One of the most mysterious orders that ever existed in history, the one founded by the Templars. It is credited with the construction of all the major Gothic churches of the Old World, possession of relics like the Holy Grail and the Spear of Destiny. As well as knowledge of the secrets of the universe and much more. The order rapidly emerged, gained power, and was also quickly destroyed when it stood in the way of the authority of the Pope and the French king. With the demise of the order, an entire era collapsed: the Crusades, chivalry, and secret knowledge were hidden away. There are indeed proponents of the “conspiracy theory” who believe that the order still exists. And its representatives still secretly influence the world alongside the Freemasons, Illuminati, and other secret organizations. However, this is fiction. But the history of the order does not become any less interesting because of this.
Templar in French means “Knights of the Temple”. The emergence of the order is associated with the Crusades, as well as ensuring the safety of pilgrims’ journeys to the Holy Land. Even during the First Crusade, Hugo de Payens organized a militia consisting of poor knights who were to serve the order of the Holy Sepulchre. At that time, there were only eight such knights. Soon this militia became the order of the Knights Templar. An order that started as the poorest quickly turned into one of the richest in Europe. Three papal bulls were issued. According to them, the Templars could build their churches throughout Europe, were independent of everyone except the Pope, and were exempt from taxes. In addition, those who donated money to the order were granted forgiveness of sins. All this allowed the order to become fabulously wealthy in a very short time. The Templars could compete not only with all European monarchs but also with the power and authority of the Vatican itself.
We invite you to get to know Genoa through the lens of events related to the Crusades, the search for the Holy Grail, and the role of the legendary order of the Templars – this is interesting for both adults and children, as there is still an impressive architectural monument in Genoa that testifies to the fact that this was one of the largest centers on the way for pilgrims to the holy lands.
You will try to objectively assess the political, spiritual, and social role of the order of the Templars and their followers up to the present day, as well as unravel the webs of dark mysticism and prejudices that are generously filled with fiction. The theme of the Templars will fit particularly well into a walking tour of Genoa, starting from the cruise terminal of Genoa.
