The Templars began as warrior monks, but have been linked to everything from demon worship to forbidden sexual practices. What happened? This episode follows the history of the spectacular fall of a knightly order. A power struggle between a king and a pope, infiltration, torture, and the Inquisition — it is a turbulent tale. Because…
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The Knights Templar are surrounded by legends and conspiracy theories. Who were they actually? This episode tracks the Templars from their inception as an order of warrior monks in the Crusader state of Jerusalem, to their astonishing expansion into an international organisation of enormous wealth and power. Along the way we encounter Crusader kings, Bernard…
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As Western knights and nobles ride toward Jerusalem, there are many other cities they must take along the way. Their first battlefield encounter with the Turks leaves a lasting impression on both sides, but they are soon occupied with besieging fortified cities. Heads are brandished on spears and bodies hang on display from the ramparts….
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The First Crusade became the stuff of legend soon after it finished. Western knights headed to Constantinople and ultimately to Jerusalem, to rescue pilgrimage sites from the control of Muslim invaders. The crusade involved close to 100,000 people from Western Europe heading east, in a journey that would cover thousands of miles, mostly on foot. …
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