The Forgotten Naval Order

<p>The Knights Templar are remembered as warriors of the cross charging into battle clad in white mantles and red crosses and as pioneers of medieval finance who built Europe's first international banking system. Yet beneath these familiar images lies a forgotten story-one of ships harbors and fleets that made the order not only a military brotherhood but a formidable maritime power.</p><p></p><p>From their fortified ports in Acre and La Rochelle to their fleets that patrolled the Mediterranean the Atlantic and the Channel the Templars turned the sea into their highway. They transported pilgrims safely across treacherous waters organized convoys of treasure that underpinned their finances and fought naval battles that shaped the fate of crusader states. Their maritime system was a network of ports ships and disciplined commanders that connected Christendom from the British Isles to the Levant.</p><p></p><p>The Forgotten Naval Order restores the Templars' seafaring legacy to its rightful place in history. Drawing on archaeology records and enduring myths it reveals how the order's fleets carried not only cargo but the very lifeblood of crusading Europe. More than a hidden chapter of the Middle Ages the Templars at sea were a cornerstone of medieval naval power-an identity long overshadowed by their castles and cavalry but one that shaped both the crusades and the dawn of European exploration.</p>