Tag: Knights Templar
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The Templars: monks and soldiers, pilgrims and knights
The capture of Jerusalem at the end of the First Crusade marked a decisive turning point in the history of medieval Europe. The Holy City was to be defended and preserved at all costs, while the sacred sites of Christendom were to be safeguarded in accordance with God’s will. To fight in order to pray:…
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The Merels Board
A trace engraved on the wall of a medieval cloister or the pavement of a square can reveal much more than meets the eye. There are arcane and fascinating worlds that marks on stone can unveil. Every graffito is there for a reason, perhaps unknown to us, but not to its creator. Stone is incorruptible…
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Saint Galgano and the sword in the stone
A knight of extraordinary virtue, the Holy Grail and a sword stuck in a rock: we are not in mythical Camelot, but in Tuscany, in a real place that has managed to preserve and convey the charm of the legend. Amidst natural landscapes of extraordinary beauty stands the Hermitage of Montesiepi where, according to tradition,…