In 1099, immediately after the capture of Jerusalem, a…

“the Ordre de Sion was founded by Godfroi de Bouillon in 1090,”

— Michael Baigent

“between 1195 and 1220, Wolfram composed his epic romance Parzival, he conferred on the Templars a most exalted status.”

— Michael Baigent

“in March 1314, Jacques de Molay, the grand master, and Geoffroi de Charnay, preceptor of Normandy, were roasted to death over a slow fire.”

— Michael Baigent

“the first historical information on the Templars is provided by a Frankish historian, Guillaume de Tyre, who wrote between 1175 and 1185.”

— Michael Baigent

“in 1444, Cosimo founded Europe’s first public library, the Library of San Marco, and thus began to challenge the Church’s long monopoly of learning.”

— Michael Baigent

“The "treasure," he declared flatly, did not involve gold or precious stones. On the contrary, it consisted of "incontrovertible proof" that the Crucifixion was…

— Michael Baigent

“When the king’s head fell beneath the guillotine, an unknown man is reported to have leaped onto the scaffold. He dipped his hand in…

— Michael Baigent

“In 1956 a series of books, articles, pamphlets, and other documents relating to Bérenger Saunière and the enigma of Rennes-le-Chateau began to appear in…

— Michael Baigent

“Rennes-le-Château and its environs had been on the ancient pilgrim route, which ran from northern Europe to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.”

— Michael Baigent

“The Templars were sworn to poverty, chastity, and obedience.”

— Michael Baigent

“The final recorded act in the order’s history had been the burning of the last grand master, Jacques de Molay, in March 1314.”

— Michael Baigent

“the Temple of Solomon was founded in 1118.”

— Michael Baigent

“in 1522 the Templars’ Prussian progeny, the Teutonic Knights, secularized themselves, repudiated their allegiance to Rome, and threw their support behind an upstart rebel…

— Michael Baigent

“All members of the order were obliged to wear white habits of surcoats and cloaks, and these soon evolved into the distinctive white mantle…

— Michael Baigent

“To drink like a Templar" became a cliché of the time.”

— Michael Baigent