"A grim tall cluster of gloomy towers": The Maison du Temple in Paris (XIIth-XIVth centuries)

Under Capetians patronage, Knights Templars power in Western Europe enabled them to build up in the first half of XII century their principal French commandery in the northern periphery of Paris: the Enclos du Temple. The entire complex, composed by rampart walls, a defence tower (Tour de César), a series of buildings set to monastic life needs and a round-plan chapel (reproducing the Holy Sepulchre), was renewed in the XIII century by adding a stunning two-level porch to the western façade of the church and by building a new and prestigious residential tower, the Grosse Tour. Despite the Enclos withstood following the Order abolition in XIV century and the Knights of Malta extended control, it was definitively dismantled by the order of Napoleon I at the beginnings of XIX century after being used as French Crown prison during French Revolution period. Since archaeological surveys carried out in 2011 unearthed just the church chancel apse, not allowing a deep knowledge of commandery’s material appearance, an extensive PhD investigation is pursued with the aim of including different structures in architectural context and including a deep analysis of documentary, graphical and external sources. In contrast with its importance, Knights Templars commandery in Paris has been overlooked by the studies in the field, since the only one was published by Henry de Curzon in 1888.