Templar Order in North-west Italy (1142-c.1330)

This book provides the first reconstruction of the Templar presence in North-west Italy. Based on extensive archival searches, it gives general insights into the development and organization of the Order in this area, also examining the links between the Templar houses and the Latin East and their involvement in the struggle between Papacy and Empire. Recruitment, relations with lay and ecclesiastical institutions and the activities of the Templar settlements are highlighted as significant factors in shaping the particular development of the Order in the region. The trial records also confirm the special nature of the Temple's establishment in North-west Italy where the vicissitudes of the Templars on trial were intertwined with local factionalism, and positive relations with lay and ecclesiastical authorities continued and in some places even defeated the charges leveled against the Order.