Knights Templar in the county of Flanders. Formation, implantation and the impact of the patrimony on the landscape (1127-1370)

In the run-up to the Council of Troyes in the year 1129 and shortly after the return of Hugo de Payen to the Champagne region (Fr.) in 1127, the Knights Templar received also various donations in the county of Flanders. The counts of Flanders were among the great donors and many others followed their example. This patrimony was invariably expanded, creating a considerable 'Templar landscape' within the period of 1127-1307. But how did this Templar landscape originate and what did this patrimony mean within the county of Flanders? What exactly did this patrimony consist of? What was donated and how were these possessions used in function of the administration of the Templar Order? After all, the total amount of their properties is much larger than the commanderies alone with the immediately adjacent land. To better understand the Templar landscape in its entirety and complexity, the location of a diversity of possessions in the landscape is an important factor. What did the property in the urban context mean compared to the property in the rural context within the whole of this Templar landscape? This research will investigate how to understand the interplay and impact between these assets and the surrounding landscape. The first inventory of goods drawn up by the Order of Saint John in the year 1370 is therefore an important source where various other historical sources (including land surveys, charters, fiefbooks, …) will be placed next to this. The context in which the Templar landscape took shape and the impact of the Templar property on the landscape is the foundation of this research. Telling the story from this point of view is another angle that differs markedly from what and how has been written about the Knights Templar so far. This research can therefore offer an interesting and important added value to gain a better insight into the Knights Templar in the county of Flanders.