Templar knives

At the beginning of the XIIᵉ century, the "Poor Knights of Christ" were only a handful for a long time. Guillaume de Tyr notes that "after nine years, they were still only nine". Housed by the king in the al-Aqsa mosque, mistaken for the "Temple of Solomon", they took their name from it. With no rules of their own and no red cross, they depended on the Patriarch of Jerusalem, living on alms and escorting pilgrims. In January 1129, the Council of Troyes, strongly influenced by Bernard de Clairvaux, gave them a 72-article Latin Rule, based on Benedictine and Cistercian practices, and assigned them the white cope. The red cross did not appear until 1147, at a chapter attended by Pope Eugene III. A modest genesis... for an enduring legend.

In the heart of Essex (England), the barley barn at Cressing Temple is intriguing archaeologists: its beams were felled around 1220, as revealed by dendrochronological analysis (reading of wood rings). Built by the Knights Templar, this 38 m x 15 m basilica barn, with its two naves and massive oak posts, is one of the oldest timber-framed buildings still standing in the world. With no metal nails, each assembly is based on remarkably precise tenons and mortises: a craftsmanship akin to that of cathedrals. This grain platform financed the Order's military and charitable activities; eight centuries later, its regular upkeep proves the efficiency of Templar engineering.