Ever wonder about the secrets hidden beneath our feet right here at Fontaine des Templiers?
Fontaine des Templiers. Its name evokes images of knights and ancient mysteries. But the story of this place is deeply intertwined with one of history’s most intriguing orders: the Knights Templar.
Let’s journey back to the 12th century. The Knights Templar were founded in 1118 in the Holy Land by Hugues de Payns and eight other knights. Originally, their mission was to protect pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land and to defend the Holy Sepulchre.
As the Kingdom of Jerusalem fell in 1244, the Templars retreated to Europe. They accumulated considerable wealth through numerous Templar commanderies, especially in France. The Templars became the bankers of kings, safeguarding the royal treasury.
In Paris, the Templars owned a vast territory north of the Saint-Martin-des-Champs priory, known as the Enclos du Temple. This enclosure was a veritable city within a city. It spanned 6.5 hectares. Protected by a wall and defended by two donjons: the Temple donjon and the César tower. Its perimeter stretched between the modern-day Rue de Bretagne, Rue de Picardie, Rue Béranger, and Rue du Temple.
Within the Enclos du Temple stood a church, monastic buildings, rental houses, private mansions, the Rotonde, and the protective donjons. The palace of the Grand Prior, designed by François-Victor Pérard de Montreuil, featured a majestic colonnaded courtyard that foreshadowed the Hôtel de Soubise.
The Knights Templar enjoyed significant privileges. They had the right to shield anyone seeking refuge within their walls from justice. They were exempt from dues for corporations established there. The Temple market occurred weekly and was very popular.
However, the Templars’ prosperity and influence attracted unwanted attention. King Philip IV, also known as Philip the Fair, saw them as a threat to his power. On October 13, 1307, he ordered their arrest on charges of heresy and sodomy.
In 1312, Pope Clement V abolished the order. Jacques de Molay, the Grand Master of the Templars, and Geoffroy de Charnay, the commander of Normandy, were burned alive on the Île de la Cité on March 18, 1314.
Following the Templars’ abolition, the Enclos du Temple was granted to the Order of the Hospital, also known as the Hospitallers. This order, founded in 1099 after the capture of Jerusalem, was dedicated to aiding sick pilgrims and wounded warriors.
During the French Revolution, the royal family was imprisoned in the Temple’s donjon starting on August 13, 1792. King Louis XVI, Queen Marie Antoinette, their son the Dauphin, Madame Royale, and Madame Elizabeth endured confinement here. Louis XVI was executed on Place de la Concorde on January 21, 1793. Marie Antoinette met the same fate on October 16, 1793. Madame Elizabeth followed on May 9, 1794.
The Dauphin Louis XVII died at the age of ten on June 8, 1795. Only Madame Royale, the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, survived. She was exchanged in 1795 for Convention commissioners held by the Austrians.
During the Revolution, the Enclos du Temple was divided into 92 lots. The church was demolished in 1796. Napoleon I ordered the destruction of the Temple donjon in 1811. The palace of the Grand Prior was razed in 1853, and the Rotonde in 1863.
Today, only a few underground foundations remain of the once-prestigious Domaine du Temple. A vestige of a corner tower is visible in the cellar of 32 Rue de Picardie.
So, as you stand here at Fontaine des Templiers, remember the layers of history beneath your feet. Knights, kings, and revolutions have all left their mark on this ground. Their stories echo through the centuries.