7275-658: The news was carried to Philippe he was furious. A short consultation with his council only was required. The canons pronounced that a relapsed heretic was to be burned without a hearing; the facts were notorious and no formal judgment by the papal commission need be waited for. That same day, by sunset, a pyre was erected on a small island in the Seine , the Ile des Juifs , near the palace garden. There de Molay, de Charney, de Gonneville, and de Peraud were slowly burned to death, refusing all offers of pardon for retraction, and bearing their torment with

7372-408: The often ornate sculpted decorations of the late Gothic and early Renaissance period. The roofs are of slate, another particular regional architectural element. The quarter to the east was enclosed as well. It too lost these elements in the 1820s in an effort to open the town up to circulation and commerce. In this quarter one finds the parish church of Saint Etienne, and further the canons' quarter of

7469-432: The other bank a suburb on the way to the southern regions of the Poitou , important to the 12th century Plantagenets . The former fortified town at the foot of the castle contains a significant collection of old houses and narrow streets, including some half timber houses dating from the end of the 14th or the 15th centuries. The majority of the houses line the main street of this quarter, the rue Voltaire that then becomes

7566-533: The principal trade routes, and the Vienne not only joins the fertile southern plains of the Poitou and the city of Limoges , but joining the Loire, gives access to both the seaport in Nantes and the Île-de-France Paris region, thus providing not only a natural protective barrier, but a source of wealth. The natural rocky outcrop that dominates the northern bank provides not only a natural fort and defensive position; it also acts as protection from flooding. Carved into

7663-587: The rock and the second made adjacent to it at a later date. The chapel conserves some mural paintings, notably the Royal Hunt , made towards the end of the 12th century, the time of the power and residence of the Plantagenet family in Chinon. The fresco figures 5 riders, two of whom are crowned, and another with a bird of prey on his wrist. It has been presumed that it depicts members of the Plantagenet family in Chinon,

7760-427: The rue Haute Saint Maurice, originally Gallo-Roman, and also presents a number of hôtels particuliers , or town manor houses, some with graceful turrets, winding staircase towers, and decorative elements form the end of the 15th or the beginning of the 16th century. Others, more sober and classical, date from the following periods, with some fine examples from the 17th and 18th centuries. This street continues on past

7857-424: The rumors and inquiry to begin his move against the Templars, sending out a secret order to his agents in all parts of France to implement a mass arrest of all Templars at dawn on 13 October. Molay was in Paris on 12 October, where he was a pallbearer at the funeral of Catherine of Courtenay , wife of Count Charles of Valois , and sister-in-law of King Philip. In a dawn raid on Friday, 13 October 1307, Molay and all

7954-401: The rumours and accusations surrounding it, and the Pope convened an inquiry on 24 August 1307. There were five initial charges lodged against the Templars. The first was renunciation of and spitting on the cross during initiation into the Order. The second was the stripping of the man to be initiated and the thrice kissing of that man by the preceptor on the navel, posterior and mouth. The third

8051-404: The south chapel are some 15th-century paintings that have been conserved, notably a Last Judgement , and a rare Fountain of Pity . A very fine 18th-century open-newel winding stone staircase leads from the narthex to the upper floor. The upper gallery contains mural paintings from the 13th century, and a rare and imposing crucifixion carved in stone near the top of the first façade also dating from

8148-474: The three sons and a grandson of Philip IV. Within fourteen years of the death of Molay, the 300-year-old House of Capet collapsed. This series of events forms the basis of Les Rois maudits ( The Accursed Kings ), a series of historical novels written by Maurice Druon between 1955 and 1977, which was also adapted into two French television miniseries in 1972 and 2005. The American historian Henry Charles Lea wrote: "Even in distant Germany Philippe's death

8245-401: The town until the Revolution when it was deconsecrated. A lack of necessary upkeep would lead to its partial collapse in 1817. The remaining largely Romanesque church retains its first façade , now found in the interior, and its nave , both from the year 1000 A.D. The nave is characterized by its horizontal lines: rows of large arcades and a series of high windows topped by a string course and

8342-406: The town. During Antiquity, a natural underground spring at the back of the actual chapel was a site used for pagan worship. The site was Christianized in the 6th century when Queen Radegonde , later named a Saint, supposedly came to visit the hermit John who lived there. The name of the sanctuary comes from this event. Two naves were created, starting in the 12th century. One is carved directly into

8439-543: The transition from Flamboyant Gothic to Renaissance architecture . The church was repainted in the 19th century, inspired by the restoration of the Sainte-Chapelle in Paris, and received new stained glass windows commissioned from the Atelier Lobin in Tours . The church of Saint Maurice is the most likely location of Joan of Arc 's prayer, while in Chinon in 1429. The church of Saint Etienne, or Saint Stephen in English,

8536-405: The trial, "before a Commission in its Council Chamber," of the historic characters named in the ritual as "Jacques DeMolay and his three preceptors, Geoffroi de Charney, Godfrey de Goneville, and Hughes de Peralde." The DeMolay Degree, in which players dress in robes and other period costume, and appear on a dimly-lit stage whereupon they dramatically deliver memorized lines prescribed in the ritual,

8633-403: The turning point of the war, helping to establish both firmer national boundaries and sentiment. Chinon also served Louis XII as he waited for the papal legate Cesare Borgia to bring the annulment papers from Jeanne de France , enabling him to marry Anne of Brittany in 1498, and thus solidifying an even more coherent French territory. In 1490, the commune of Chinon was the birthplace of

8730-462: The two crowned figures possibly being Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine , or their son Henry the Younger, crowned during his father's lifetime in 1170. In addition to its subject matter, this painting is of outstanding quality in its execution, its vivacity and the variety of colours. Other paintings, depicting the story of Saint Radegonde and Saint John, were made during the 17th century. The chapel

8827-465: The writer, humanist, humorist, philosopher and satirist François Rabelais , author of Gargantua and Pantagruel amongst other works, which figure in the canon of great world literature. The region is the scene of these fantastic, critical and observant adventures. From the 16th century, Chinon was no longer a royal residence, and in 1631 it became part of the estates of the Duke of Richelieu , who neglected

8924-461: Was again delayed until late May due to the Pope's illness. King Philip IV of France , deeply in debt to the Templars, was in favor of merging the Orders under his own command, thereby making himself Rex Bellator , or War King. Molay, however, rejected the idea. Philip was already at odds with the papacy, trying to tax the clergy, and had been attempting to assert his own authority as higher than that of

9021-402: Was born, as most Templar knights were, into a family of minor or middle-ranking nobility. It is suggested that he was made a knight at age 21 in 1265 and is known that he was about 70 years of age at the time of his execution in 1314. His year of birth is not known and Alain Demurger finds it probable that he was born in the period 1244/45 to 1248/49 or even between 1240 and 1250. In 1265, as

9118-419: Was deconsecrated following the Revolution and used as dwelling places. In 1878, it was bought and restored as a sanctuary by a benefactress of Chinon, Madame Charre. The church of Saint Maurice is the parish church of the town, going thru several architectural evolutions. The oldest portion, the bell tower, is Romanesque , dating from the beginning of the 12th century. The nave and the choir both date from

9215-550: Was spoken of as a retribution for his destruction of the Templars, and Clement was described as shedding tears of remorse on his death-bed for three great crimes, the poisoning of Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor , and the ruin of the Templars and Beguines ". Some 400 years after the death of de Molay and the dissolution of the Knights Templar , the fraternal order of Freemasonry began to emerge in northern Europe. The Masons developed an elaborate mythos about their Order, and some claimed heritage from entities in history, ranging from

9312-403: Was telling the neophyte (novice) that unnatural lust was lawful and indulged in commonly. The fourth was that the cord worn by the neophyte day and night was consecrated by wrapping it around an idol in the form of a human head with a great beard, and that this idol was adored in all chapters. The fifth was that the priests of the order did not consecrate the host in celebrating Mass. Subsequently,

9409-430: Was the only open space during the Middle Ages which was developed in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the architectural elements date from this period. It now presents a square sheltered by trees with outdoor restaurants tables. The town of Chinon also offers an unusual variety of perspectives, allowing one to take its measure in several ways: from the bank opposite the castle, or river by boat, from which one can fully see

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