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Knights Templar Country

Chasing the Legend of the Grail in Remote France

By Will Snyder

For aficionados of the Knights Templar: there is an area in remote southern France where a group of fortified villages and religious buildings built by these legendary Knights can still be found. It is fascinationg to recall the story of how this religious order of soldier monks was founded to assist in the Crusades and guard the Holy Land, how they became the guardians of the Temple in Jerusalem. In the 13th century, they grew to be the #1 of the Fortune 500 of the time, due mostly to their papal protection and tax exempt status. They became arrogant with their size and influence, buying vast properties and lending money to monarchies, but not focused on charities or helping the destitute.

History was not kind to these knights with the red crosses on their habits, as a jealous King Philip of France teamed up with the Pope to force the order to its knees. Torture and false accusations led to the dissolution of the order in 1307, then the extermination of any members who could be found. The repercussions were wide-ranging, from the curse hurled at the French dynasty to the esoteric myths that have developed, such as links to the Holy Grail and the Shroud of Turin. And that is really the appeal today, to the myth-seekers and the conspiracy theorists.

Well, there is no better place to rub shoulders with the Templars of the past than in a small section in the Aveyron, a remote and rustic departement roughly 2 hours drive from Toulouse or 1 hour from Montpellier. There are buildings and remnants of churches and outposts of the Templars in other parts of France, but most of them are isolated and frequently have been renovated extensively in the past 700 years (well, who could blame the owners to have wanted to refresh the place a little). Here in the Aveyron, what remains is really quite spectacular.

Starting with the village of St. Eulalie de Cernon, this is a walled village where the Templar presence began in 1151 when they acquired the church. With their financial resources, they built their regional HQ (“commanderie”) here and began to buy up forts and entire villages in the surrounding countryside. This expansion made them a few enemies with the local lords, who took their revenge when the King’s edict in 1307 ended the Templar reign. The village is now a rectangular fort with ramparts and a very interesting Templar museum in the former HQ building. When I was there, the restaurant Auberge de la Cardabelle (tel: 05 65 62 74 64) looked wonderful- local specialties, great décor and interesting regional wines. Unfortunately, it was full. You might have better luck.

Another Templar village in the area is La Couvertoirade. This picturesque town is larger than St Eulalie and has many medieval themed shops along its labyrinth of narrow streets and covered passages. There is a glassblower, a sheepskin leather shop, several natural fiber clothing boutiques, and a number of local food and wine stores. All of a high quality, and good value for money. When I visited, the ancient village bread oven was being repaired. The village is a 10 minute walk from the parking area, which is a great idea to keep this miniature medieval village as a unique trek back in history.

You enter the village through a gate in an ancient wall. The church (actually built by the Hospitaller Knights, and the Templar castle are both set in elevated positions, which make the village a good excuse for exercise, and a playground for children. Stone Templar grave markers make the cemetery an eerie resting spot, and rustic walls and gargoyles create plenty of medieval ambiance. Walking down the alleys, one is struck by the restored beauty of the stone village, even if some of the houses date “only” from the 15th  or 16th Century.

Beyond these two villages, there is more to see, and so that the tourist with wheels stays in Templar time, there are frequent road signs showing the itinerary to visit the half dozen destinations. The signs read “Circuit du Larzac Templier et Hospitalier,” and lead to sites such as St Jean d’Alcas, where Templar buildings can be seen and information found.

The Templars had an architecture that was different from most of their contemporaries. Round towers, massive walls and unusual sculptures. They also are imbued with a thousand legends, most famously the treasure of the Holy Grail. This route of Templar sites in the Aveyron is an excellent way to step back in history and get acquainted with the way the Templars spent their money (on real estate), and maybe find a clue of the hidden Grail. When next in France, this area makes for a very interesting day trip.

Images by Will Snyder

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