Atlit Castle - spiritual refuge for the Knights Templar

After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the coastal towns of the Kingdom of Jerusalem grew in importance. This shift affected not only urban centers but also fortified sites. One such stronghold was the castle at ʿAtlit, also known as the Castle of the Pilgrim (Castrum Peregrinorum, or in French, Château Pèlerin). The site lay close to the earliest guard tower manned by the Templars at the beginning of their activity during the reign of King Baldwin I (1100–1118), located at the narrow Destroit pass (Khirbat Dustray). By the thirteenth century, however, ʿAtlit had acquired a particular spiritual significance for the Order, one that ultimately surpassed the primarily military role of the early thirteenth-century fortress. What, then, made ʿAtlit distinctive? 

Quantifying the early Templars in the East (c.1119–1200)

Counting the Templars is an exercise in archival triangulation because, as we know, the Templars did not keep membership lists; certainly none have survived. From a handful of founding knights in the 1120s to a pan-European order by the later thirteenth century, estimates vary widely. This blog synthesises peer-reviewed scholarship and trial-catalogues to give the best evidence-based picture of membership and rank composition of the Templar Order during its first century of existence.

Formalising the Templar military initiative - the Nablus Council, January, 1120

On January 16, 1120 the Council of Nablus of ecclesiastic and secular lords of the Kingdom was convened by Warmund, Patriarch of Jerusalem, and King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. The council, a parliament and an ecclesiastical synod, provided the first written laws for the kingdom, It probably also contributed to the formal establishment of the until that moment informal Templar-group. 

Key Players in the Rural Clearance of Medieval Europe 1050-1150

Between about 1050 and 1150, Europe underwent one of the most transformative periods in its environmental and social history. Forests, marshes and wilderness were rapidly reshaped into fields, villages and monastic estates. This sweeping “Age of Clearance” altered landscapes, power structures and daily life in ways still visible today and provided for the establishment of both new monasteries and preceptories. But what forces drove the major actors in this dramatic rural reshaping of medieval Europe?

Frisian Crusaders - Fierce Fighters Without Lords

From the late eleventh century onward, warriors from the Frisian coastal regions, a region stretching along the North Sea coast from the northern Netherlands to the mouth of the Weser, became a recurring presence in crusading expeditions. Contemporary observers repeatedly praised them as effective and reliable fighters, particularly in overseas campaigns. This is striking, since medieval warfare and crusading ideology are usually associated with feudal elites and mounted knights, while Frisia lacked both strong feudal structures and a cavalry tradition. How can the prominent role of a largely infantry-based, non-feudal society in the crusades between roughly 1097 and 1270 be explained?

Christmas and the medieval Templars

Did the medieval Templars celebrate Christmas and if so, how? 

Medieval Islamic Coines Found at Cluny Abbey, France

In September 2017, archaeologists of Université Lumière Lyon 2 and CNRS excavating the historic Abbey of Cluny in Burgundy, France, uncovered one of medieval Europe's most remarkable monetary treasures, a cache that had remained undisturbed for approximately 850 years. The discovery comprised over 2,200 silver coins minted at Cluny but also 21 gold dinars of Islamic origin, along with precious artifacts including a Roman signet ring. What do these finds tell us?

The early years of Geoffrey de Bouillon - on the job training for the First Crusade

Geoffrey (Godefroi, Godfrey ) de Bouillon, born around 1060, was a member of a prominent noble family in Bouillon, in the Ardennes region (now Belgium, Wallonia, province of Luxembourg), then a part of the Duchy of Lower Lorraine (Lotharingia). What do we know about his origins, childhood and early years?

Forests to Farmland - Drivers of the Age of Clearance in Medieval Europe

Between about 1050 and 1150, Europe underwent one of its most dramatic environmental and social transformations. Vast forests, wetlands, and marginal lands were cleared to make way for farmland, villages, and monastic estates, reshaping both the landscape and the structures of medieval society. What combination of forces, from climate and technology to institutions and population growth, drove this sweeping “Age of Clearance”?