Hospitallers, Templars, merchants and pilgrims
Who ran the castles and towns, who lived in and around them, and what everyday life left behind.
The Hospitallers
By 1080, monks led by Brother Gerard ran a hospital in Jerusalem for pilgrims who fell ill. Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order The museum tells the story of an order that began by caring for sick pilgrims in 11th-century Jerusalem. Museum of the Order of St John: home page
The Hospitallers cared for anyone, whatever their race or faith. Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order
Their symbol is a white eight-pointed cross on a black background. Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order The same eight-pointed cross is now the badge of St John Ambulance. Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order
The Templars
The Temple Church says Hugh of Payns, a knight of Champagne, founded the Templars in 1118 to 1119. The Temple Church: The 12th Century, 1119 to 1187 English Heritage describes the Templars as a military and religious order set up at the time of the Crusades to protect pilgrims to the Holy Land. English Heritage: History of Temple Manor
Besides the monks’ vows, the Templars took a fourth vow: to protect pilgrims in the Holy Land. The Temple Church: The 12th Century, 1119 to 1187
Probably no more than two knights lived at Temple Manor all the time. English Heritage: History of Temple Manor
In 1307 King Philip of France first seized the Templars’ possessions. English Heritage: History of Temple Manor The Temple Church timeline gives 1307 to 1312 for the suppression of the Templars. The Temple Church: To the End of the Templars, 1231 to 1312
Kings, popes and rulers
The Crusades began with Pope Urban II’s call to take Jerusalem and the places in the East that were sacred to Christians. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: Timeline
Baldwin I, King of Jerusalem, and the Genoese fleet besieged Acre by land and sea until it fell. ICOMOS evaluation for UNESCO: Old City of Acre (2001)
Richard the Lionheart retook the city in 1191, in the Third Crusade, after a siege of almost two years. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: Timeline Richard the Lionheart and Saladin were enemies, yet the Old Akko timeline says they became friendly: Saladin sent doctors when Richard was ill, and gave him his best horses. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: Timeline
Henry II gave the manor of Strood to the Knights Templar in 1159. English Heritage: History of Temple Manor
When Henry VIII broke from the Catholic Church, the Order in England was dissolved and its lands seized by the Crown. Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order
The Museum of the Order of St John says: “The Order remained on Rhodes until 1522, when the Turkish Sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, conquered the island.” Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order
Merchants and pilgrims
Genoese, Venetian and Pisan merchants built their own quarters near the port. ICOMOS evaluation for UNESCO: Old City of Acre (2001) Spices, precious stones, raw materials, plants and textiles were bought and sold in Acre’s markets. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: Timeline
People in Crusader Acre spoke Old French with Italian and Arabic words mixed in; it was the language of trade. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: Timeline
After a long decline, Acre was still the main entry port for Christian pilgrims visiting Jerusalem. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Old City of Acre
The Order was organised into seven “tongues”, each with its own inn. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Medieval City of Rhodes They include St John’s cathedral, the Grand Master’s Palace and auberges, the inns of the Order’s tongues. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: City of Valletta
Everyday life
In the Hospitaller complex, a 10-metre-tall vaulted toilet room had rows of eight seats draining into a collection room below. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: The Knights Halls Finding a complete public toilet system like this is rare; the few similar ones are in 13th and 14th century monasteries and hospitals in England and Wales. Old Akko & Nazareth Development Company: The Knights Halls
The Knights made and exported a sweet wine, the “vin de Commanderie”; Commandaria wine has kept the name for eight centuries. Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Cyprus: Kolossi Medieval Castle Next to the castle are the ruins of a 14th-century sugar mill. Deputy Ministry of Tourism, Cyprus: Kolossi Medieval Castle
A 1308 inventory of the church lists two pairs of organs. The Temple Church: To the End of the Templars, 1231 to 1312 In the Middle Ages the walls had bright painted lozenges and banners hung from the columns. The Temple Church: The 12th Century, 1119 to 1187
Later, as the offices of the Master of the Revels, the Clerkenwell buildings saw thirty of Shakespeare’s plays licensed. Museum of the Order of St John: History of the Order
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