#history The Order of the Poor Companions of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, also called the Order of the Temple, whose members are known as the Knights Templar, was one of the most powerful Christian military orders of the Middle Ages. It remained active for just under two centuries. It was founded in 1118 or 1119 by nine French knights led by Hugo de Payns after the First Crusade. Its original purpose was to protect the lives of Christians who were on pilgrimage to Jerusalem after its conquest. The order was recognized by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Garmond de Picquigny, who imposed on it that of the Augustinian canons of the Holy Sepulchre as a rule.

Officially approved by the Catholic Church in 1129, during the Council of Troyes (held in the cathedral of the same city), the Order of the Temple grew rapidly in size and power. The Knights Templar had as their distinctive feature a white mantle with a red pate cross drawn on it. Militarily, its members were among the best-trained units participating in the Crusades. Non-combatant members of the order managed a complex economic structure within the Christian world. They even created new financial techniques that constitute a primitive form of the modern bank. The order also built a series of fortifications throughout the Mediterranean Sea and the Holy Land.

The success of the Templars is closely linked to the Crusades. The loss of the Holy Land led to the disappearance of support for the order. In addition, the rumors generated around the secret initiation ceremony of the Templars created great distrust. Philip IV of France, heavily indebted to the order and frightened by its growing power, began to pressure Pope Clement V to take action against its members. In 1307, a large number of Templars were arrested, induced to confess under torture and burned at the stake. In 1312, Clement V yielded to pressure from Philip IV and dissolved the order. Their abrupt eradication gave rise to speculation and legends that have kept alive to this day the name of the Knights Templar.