What Is a Templar Preceptory?
A preceptory (sometimes called a commanderie in French, or a commenda in Italian) was a local house of the Knights Templar. It was the basic administrative unit of the Order, and it was here that the brothers lived, worked, and prayed. The Templars maintained a network of hundreds of preceptories and commanderies across Latin Christendom, and the network was the foundation of the Order’s economic and political power.
This article explains what a preceptory was and how it worked. It is a companion to The Preceptories and Commanderies and to Templar Banking and the Temple in London.
The Structure of a Preceptory
A Templar preceptory was typically composed of several elements:
- A church or chapel, often round or with a circular nave, in imitation of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The round church was a distinctive feature of many Templar foundations, and it is one of the most recognizable features of the Order’s architecture.
- A residential complex for the brothers, including a dormitory, a refectory, a chapter house, and a master’s house. The dormitory was usually a large hall where the brothers slept on simple beds.
- Agricultural buildings, including barns, stables, and granaries. The agricultural buildings were essential to the self-sufficiency of the preceptory, and they often produced surpluses that were sold at local markets.
- Workshops for the brothers, including a forge, a carpentry shop, and a textile shop. The workshops produced goods for the Order’s own use and for sale.
- A cemetery for the brothers who died in the preceptory.
- Administrative buildings, including a hall for the preceptory’s business.
The preceptory was typically surrounded by a wall or a moat, and the entrance was usually through a gatehouse. The wall and gatehouse were necessary for the security of the preceptory, and they were a defensive feature as well.
For more on the architecture, see The Templar Cross and Mantle and Temple Church in London.
The Preceptor
The preceptory was headed by a Preceptor (sometimes called a Commander or Master), who was a brother of the Order appointed by the Grand Master or by the Provincial Master. The Preceptor was responsible for the day-to-day management of the preceptory, including the administration of the Order’s properties, the recruitment of new brothers, and the discipline of the brothers.
The Preceptor was assisted by a small staff of brothers and lay servants. The most important of these were the chaplain, the steward, and the knight-bailiff.
The Brothers
The brothers of the preceptory were of three kinds:
- Knights (fratres milites): The noble members of the Order, who bore arms. The knights wore the white mantle with the red cross and were the military backbone of the Order.
- Sergeants (fratres servientes): The non-noble members of the Order, who served as soldiers, administrators, and craftsmen. The sergeants wore a brown or black mantle.
- Chaplains (fratres capellani): The priests of the Order, who served the religious needs of the brothers. The chaplains were ordained priests, and they wore a brown or black mantle.
The distinction between the three classes. See What Was a Templar Sergeant?.
The Day at a Preceptory
The day at a preceptory followed the rhythm of the monastic horarium, with the brothers rising in the middle of the night for the night office, and then attending a series of services throughout the day. The brothers were also expected to participate in manual labor, in the cultivation of the preceptory’s lands, and in the defense of the preceptory.
The Rule of the Order, the Latin Rule (Regula Latina), prescribed in detail how the brothers were to live. The brothers were required to sleep in dormitories, eat in silence, and were forbidden personal property. The Rule. See What the Rule of the Templars Said.
Examples of Preceptories
The Templars maintained hundreds of preceptories across Latin Christendom. Some of the most important include:
- The Temple in London: The principal English house. See Temple Church in London.
- The Temple in Paris: The principal French house, and the headquarters of the Order.
- Temple Ewell, in Kent, with the remains of the Templar chapel.
- Temple Bruer, in Lincolnshire, with the remains of the Templar church.
- South Witham, in Lincolnshire, with the remains of the Templar church.
- Garway, in Herefordshire, with the remains of the Templar church.
- The Convent of Christ in Tomar, the principal Portuguese house. See The Order of Christ in Portugal.
- The Castle of Monzón, a major commandery in Aragon.
For the full list of preceptories, see The Preceptories and Commanderies.
The Suppression of the Preceptories
The suppression of 1312 had a major impact on the Templars’ network of preceptories. The Order’s estates were transferred, by the bull Ad providam, to the Knights Hospitaller. In practice, however, the transfer was uneven, and much of the Order’s property was simply confiscated by the various secular rulers.
In England, the Templars’ estates were largely confiscated by the crown, and many of the preceptories were eventually sold or granted to private individuals. In France, the estates were also confiscated by the crown. In Iberia, the Templars’ estates were absorbed into other orders.
The story of the suppression is told in The Trial and Suppression of the Knights Templar and in What Happened to Templar Treasure?.
Visiting Templar Preceptories
Many of the Templars’ preceptories are still standing, often in ruins but sometimes in remarkable condition. Some of the most important surviving sites include:
- Temple Church, in London. See Temple Church in London.
- Temple Ewell, in Kent, with the remains of the Templar chapel.
- Temple Bruer, in Lincolnshire, with the remains of the Templar church.
- South Witham, in Lincolnshire, with the remains of the Templar church.
- Garway, in Herefordshire, with the remains of the Templar church.
- The Convents of the Order of Christ, in Tomar, Portugal. See The Order of Christ in Portugal.
- The Castle of Monzón, in Aragon.
Conclusion
A Templar preceptory was a local house of the Knights Templar, the basic administrative unit of the Order. The preceptory was the place where the brothers lived, worked, and prayed, and the network of preceptories was the foundation of the Order’s economic and political power. The destruction of this network by the suppression of 1312 was a major blow to the Order, and it had a lasting impact on the economic life of medieval Europe.