Laon - La chapelle des Templiers

Laon, placed on a ridge and overlooking the flat Picardy plain, was a strategic, fortified site, already in Roman times. St. Remi founded a bishopric here in 487. Laon was a very important place in the kingdom of the Franks. After the fall of the Carolingians, Hugh Capet became the master of the town with the support of the bishop.

The Knights Templar founded a "commanderie" here in 1134. The octagonal chapel was built around 1140. Like many similar churches the Knights Templar erected all over Europe, this is a "copy" of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

In the early morning of the 13th October 1307 the fourteen Knights Templar, who lived in Laon, were arrested. That day more about 600 "templiers" were arrested all over France on instruction of Philip IV (aka "The Fair"). After the dissolution of the order the commandery was transferred to the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, the future "Order of Malta". By now the site is used by the municipal museum.