These are days to mark on the calendar, those that go from 31 March to 2 April 2023days in which it can be pleasant and even instructive to go to Biot where the events and initiatives connected with “Biot and the Templars 2023”.
Who were the Templars?
The Templar Order is a religious and military order that operated during the 12th and 13th centuries to support and protect pilgrims heading to Jerusalem, victims of atrocities and assassinations.
The order of the Templars appeared in the 12th century, following the capture of Jerusalem by the Persians and Arabs in 1099. In these times of crusades, pilgrimages to the Holy Land became dangerous and paths uncertain. For this, in 1118, Hugues de Payns grouped his companions in an order called “The Poor Knights of Christ”, formed to ensure the “surveillance of the road” between “the port of disembarkation” and Jerusalem and thus ensure the safety of pilgrims .
At first concentrated in the East, the knights were greatly appreciated by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem. He then welcomed them into his palace and assigned them the Temple of Solomon, and it was thus that the Poor Knights of Christ became Knights Templar or Templars.
In 1129 and 1140 the rules of the Order are established in detail. The knights must then wear a specific dress, consisting of a white robe with a vermilion cross on the heart or on the shoulder.
Subsequently, the Temple of Solomon was entrusted to them and the Order of the Templars expanded thanks to multiple donations and rigorous land management.
The Templars then settled in “houses”, later called “commende”. By the end of the 13th century, there were already 9,000 commanderies in the West, of which 3,000 were in France, and by 1150, 29 “houses” were in Provence.
The Templars live in the commanderies in a monastic way. Indeed, apart from their mission of protection, they are no longer soldiers and respond to the vows of poverty, chastity and prayer.
The Templars and Biot
In 1209, Count Alfonso II of Provence issued a deed of donation to the Order of the Templars authorizing the enjoyment of part of the lands of Biot. In Biot the possessions of the Temple were first managed by the commandery of Grasse and it was only in 1233 that the Knights Templar moved to their new “home”, located in the ancient castle of Biot.
Today the building is still visible, it is the building that separates the Place de l’Eglise from the Place aux Arcades.
The commandery of Biot thus includes the usual distribution of the houses of the Order: the commander’s room, a large hall, a cellar, a tower with a basement, sheds, stables, large gardens made up of almond trees, fig trees and vines. Each house is assigned from two to four knights, a chaplain, squires and brothers in service.
Unlike others, the Commandery of Biotoise cultivates its land. Knights seasonally employ farmhands to help with the harvest. The income of the commandery is therefore clearly higher than that of the other houses.
In the course of the donations, the territory of the Templars of Biot grew, especially from 1226 to 1260. The territory extended from Villeneuve-Loubet to Clausonnes via the Golf de Biot.
The Knights Templar thus form the territorial unit of Biot, they constitute an important domain which attracts a certain greed.
As the 14th century dawned, the Western Templars became unpopular. While respecting monastic life and rules, many are accused of living in opulence due to the many riches accumulated thanks to the donations received.
In 1307, the Templars were arrested by order of King Philippe Le Bel who planned to annihilate them in order to obtain their riches.
Biot, located in Provence, did not depend on royal authority: just three and a half months after the arrests in France, by order of Charles II le Boiteux, Count of Provence, the knights of Biot were arrested and imprisoned in Perthuis.
Following these arrests, Pope Clement V attributed the wealth of the Order of the Temple to the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, who in 1530 became the Knights of Malta.
Biot and the Templars in the 21st century
In 2009, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the gift of the Compte de Provence to the Order of the Temple, the City of Biot organized the first “Biot and the Templars” festival. »
Three days of celebration, with many activities scheduled: historical reconstruction, concerts, costumes, conferences, torchlight vigil, reproduction of a 13th century camp, pilgrimages, fire shows, tournaments and introduction to archery, medieval shops, market medieval, craft stalls …
Installed on the Fontanette site and in the heart of the village, Biot et les Templiers welcomes more than 10,000 people for this first edition. Under the impetus of Jean-Pierre Dermit, the experience is renewed and expanded to welcome nearly 50,000 visitors in 2014.
Interrupted for several years notably due to the health crisis, Biot et les Templiers returns on March 31, April 1 and 2, 2023 for even more shows, entertainment, re-enactments and magic.
Biot program and the Templars 2023:
- Exhibition Biot and the Templars from 31 March to 2 April 2023
Friday 31 March 2023 – Grand opening night
- Opening of exhibitions
- Opening parade
- Evening concert and event
Saturday 1 April 2023 – First day of entertainment and shows
- Opening of the medieval market
- Opening camps, taverns, workshops
- Evening entertainment and concert
Sunday 2 April 2023 – Closing day
- Medieval market
- Camps, taverns, workshops
- Enclosure of Biot and the Templars
All admissions are free and free.
