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The Templar Treasure at Gisors
A comprehensive examination of the enigma of the Templars and their lost treasure based on original source documents.
• Considers the possibility that the medieval castle of Gisors hides the Templar treasure.
• Examines all the evidence for a secret order within the Templars, whose heretical ideology brought down the wrath of King Philip of France.
When French King Philip the Fair ordered the arrest of the Knights Templars and the confiscation of their property in 1307, the Templars were one of the most powerful forces in Europe, answerable only to the Pope. It was also one of the richest, despite its knights' vow of poverty. Yet not a penny of their immense treasure was ever found. The hunt for this lost treasure has centered on a number of locations, among which is the medieval city of Gisors, a site on the Normandy and French border that is honeycombed with complex underground passageways and chambers. Mysteriously, all attempts to discover what may be concealed in these subterranean corridors are rigorously discouraged by contemporary authorities.
The enigma of the treasure is but one of the many unsolved mysteries concerning this order that continues to haunt our imaginations. Who were these "poor knights of Christ" who made denial of Jesus a requirement of acceptance into the order? What were their true purposes and what was the nature of their secret that drew the wrath of the king of France down on their heads? Was there really a treasure and, if so, what was it--material wealth or something more powerful, such as the Holy Grail or the secret to the philosopher's stone? Was there a secret order within the order that authorized the heretical practices for which they were condemned? In a search for answers to these and other questions, Celtic and medieval scholar Jean Markale goes back to original source documents in an attempt to clear away the baseless assumptions that have sprung up about the Templars and to shine new light on their activities.
• Considers the possibility that the medieval castle of Gisors hides the Templar treasure.
• Examines all the evidence for a secret order within the Templars, whose heretical ideology brought down the wrath of King Philip of France.
When French King Philip the Fair ordered the arrest of the Knights Templars and the confiscation of their property in 1307, the Templars were one of the most powerful forces in Europe, answerable only to the Pope. It was also one of the richest, despite its knights' vow of poverty. Yet not a penny of their immense treasure was ever found. The hunt for this lost treasure has centered on a number of locations, among which is the medieval city of Gisors, a site on the Normandy and French border that is honeycombed with complex underground passageways and chambers. Mysteriously, all attempts to discover what may be concealed in these subterranean corridors are rigorously discouraged by contemporary authorities.
The enigma of the treasure is but one of the many unsolved mysteries concerning this order that continues to haunt our imaginations. Who were these "poor knights of Christ" who made denial of Jesus a requirement of acceptance into the order? What were their true purposes and what was the nature of their secret that drew the wrath of the king of France down on their heads? Was there really a treasure and, if so, what was it--material wealth or something more powerful, such as the Holy Grail or the secret to the philosopher's stone? Was there a secret order within the order that authorized the heretical practices for which they were condemned? In a search for answers to these and other questions, Celtic and medieval scholar Jean Markale goes back to original source documents in an attempt to clear away the baseless assumptions that have sprung up about the Templars and to shine new light on their activities.
- GenresHistory
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Jean Markale
188 books43 followersJean Markale is the pen name of Jean Bertrand, a French writer, poet, radio show host, lecturer, and retired Paris high school French teacher.
He has published numerous books about Celtic civilisation and the Arthurian cycle. His particular specialties are the place of women in the Celtic world and the Grail cycle.
His many works have dealt with subjects as varied as summations of various myths, the relationships of same with occult subjects like the Templars, Cathars, the Rennes le Château mystery, Atlantis, the megalith building civilisations, druidism and so on, up to and including a biography of Saint Columba.
While Markale presents himself as being very widely read on the subjects about which he writes, he is nonetheless surrounded by controversy regarding the value of his work. Critics allege that his 'creative' use of scholarship and his tendency to make great leaps in reasoning cause those following the more normative (and hence more conservative) mode of scholars to balk. As well as this, his interest in subjects that his critics consider questionable, including various branches of the occult, have gained him at least as many opponents as supporters. His already weakened reputation was further tarnished in 1989, when he became involved in a plagiarism case, when he published under his own name a serious and well-documented guide to the oddities and antiquities of Brittany, the text of which had already been published twenty years before by a different writer through the very same publisher.
Also a source of controversy is his repeated use of the concept of "collective unconscious" as an explanatory tool. This concept was introduced by Carl Jung, but in modern psychology it's rejected by the vast majority of psychologists.
He has published numerous books about Celtic civilisation and the Arthurian cycle. His particular specialties are the place of women in the Celtic world and the Grail cycle.
His many works have dealt with subjects as varied as summations of various myths, the relationships of same with occult subjects like the Templars, Cathars, the Rennes le Château mystery, Atlantis, the megalith building civilisations, druidism and so on, up to and including a biography of Saint Columba.
While Markale presents himself as being very widely read on the subjects about which he writes, he is nonetheless surrounded by controversy regarding the value of his work. Critics allege that his 'creative' use of scholarship and his tendency to make great leaps in reasoning cause those following the more normative (and hence more conservative) mode of scholars to balk. As well as this, his interest in subjects that his critics consider questionable, including various branches of the occult, have gained him at least as many opponents as supporters. His already weakened reputation was further tarnished in 1989, when he became involved in a plagiarism case, when he published under his own name a serious and well-documented guide to the oddities and antiquities of Brittany, the text of which had already been published twenty years before by a different writer through the very same publisher.
Also a source of controversy is his repeated use of the concept of "collective unconscious" as an explanatory tool. This concept was introduced by Carl Jung, but in modern psychology it's rejected by the vast majority of psychologists.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 29, 2021
I’ve read plenty about the Templars over the years, but I found this to be an odd, esoteric book. It actually has very little to do with Gisors and it clearly states that 3 Templars occupied the castle there for only a few short months. It attempts to debunk any mythology associated with the Templars (think Arthurian/Grail), as well as any ritual practices.
I found the ordering of the sections didn’t work as a whole. The first part deals with locations associated with the Templars and the histories of conflict in those regions (like Normandy) without providing a lot of context. Part 2 then circles back and addresses the Templars themselves 100+ pages in. The final section looks at the heresies they were accused of. By then I’d already forgotten the contents of the first part and the relevance of Gisors (or any other site) to the Templars.
There were some interesting conclusions presented here, though Markale doesn’t attempt to define what the treasure is. The only reason Gisors is mentioned as a possible treasure repository is because it is known to contain miles of underground tunnels. But the likelihood of the Templars using it as such is pretty much nil. Markale never makes definitive claims or provides concrete answers. Really, this is more of a scholarly work about Templar lore.
I found the ordering of the sections didn’t work as a whole. The first part deals with locations associated with the Templars and the histories of conflict in those regions (like Normandy) without providing a lot of context. Part 2 then circles back and addresses the Templars themselves 100+ pages in. The final section looks at the heresies they were accused of. By then I’d already forgotten the contents of the first part and the relevance of Gisors (or any other site) to the Templars.
There were some interesting conclusions presented here, though Markale doesn’t attempt to define what the treasure is. The only reason Gisors is mentioned as a possible treasure repository is because it is known to contain miles of underground tunnels. But the likelihood of the Templars using it as such is pretty much nil. Markale never makes definitive claims or provides concrete answers. Really, this is more of a scholarly work about Templar lore.
May 25, 2018
Excellent example of one author's analyses of the myths, legends, and outright fabrications regarding the Templars.
March 11, 2025
Well researched examination of the Templars, but alas, no treasure here. The hunt continues...
February 9, 2014
I felt dissatisfied with this treatment of the Templars. The title is somewhat misleading as Markale does not discuss the fate of the treasure. Instead this is a general history that attempts to answer questions about this misunderstood and mysterious order of warrior monk knights. Much of it I already knew. In the end he never answers the questions, and much of what he concludes is mere speculation. The style is somewhat rambling and unexciting. Certainly worth reading but the quest for the truth about the Templars goes on.
April 22, 2015
Pretty boring and self-centered. If it were an photo it would be a selfie. Just quit and retirement it to the library.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews