Tag Archives: Knights Templar

Temple House, Sligo, Ireland

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Temple House Sligo and Knights Templar castle

Temple House, Sligo, Ireland

It’s a little-known fact that rainy northwest Ireland hides the ruins of a Knights Templar castle – and it’s in the place you least expect: on the grounds of a 4-star manor hotel. The gorgeous Georgian manor, Temple House, gets its name from its Templar connection. Looming dramatically from the windblown fields, visitors will literally stumble over the crumbling ruins of a Templar church and castle just outside the stately home. The house was built in 1825 on a large 1,000-acre estate on lands that once granted to the Knights Templar in 1216. The Perceval family has lived on the lands since the 17th century, and continues to reside on-site today (the current Perceval owner of the house is also your friendly host to anyone lucky enough to snag an overnight stay at the manor house), with just a minor break when the house was briefly sold for lack of funds before being bought back almost immediately by another member of the Perceval family. The Percevals claims to trace their history all the way back to Sir Perceval, a knight of King Arthur’s Round Table, with another ancestor taking part of William the Conquerer’s raid of England. The castle may not look particularly “Templar” but this is because it was modified in the 1600s to fit the trendy Anglo-Irish idyll of domestic castle living. Windows were widened, rooms expanded, and ceilings raised, all in the name of comfort (by the 1600s, invasions in Ireland were a thing of the past as the island was firmly under British rule). Anyone yearning for old-world charm coupled with a connection to history and mythology will love a quiet country break in Temple House surrounded by country comfort and fascinating history from two very different periods of time.

Tip: The breakfast in the lavish dining hall is a fantastic way to start your day. Take the time to chat with owner Roderick; once you get him talking about local history, you’re in for a treat!

More Fascinating Irish History

Church of Vera Cruz, Segovia, Spain

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church-of-Vera-Cruz-near-Segovia

Church of Vera Cruz in Segovia, Spain

Unique, isn’t it? This squat, sunburnt little Romanesque tower and 12-sided polygon of a church on the outskirts of Segovia is impressive – and not the least because it dates back to the Middle Ages – the 13th century in fact. And who founded it? Why, none other than the infamous Knights Templar! More simply called “The Templars,” were a Catholic military organisation founded in 1139 by the pope. Most people know that they are closely tied to the Crusades to the Holy Land but what is less known is that they became very wealthy and therefore very powerful due to their role involved in the Christian bourse. Though the Templars are among some of the most skilled fighters of the Middle Ages (a fact that modern day video game Assassin’s Creed has exploited), roughly 90% of their order weren’t fighters. While the combatants where wrestling for the Holy Land, the non-combatants were slowly making a power play. It was they who put in place the economic infrastructure such as banking, loans, investments and the creation of landed estates (essentially paving the way for feudalism, and one might argue, capitalism) – all of only made them more rich. Part of their money went to building shrines to their movement – churches dedicated to the Holy Land they held so dear. One such place was the Church of Vera Cruz – a fantastic example of the kind sanctuary they perfected and how it differs from later churches. In fact, scripture from the Holy Land is inscribed at the alter of this little Spanish church. However, the Templars’ reign was short-lived. Such wealth gave them power, and power made them detested. Once they lost the Crusades, it was quite easy to demonise them – especially it you owed them money. One of those in their debt was none other than King Philip of France who took advantage of their fall from grace to blame, torture, and murder them to avoid repayment on his debt, forcing Pope Clement the V to disband them in 1312. The Templars disappeared in the early 1300s but they left behind a mysterious legacy – one that continues to inspire goosebumps to this day….

Pro tip: The Church of Vera Cruz lies just outside of the cluster of buildings in the historic centre. It’s open Tuesdays 16 – 19h and Wed – Sun from 10h30 – 19h (closed midday from 13h30 – 16h). Admission is a modest €2. 

Other Churches of Southern Europe: