The Debate on the Trial of the Templars (1307-1314)

In October 1307, all the brothers of the military-religious order of the Temple in France were arrested on the instructions of King Philip IV and charged with heresy and other crimes. In 1312, Pope Clement V, at the Council of Vienne, dissolved the order. Seven centuries later there is still hot debate about the causes of this notorious affair, its course, and its aftermath. This book collects the research of both junior and senior scholars from around the world to establish the current state of scholarship and identify areas for new research. Individual chapters examine the background to the trial, its course and aspects of the trial across the whole of Europe, from Poland and Cyprus to Ireland and Portugal. Rather than trying to close the discussion on the trial of the Templars, this book opens a new chapter in the ongoing scholarly debate.