Jacques de Molay - The Last Knight Templar

Born in Vitrey-sur-Mance, currently located in the department of Haute-Saône, France, though at the time the village belonged to the County of Burgundy. Jacques de Molay was born in the year 1244 in a small family of French nobility. Very little is known about his childhood and adolescence.

In their 21 years of age, as many sons of European nobility, de Molay joined the Order of the Knights Templar, an organization sanctioned by the Roman Catholic Church in 1128 to guard the road between Jerusalem and Acre, the last, the time, an important port in the Mediterranean Sea. The Order of Knights Templar participated in the Crusades and earned a name for valor and heroism.

Noble from across Europe sent their children to be Knights Templar, and this has made the Order were to become very wealthy and popular throughout Europe and the Middle East.

In 1298, Jacques de Molay was named Grand Master of the Knights Templar, a position of power and prestige.

Took office after the death of his predecessor Thibaud Gaudin, the same year - 1298.

As Grand Master, Jacques went through a difficult position since the Crusades were not achieving their goals. The non-Christian Saracens defeated the Crusaders in battle. capturing vital cities and ports of the Knights Templar and Hospitaller (another Order of Knights) leaving only one group match against Saracens.

The Templars decided then to regroup and regain their strength. They traveled to the island of Cyprus, waiting for the general public to stand up in support of another Crusade.

Instead of public support, as always, the Knights attracted the attention of powerful feudal lords, many of them his relatives, because to enter the order would have to belong to the nobility. In 1305, Philip IV, "the beautiful ", King of France, decided to take control of the Templars to prevent the rise in power of the order of the Catholic Church. The King was a friend of Jacques de Molay, a godson of his sons was the same, the dauphin Charles, who more later became the King of France as Charles IV. Even though his friend, the king of France tried to join the order of the Templars and Hospitallers, for he felt that the two orders were a major economic power. Philip IV knew that the Knights Templar had several properties and other types of wealth.

Without obtaining the desired success, which was to combine the two orders and become an absolute leader, the king of France then pitched a plan to end the Knights Templar, having called a French nobleman named Floyran Corner. What would such a noble mission to denigrate the image of the Templars and their Grand Master Jacques de Molay, and in return would receive land belonging to the Templars take them down soon after.
O ano de 1307 viu o começo da perseguição aos cavaleiros. Apesar de possuir um exército com cerca de 15 mil homens, Jacques de Molay havia ido a França para o funeral de um membro feminino da Casa Real Francesa e havia levado consigo poucos cavaleiros. Na madrugada de 13 de outubro, ele e seus homens foram capturados e lançados nas masmorras por um homem de confiança do rei Filipe IV, Guilherme de Nogaret.
For seven years, Jacques de Molay and the Knights suffered torture and imprisoned in subhuman conditions. Meanwhile, Philip IV managed the forces of Pope Clement V to condemn the Templars. Their wealth and property were confiscated and given to Philip's.

After three trials, Jacques de Molay remained loyal to his friends and riders. He declined to reveal the location of the funds of the Order, and refused to betray his comrades. On March 18, 1314, was taken to the Special Court. As evidence, the Court relied on forged confession, allegedly signed by de Molay. Desmestiu therefore the same denominations. Under the laws of the time, the penalty for denying a confession was death. He was tried by Pope Clement V, and as Jacques de Molay, another rider, Guy d'Auvergne, recanted his confession and both were convicted. King Philip IV the Fair, both were ordered burned that day, and thus the story of Jacques DeMolay became a testimonial to loyalty and friendship. De Molay died for their 70 years of age on March 18, 1314.
During his death at the stake for his three tormentors summoned to appear before the tribunal of God, cursing the descendants of the then king of France, Philip IV the Fair. The first to die was Pope Clement V, shortly after the head of the guard and royal adviser, and William of Nogaret on November 27, 1314 King Philip IV died with their 46 years of idade.