Clermont, France The city of Clermont-Ferrand in Central France was the site of one of the most important moments in the history of the Church. Prior to the Second Council of Clermont in 1095, Catholicism and the Papacy were purely religious entities, though with enormous influence over Christian Europe. After the council, the Church was transformed into a major world power … [Read more...]
CATHEDRAL OF TROYES
Troyes, France The magnificent Troyes Cathedral is in good company with the great cathedrals of the cities of Central France, and for this it can be somewhat overlooked. It does not have a long association as a pilgrimage cathedral. Its primary relic, that of Bernard of Clairvaux, was not interred here until the late 18th century; and it is not located along the major … [Read more...]
MARIENBURG CASTLE
Malbork, Poland The Order of the Teutonic Knights was one of the three great knightly orders of the Middle Ages. In the wake of the collapse of the Crusades, the Teutonic Knights, like their brethren the Templars and Hospitallars, found themselves driven back into Europe. Composed mostly of soldiers from the German lands, they regrouped and reestablished themselves at … [Read more...]
CONVENT OF THE ORDER OF CHRIST
Tomar, Portugal When the Templars arrived in Western Iberia in 1160 AD, they built a string of fortresses to help secure their territories from the Moors. The greatest of these, the Convento de Christo, is the finest surviving medieval castle in Portugal and one of the finest surviving Templar fortresses anywhere. After their dissolution, most of what survived of the … [Read more...]
KRAK DES CHEVALIERS
Homs, Syria While Akko was the military headquarters of the Crusaders in the Holy Land, the Krak des Chevaliers was their greatest bastion. This tremendous fortress, first built by the Kurds and then later rebuilt by the Crusaders, is arguably one of the greatest castles in the world. It is certainly one of the greatest castles that survived the Middle Ages essentially … [Read more...]
CRUSADER CITY
Akko, Israel The city of Akko, or Acre as it was called by the Crusaders, was one of the most important and militarily strategic cities in the world for the better part of two hundred years. Christian warriors from Europe poured into this citadel on their way to do battle with the armies of Islam. It was from here that Hospitalers, Templars, Teutonic Knights and others … [Read more...]
