The Persecution of the Templars: Scandal, Torture, Trial

(Paperback, Main)

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The trial of the Knights Templar is one of the most infamous in history. Accused of heresy by the king of France, the Templars were arrested and imprisoned, had their goods seized and their monasteries ransacked. Under brutal interrogation and torture, many made shocking confessions: denial of Christ, desecration of the Cross, sex acts and more.

This book follows the everyday reality of the trial, from the early days of scandal and scheming in 1305, via torture, imprisonment and the dissolution of the order, to 1314, when leaders Jacques de Molay and Geoffroy de Charnay were burned at the stake. Through first-hand testimony and written records of the interrogations of 231 French Templars, this book illuminates the stories of hundreds of ordinary members, some of whom testified at the trial, as well as the many others who denied the charges or retracted their confessions.

A deeply researched and immersive account that gives a striking vision of the relentless persecution, and the oft-underestimated resistance, of the once-mighty Knights Templar.

Reviews

Praise for The Last Templar: Scrupulously detailed. -- Jerty Brotton * The Times *
This is probably the definitive account not only of de Molay, but also of the political and financial factors at play in the closing years of the Temple. -- Kevin McClure * Fortean Times *
A scrupulously scholarly analysis. -- C. J. Tyerman * Times Literary Supplement *
A well-researched and thorough book. -- Alex Heminsley * Observer *
a fine scholarly narrative of the fall of the Templars. -- Jonathan Sumption * Literary Review *

Author Bio

Alain Demurger is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Paris, and France's foremost specialist in the history of the Crusades and the Military Orders. His books on the subject have become required reading, including The Last Templar, published by Profile [9781861975539] and translated into a dozen languages.