Tingling Across Shoulders

The question of Chinon Tradition

Ancora due parole in merito alla questione di Chinon (cfr. il precedente post  http://tradizionetemplare.blogspot.com/2008/11/ ).

This time we talk about the claim of Barbara Frale in the book "The Papacy and the trial of the Templars" (Viella, 2003), about the possibility that the interrogation of detained dignitaries at Chinon was conducted in a confidential and discreet, to be to suspect that happen without the knowledge of the French king.

This event is much affected by the existence of a letter to the cardinals Frédol Bérenger, Etienne de Suisy and Landolfo Brancacci, appointed by the pope to question the staff of the Temple, sent to King Philip to give notice of their arrival Chinon, as indicated by the same Pontiff. The letter is
cited in the text of Pierre Dupuy, "Histoire de la condannation des Templiers" (edition of 1713) in Volume I, p.. 119,

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and is even reproduced in full in the next edition of 1751 ("Histoire militaire de l'Ordre des Templiers"), at pp. 240, 241 and 242.

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Consequently Clemente V never had the sincere intention to claim for itself the management of the deal on the Templars, being, as we have seen, completely dominated by the French king.

However, with respect to the famous parchment, which has been much debated (often inappropriately), containing the useless and hypocritical absolution from the sentence of excommunication , it is reasonable assume that the document was already known by some historians.

Just to cite one example, Gaetano Lamattina, page. 275 of his important book "The Knights Templar in history" (Edizioni Templar, 1981), refers to the dossier on the "Inquisition against the Templars completed by the cardinals Berengar, titular church of SS. Black and Achilles and Stephen, owner of San Ciriaco in TERMIS " , indicated with the famous signature" ASV, Arm. D 217 (August 1308).
A coincidence? It would seem not.

However, as pointed out repeatedly, this is a document over-emphasized, so much so that a series of clues leads to the conclusion too artificial to the content. The suggestion, by no means unfounded, was sharply illustrated by Loretta Empire in the short essay entitled "Chinon 1308: the interrogation of the dignitaries of the Temple", contained in "Proceedings of the XXVI Congress of Research Templar" (Penne and Papyri, 2009, pp. 61/78) and the which refers to a more comprehensive discussion of the whole matter.