This is the Order mentioned in the sensational bestseller Dan brown's "the da Vinci Code". The legends of the knights Templar became plot basis for a vast number of books and films. The Great the Order was founded in 1118 nine knights of the First crusade. A small detachment of the nine valiant warriors originally guarding the road to Jerusalem. By the way, the crusaders called his order in honor of the Solomon built the Temple of the Lord which is in Latin called Tamplum Domini. After some time, all members of the brotherhood took a number of articles of the monastic Charter.

And then... then on the Order, as manna from heaven, fell privileges to which one is spiritually knights - and in Palestine was founded in plentiful supply, and could not dream of. It should say that the first Abbot of the Order was canonized, that is considered Holy, and not in 100 years after his death, and already during his life (this is the only case in Christian practice), and the Templars became impossible to separate from the Church, because each of them was given a right weaning to take off. Well, small privileges was not even considered: the Order had their Church, their cemeteries, all movable and immovable property of the knights Templar were exempted from Church tax, and mandatory tithing all come into the Treasury of the Order. Plus, the Templars have another source of income - monopoly on navigation on the Mediterranean sea between Europe and the Middle East. So after 100 years after the creation of the order of the Templar wealth struck the imagination of contemporaries. Before we go any further transfers will just say that in 1192 they got me... island - bought Cyprus English king Richard I.

The Order of the temple by that time, had its own police and its own Tribunal. In fact it was a state within a state. It is hardly possible to compare them with the current billionaires, as one of the oligarch will find another, almost with the same capital. And in those days the richest man in any country was king. But Templar were at times (!) richer than any king. Was the Templars and their own private Bank, widely known in Europe, and many Templars, as people certainly experienced in financial matters, performed in different cities and countries of the responsibilities of senior officials (current Minister of Finance).

The territory of the European lands of the Order was the cause of jealousy for many is not the small countries. It is worth adding that the Templars were also salt pans on the Bay of Biscay.

By the end of the XIII century, the revenues of the Order only in France was several times higher than incomes of the Royal Treasury, which enabled the Templars to determine the policies of the largest States of the world. The then king of France, Philip the fair, putting a lot of effort on the unification and strengthening of the country realized that the Order to stop...

Despite all their ambitions, Philip would not have dared at this step, if by this time the reputation of the Order has not been fundamentally undermined. Blame themselves were Templar. For example, they were engaged in usury, that in Christianity always was considered abhorrent, and on this account was even papal ban. However, the Templars it cleverly avoided: they did not charge interest on borrowed money, just receipt was written by the recipient for a large sum; but if the money was Talivaldis for pilgrimage, at the time of absence of the owner of all of its revenues received the Order. If to consider, that the pilgrimage lasted for several years, it is easy to imagine these amounts.

Was famous Templar and disrespect for local religious customs which, apparently, and became the source for dark rumours that they had already fallen into a kind of heresy and serve in the churches of the black mass, which culminate in wild orgies.

By this time the order consisted of 15 thousand knights and 45 thousand squires, not counting the third estate, artisans and peasants. In France, the land of the order of ten times exceeded the possession of the king. The Templars were also the whole Kingdom and the Duchy in Germany, Portugal, Spain, Greece, England and Palestine...

Relying on rumors created in order blasphemy, Philip the fair sent to the Templars the Inquisition, and on the night of October 13, 1307, the Grand master of the order of Jacques de Molay, the great Visitator Hugues de Paro, Treasurer of the Order and other dignitaries were accused of heresy and arrested by order of the chief Inquisitor France Guillaume de Nogaret. Was immediately arrested and all the property and ownership of the Order. As it turned out, this action was prepared long ago, and in August all the Royal officials Bal and Rev letters were sent with detailed instructions and Royal notaries were inventoried the property of the Order, not to be missed by the Royal Treasury single gram of gold or piece of land.

The Templar were charged with heresy and idolatry, sodomy and the desecration. Just a list of charges was $ 117 points, but even under a monstrous torture Templar admitted only a few of them.

Dad tried to take the investigation into his own hands and even created its own Commission of inquiry. However, during these interrogations, the majority of the Templars showed that their confessions had been extracted from them under torture. It did not bother Philip. As a convincing example" he made under the Paris auto-da-Fe 54 Templar (the day was blazing Fire fires, which burned alive monks), and the Order ceased resistance.

In five years, on Venskom Cathedral, the Order was dissolved. Bull of Pope Clement V was: "... We prohibit the knights Templar, the Charter service and the name... we completely prohibit any person from that time on call themselves by his name, or bears his service, or behaves like a Templar, is excommunication. In addition, we confiscate all property and land of the Order. We strictly forbid all, to any state to interfere in the issue of the Knights Templar. We prohibit any action against them, which would impair our decision... so be it."

All the property of the Knights Templar was transferred to the Hospitallers, and other knight and monastic orders.

Grand master of the Order and preceptor Normandy recanted his confession, but still were burnt as heretics in 1314. For the execution, accomplished on an island in the Seine, personally observed the king and members of his family, and then Philip the fair was personally responsible for the confiscation of the treasures of the Order.

The processes over the Templars at different times were also held in other European countries, but everywhere Templar just switched to other orders and apolitical in Portugal the Order was simply renamed the Order of Christ.

The disappearance of the treasure of the Order?

One of the main reasons that Philip the fair pursued the Order became jealous of the wealth of the Templars. But, after the confiscation, Philip discovered that of jewels and gold in the treasures aren't quite as much as he expected. Apparently, during those two months, while there was preparing to process, Templars, secretly warned supporters managed to perepryatat major part of their wealth. And the search undertaken by the king, were unsuccessful.

Shortly about lost treasure began to forget, but after several centuries, gold Templar was again in the spotlight. In 1745 in one of the archives were found last letter of Jacques de Molay nephew of his predecessor as head of the order, count Guillaume de God: "In the grave of your uncle, Grand master de God, not of his remains. It contains the secret archives of the Order. Together with the archive relics: the crown of Jerusalem tsars, and four gold figures of the evangelists, who adorned the Tomb of Christ in Jerusalem and who did not get to the Muslims. Other jewels are within two columns, opposite the entrance to the crypt. The capitals of the columns is rotating around its axis and open hole hiding".

After investigation it was found that young Guillaume de God spoke to Philip the Beautiful with the request to allow to remove the remains of the uncle of the castle temple and to rebury them. This permission was received. It is clear that the count was preparatul archives and jewelry in another place. Checked and columns crypt: one of them actually turned out to be hollow.

Hypotheses, where hidden treasures, were many, but most were inclined to think that the archive and treasures hidden there, where lie the remains of the Grand master, - in the family vault of the counts de God in their ancestral home.

During the great French revolution, the whole territory of the castle has become a well-plowed field, but the treasure was never found.

About the Templars again forgot, but when in 1870-ies Paris renovated and the Church of the knights Templar was demolished, one of the graves in the cave was empty. Again remembered the Master de Beaujeu, and began a new search in archives.

Was soon found in the document where it was said that the family of de God, except surveyed already estates, owned the castle Arinii in Department Rhone. The castle is very well preserved, and in the upper part of his main "Tower eight Beatitudes", built of stone blocks, found eight holes. This tower, like many other rooms of the castle, was spotted signs of secret writing Templar. Some researchers believe that the key to the treasure, others - that it spells against evil forces. The name of the castle, Arini, many taken from Argine - Queen of clubs, mistress treasure (anagram of Regina), other connected it with argyros - silver.
<br />Search Arinii nothing but the mysterious history, connected with the castle, were not over.

In 1950, the owner of the castle of Rozmana visited a Colonel from England, sent, say, a kind of British society occultists. He offered to buy a castle for 100 million francs, a sum in those days colossal, it was possible to buy several such locks. But de Rosman refused.

In 1952 castle and secret signs in it investigated a well-known specialist in the occult and cryptography de grace. She believed that the treasure of the Templars must be hidden here: "I found in Alchemical tower Egyptian symbol, indicating that there is hidden, either spiritual or material treasure".

These investigations are very interested in the Paris industrialist of Champion. He organized under the leadership of master of the occult Sciences Arman barbeau and writer Jacques Breuer, studying mysticism of the Templars, another large-scale excavations. But to find something in the castle of Arinii failed.

Another way by which the treasures of the knights Templar was able to swim out of the hands of Philip the fair, the sea. During the interrogation in the Inquisition knight Jean de Shal he showed that the night before the arrests from Paris came three covered wagons loaded with treasure chests of the Templars. However, in those times, the word "treasure" could presume a another meaning: the archives of the secret documents. The wagon was accompanied by 42 knight, and in La Rochelle - port, which belonged to the knights Templar, the cargo waited 17 ships. Researchers were surprised at the disparity between the number of vehicles and ships, but, most likely, such transports went to La Rochelle and many other places in France.

Where'd the ships is not clear so far, and the knights, who accompanied the Paris cargo, are included in the list of those who escaped arrest. Could not find any traces of one of these ships.

But how did they disappear?

Find 1980s allows to make a conclusion, that, possibly, it was still "undiscovered" in those years-Columbian America.

In the National archives of France among the seals of the Order, conquered by Philip Beautiful in 1307, was one with the inscription "Sekretum Templi" - the Mystery of the Church. Print in the center was the figure of a native in a loincloth and lush headdress of feathers. In his right hand, this "Indian" squeezed the onion, and under it was a swastika, a symbol, very common in Scandinavian Viking age, as proved modern research, Vikings visited America long before Columbus.

So, most of all, the archive has found a home in a new, not yet known to most Europeans continent. Many believe that the Templars are directly related to the secret of oak island.

The next version, which is trying to follow the path of treasures, leads us to the Livonian order. It was founded in 1237 on the present territory of the Baltic States - Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. It is known that after its Foundation was laid only two of the castle, very small, and Riga then represented only two hectares of land bought by Bishop albert in the Livs. They were built a wooden Church, a small residence of the Bishop, the Marina and a couple of warehouses.

The Livonian order in the first decades of its existence could not be blamed for wealth. But suddenly in 1315 in Latvia begins construction boom. Almost simultaneously laid 34 (!) castle, weight fortifications, begins the construction of roads, prekoputa new land. In 1346 the Livonians buy from the Danish king half of present-day Estonia. By the beginning of the XV century ownership of the Livonian order amount to more than 67 thousand km2, and the Riga Archbishop possesses 750 km

How to pay? You can talk about a successful trade in groceries and about merchant route "from the Varangians to the Greeks", which passed through the Livonian earth, but still it did not bring such a fabulous profits.

There is another interesting thing. In the cultural layers of the IX-XI centuries on the territory of the order of archeologists find Arabic coins. It's just the way "from the Varangians to the Greeks". But since the end of the XI century and until the beginning of XIV century coins in the cultural layers disappear. It is also clear: the Crusades, the sharp impoverishment... But since the beginning of the XIV century coins appear again, and in large quantities, but this is Paris and gold ducats ECU. Occurs banking, has many bankers, changed...

And another random coincidence. The symbol of the knights Templar - eight red cross, and the Livonians around the same time you receive exactly the same, but black. Both Orders the same patron Saint Mary Magdalene. In Catholic cathedrals she is often depicted with a dagger in his hands. But only on the former lands of the Livonian order his arm somehow always portrayed with the cross of the knights Templar...

Another version refers to the Golden Horde. In 1257 took place the so-called Yellow Crusade led by the grandson of Genghis Khan - Hulagu. To smash the Baghdad Caliphate, to take Jerusalem and liberate the Holy Sepulchre went with him and the Nogai, the cousin of the Golden Horde Khan Berke, subsequently married a Euphrosyne, daughter of Michael Palaeologus.

When the Mongol army came to Palestine, the Christians were divided. One part headed by Boemondo V Antioch and Teutonic knights met the Mongols as liberators. Other (primarily the order of the Templars and Hospitallers) perceived as enemies - covered wells, not sold food, attacked the small units, was sent conductors who led Mongolian troops in the dry places and threw there to certain death.

In the midst of the fighting Hulegu Khan forced to leave the army and go to the Karakorum, the capital of Mongolian Empire. But on the eve of the battle when Holmes, the Nogay with 20-thousand army... they leave, at night, throwing a huge army to the mercy of fate. And, having made an unprecedented move, takes Constantinople, expels from there, the last Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire of Baldwin V, and builds on the throne of Michael Palaeologus.

In 1262 the army of Nogay returns to the capital of the Golden Horde, where the Nogay magnificently celebrating a wedding with Euphrosyne, daughter erected on the throne of the Emperor. At the celebration are: Alexander Nevsky), Metropolitan of all Russia Kirill, the master of the Teutonic and Livonian spiritual orders of knighthood and many of the knights Templar. Hold your wedding Nogai, all of this gathering is sent to Vladimir, where feasting on the occasion of the birth and christening of Daniel, the fourth son of Alexander Nevsky.

In 1263 year Alexander Nevsky dies, and the patronage of the orphan Daniel take the Templars. And on coming of age he receives as a gift the territory of Moscow. It should be said that Moscow was one of kontortv Templar, that is, the city of refuge.

Rules Daniel to 1303. When he died, his son John continued his father war with the princes of Ryazan and continued gathering of the Russian lands. From Chronicles known that from 1305 on 1314 year in Moscow came in very large quantities people: from the Horde, from Lithuania and from German.

The process of the Templars, recall that lasted from October 1307 March 1314.

...Not to Moscow, Lee left the galleys of La Rochelle?

It does not seem fantastic, in fact in the books Rabelais, French author of late XIV-early XV century, there is a description of a sea route in the Russian Northern ports around Scandinavia.

Is in the annals another interesting place. In 1307 Yuri Danilovich Moscow was in Novgorod together with the Novgorod Archbishop and others met "overseas Kalik" (i.e. Wanderers), arriving on 18 ships. And brought the beggars "countless great many Golden Treasury, pearls and kaminia precious". Jewels they bowed to the Prince Yuri and complained of "a lie of the Prince of the Gauls and the Pope".

Later, in 1318, when Mr. Danilovich pleaded with Mikhail of Tver, in the Horde, the Prince of Tver was accused that he "wanted to run away to the Germans with the Treasury and the Treasury to the Pope in Rome was released...".

There is talk about the Treasury and in 1447, when Metropolitan Isidor returned to Moscow after the Cathedral, by signing the Union of reuniting Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Then ruling Vasily the Dark again recalls about sending Treasury in Rome and sends Isidore resigned.

Did not like the Pope, and Ivan the terrible, comparing it with the wolf devours their puppies, and again spoke of a Treasury...

Symbols and signs of the Knights Templar can be seen in today's Moscow. On the first tier of the gate Church of the Holy Danilov monastery, the residence of the Patriarch, adorned with stucco rosettes: white square frame, four rings cut off the corners of the square, and in the center eight-petalled rose - the coat of arms of the knights Templar!

Alexander Peresvet, hero of the battle on the Kulikovo field, was a monk at the Simonov monastery, and his comrade-in-arms, hero of the same battle Rodion Oslyabya were, a monk of the Holy Danilov. Both are buried in the chapel of the Simonov monastery, on the territory of the factory "Dinamo". Their gravestones decorated with symbols of the knights Templar.

In the Simonov monastery, exterior painting of the main temple, bogoroditskaya Church, there are segments consisting of squares, which are comprised of four triangles: white, red, yellow, black! This mystical color of the Knights Templar. In Russia this ornament was never used.

The main treasure of the knights Templar

Before we continue our history, let's talk about the treasures of the knights Templar. Many researchers believe that the jewels out there - not the main thing. The main thing is the Holy Grail, who kept taglieri.

According to the beliefs of the Christians, the Holy Grail is a Cup which at the last supper Jesus Christ turned his blood into wine and from which the communion of the apostles, and three days later, Joseph of Arimathea, standing at the cross, gathered in her drops of the blood of Jesus. It is clear that for XPistian this priceless relic.

The Holy Grail very quickly left the territory of the Ancient Jews, Joseph of Arimathea took the Cup of Europe, the territory of today's England. The Cup was well known in the early Church, and in the year 258, after the death of the priest by the name of Lorenzo, which Pope Sixtus V instructed to worry about the safety of the Christian treasures disappeared.

Maybe the Cup hid the Templars?..

According to another version, the expression "Holy Grail" is hidden, symbolic meaning. On the one hand, this is the Cup, and on the other, the blood descendants of Jesus, "sang RAL", "sang real" or "sang royal" - "Royal blood". Many of the documents indicate that in the Jewish Jerusalem temple was hidden official archive, concerning the Israeli Royal family, all certificates of births and marriages, various paper that has any large family. Documents concerning Jesus, "the King of the Jews", apparently, is also located there. But this is not all.

Many researchers of antiquity believe in Judea, preaching Christ, just couldn't be married. And if he was single, it would have been mentioned in the Gospels as a rather unusual and even for that time shocking.

Some researchers think that is described in the Gospels wedding in Cannes Galilee was actually the wedding of Christ. If you read the description carefully, you really start to pay attention to some oddities. Christ, according to the Church, a poor carpenter, have not yet begun his preaching, was invited to a rich wedding, and turns water into wine. And Manager, wondering quality wines, thanks groom. Is it not the bridegroom Christ himself? Perhaps, thought so, and one of the most famous saints of the early Church Clement of Alexandria, who edited the" gospel of Mark and the scene of the wedding threw out. She remained in the gospel of John, written later.

On the role of the wife of Christ there are several candidates. Of course, the most famous is Mary Magdalene, which, by the way, the Templars was considered a spiritual patron. It has never been a prostitute. To understand this, it is enough again to read the gospel. In harlot Magdalene wrote much later. It is known that the disciples did not once complained to Christ, that he loves Magdalene more of them, and he answered: "why wouldn't I love her more than you?" If we remember that an unmarried woman in those years I could not travel even in the company, the assumption that she was the wife of Christ, puts everything in its place.

There are many other, not so significant facts that badly are joined with our knowledge about the mores of the time.

Some researchers believe that the Christ had children, and that paper with the family tree, leading to their line from the God-man, and kept Holy Templars.

Such relics could not leave indifferent the great dictators of the last century. The interest of Hitler to the whole mystical caused numerous expeditions of the SS to Tibet. But Hitler was interested not only Buddhist, and Christian relics. Some historians believe that the Anschluss was largely because in this country, according to legend, was kept the spear of Longinus (who was killed on the cross Christ), one of the symbols of world power.

Interested Fuhrer and the legacy of the knights Templar. It is known that he was looking for the Grail worldwide, equipping expeditions including to the Caucasus, where, according to some, the legendary bowl was hidden in one of the caves.

The first version is about the stay of the Templars in the Livonian order was expressed by the archaeologist and historian Otto RAS - Baltic German. A treasure of the knights Templar, he began in 1930. He sought, however, mainly gold, considering that the Templars in their thrift had something to save for a rainy day. He explored the ruins of Montsegur castle Languedoc, Konigsberg and Latvia. But in 1937 the Russian Academy of Sciences suddenly disappeared. According to rumors, he found a small treasure of the knights Templar and decided that he and his grandchildren will be enough till the end of time. So he changed the name, appearance and... disappeared, vanished for all who knew him before.

The Germans started investigation into the Wound in 1941, simultaneously trying to find out some information about where it may be Grail. But didn't find anything.

...In March 1945 from Koenigsberg in Moscow by airplane was taken preserved all the archives of the Livonian order. They say that Stalin, informed by Soviet intelligence, also very interested in the search...