Tracing the Theoretical Templar Treasure Throughout France Part-2
- Charlotte Wheatley
- 6 days ago
- 9 min read
In this series, we are looking at various remarkable locations throughout France that have become closely linked with legends surrounding the elusive treasure of the Knights Templar. In the first part of this series, we explored the compelling theory that the Knights Templar successfully fled with their treasure in the wake of the royal edict that led to their mass arrest. We also delved into one of the most prominent sites tied to these legends: the Forest of Orient. In part two, we’ll journey through other locations across France that have become entwined with the enduring mystery of the Templar treasure.
Gisors
Gisors is located in Normandy, in northern France. It is a popular tourist attraction for its’ impressive medieval castle which was actually built by the English for protection against the French, this was a time where many parts of France were in English hands. Known for being a “Templar hot-spot”, the castle has been associated with buried treasure and attracts many Templar enthusiasts.
In the mid-12th century, the castle became a pawn in the English-French power struggle when it was included in the dowry of King Louis VII’s daughter, destined to marry the son of England’s King Henry II. To ensure a smooth transaction between the treaty and the wedding, the Templar took possession of the castle from 1158 to 1160. Historically speaking, a brief period of Templar presence seems insufficient to explain the modern fascination with Gisors. However, this short occupation is far from the town’s only link to the Order. Following the mass arrests of 1307, Gisors served as a preferred detention site for imprisoned Templar, where many awaited interrogation—often being tortured—before facing trial. Several sources, including Alain Demurger’s "La Persécution des Templiers", reveal the names of Knights imprisoned at Gisors—among them, none other than Jacques de Molay, the Order’s last Grand Master, who was held there before being transferred to Paris for his final trial. This detail is also recorded in the 1313 "Chroniques Métriques" by Godefroy de Paris:
“The Grand Master, who was in prison in Gisors at the time, was summoned. He was then released and taken to Paris.”
It was with Gerard de Sède’s 1962 book "Les Templiers Sont Parmi Nous" (which was mentioned in part-1 of this series) that the historical town of Gisors stepped into the limelight as a possible location for where the legendary Templar treasure might have been hidden away. De Sède relates the extraordinary account of Roger Lhomoy a warden at the castle from 1926 and through the Nazi occupation of Gisors. For a long time, Lhomoy had had suspicions that something was hidden in the large mound under the castle. In 1945 he started to dig a pit, using only what he had available, the warden dug to a depth of 21 metres, what he discovered was related in Gerard de Sède’s book:
"I'll never forget what I saw at that moment, because it was a fantastic sight. I'm in a Romanesque chapel made of Louveciennes stone, thirty metres long, nine metres wide and about four and a half metres high at the keystone. Immediately to my left, near the hole I passed through, is an altar, also made of stone, and its tabernacle, to my right, the rest of the building. Halfway up the walls, supported by stone corbels, are life-size statues of Christ and the twelve apostles. Along the walls, on the floor, stone sarcophagi two metres long and sixty centimetres wide: there are nineteen of them. And in the nave, what my light illuminates is incredible: thirty precious-metal chests, arranged in columns of ten. And the word chest is not enough: we should be talking about lying wardrobes, each measuring two metres twenty long, one metre eighty high and one metre sixty wide."
Following this discovery, Lhomoy informed the mayor and the town council about his findings. The town dignitaries, intrigued by his account, followed Lhomoy to the entrance of the pit, they could not believe their eyes. One town councillor, overwhelmed by the unusual nature of the findings, declared that the pit and its supposed contents were undoubtedly “the work of a mad man”. Lhomoy’s idea was ridiculed and the town officials refused to take any part in the project.
Lhomoy later managed to find a local man willing to descend the pit: Emile Beyne, an experienced firefighter from Gisors. Once he reached the bottom of the shaft, he started to crawl through a horizontal tunnel, but lacking in oxygen he refused to go any further. Although he was unable to provide definitive evidence regarding the existence of the chapel, he did, however, affirm the significance of the work that Lhomoy had been pursuing. Despite this acknowledgment, the local town officials were resolute in their determination to halt the entire project by back-filling the excavation site. Following this abrupt intervention, Lhomoy was dismissed from his position, marking a significant setback for the project he had been passionately involved in.
In 1962, the French minister of culture, André Malreaux got involved in the case, he organised the first sanctioned dig and brought in various specialists. Officially this had nothing to do with any treasure and was just a “routine dig”, but it happened to involve digging a shaft in the exact same location as Lhomoy had previously done. Alain Lemeyre relates in his book "Guide de La France Templière" (Templar Guide of France) that while the dig was underway “a certain Serene Highness Jacques, Marquis de Guisel de Vaux, Duke of the Val d'Agueda, came to assert his rights over the Templar treasure at Gisors, as 4th Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of the Temple of Jerusalem and Mount Carmel”… However his Serene Highness left empty handed, as on the 12th of October 1964, in the presence of Lhomoy and the press, the search was closed. There was no proof of any underground chapel, although Lhomoy insisted they were only a few feet away from the discovery
The case was talked about in various papers and a few months after being questioned about it by a senator, André Malreaux (minister of culture) agreed that they should dig further. This time it was the Minister of Armies who was charged with managing the task, he brought in the 12th engineering regiment who started work in February 1964. They also concluded that the rumored underground chapel filled with treasure did not exist. Yet rather than putting the matter to rest, their involvement only intensified the speculation: Had the French government secretly removed something? Were they part of a cover-up to conceal the discovery and the chapel? This excavation would be the last. Authorities halted further digs by pouring concrete into the shaft, citing urgent risks to the structural integrity of the castle.
The idea of underground tunnels in Gisors is not a recent thing. There are numerous reports about underground escape routes in very early accounts about the castle. Thus, it is plausible to imagine that Lhomoy did indeed reach an underground cavity, but we’ll never know if it was filled with treasure. We do know however that in 1970, a worker digging a ditch in a street close to the castle uncovered a very interesting find: A large bronze vessel full of 13th century coins was discovered - 11359 coins to be precise - these were mostly silver deniers of French and English origin.
The archaeologists who studied the find concluded that the coins were hidden in the mid-13th century, which implies that they could have been hidden at a time when the Templar order was active in the surrounding area. Although this is a fantastic find, it seems pale in comparison to the amazing underground vault, full of giant chests that Lhomoy supposedly discovered. He passed away in 1976, taking his secrets to the grave.
The treasure of Argoat:
Argoat defines a small part of the region of Brittany, in north-western France. The term Argoat derives from the Breton language and could be interpreted as “the part of land along the forest”. Brittany is famously known as a land steeped in legends and folklore, many of which revolve around enigmatic themes such as ghosts, druids, and mythical creatures. The Templar knights also have a wealth of legends and stories that are deeply rooted in this part of France.
Although numerous locations within Argoat have been linked to the Templar knights, it is important to note that we often lack substantial evidence to confirm that they held these locations as their own; an example being the Temple in Lanleff, its mysterious origins have been attributed to the Templar but no evidence of this exists. Nevertheless, as is the case throughout the rest of France, the strongholds and properties that were once controlled by the Templar Knights were mostly transferred to the Hospitallers following their arrest and the subsequent dissolution of the order.
In the early 1980s, a fascinating and somewhat mysterious portion of a supposed ancient map was published in a local newspaper. The map was in the possession of a small group of researchers who had stumbled upon it while rummaging through historical documents. Although the article provided details about the map, it did not reveal how the newspaper had initially come across it. The map represents the northern part of Brittany, with the "seven islands" in the bottom right corner, yet intriguingly, Brittany is displayed upside down. The annotations on the map seem to be a strange mix of medieval French and Latin and in the centre, there is a depiction of a large eagle. It appears that there are two distinct itineraries marked on the map leading both from the northern coastline to the centre of Brittany, with various stops at notable places that do indeed exist. Some of these locations have a historical connection to the Knights Templar.
Supposedly, the itineraries were intended to provide precise directions for the Templar knights following their daring getaway with the treasure. If this was indeed the case, it would strongly suggest that they escaped from a northern coastal port, instead of the more popular theory that posits La Rochelle as their departure point. Following their initial getaway, they would have sailed to the region of Brittany, to stash their treasure in a secure location.
The journalists behind the article claimed that the research group was far from pleased with their decision to publish the map. Convinced that the map pointed to the lost Templar treasure, the group was actively investigating and wished to avoid attracting outside attention. Despite their reluctance, the map was published on the front page of Le Trégor on March 20, 1982. To prevent a potential gold rush, the most revealing section of the map was deliberately left out. Still, the article speculated on possible hiding places for the treasure—mentioning a stone cross near a fountain, but in a region like Brittany, dotted with many similar landmarks, this clue was of limited help.
The article mentions that the research group had surveyed the land around the possible cache. They had apparently created a detailed grid, and they had taken aerial photographs of the site, all in view of starting the digging process. Unfortunately, despite these promising initial steps, there is no further information available about the subsequent dig, or whether any valuable items or evidence were ultimately recovered from the site. The map has never been published since, and the research group has chosen to remain anonymous, leaving many questions unanswered. Just like the famous “Zena Map” of Oak Island, there has been much debate surrounding the authenticity of the map. The language on the map appears to be somewhat peculiar and raises suspicions regarding its origin and historical accuracy. Journalists who have had the opportunity to examine the map, claimed that they have only ever seen a low-quality photocopy, which adds another layer of intrigue to the mystery. Furthermore, a location marked on the map bore a name that was significantly different during medieval times. Does this suggest that the map is a modern forgery? Or could it be a genuine document made many years after the initial getaway? Until the map reappears again, we’ll probably never know.
In the next and final part of this series, we’ll look at two other places in France that have been associated with Templar treasure. Until then – Good day from Charlotte of the Compendium!
Sources for this article and further reading:
The Gisors Hoard : https://www.britnumsoc.org/publications/Digital%20BNJ/pdfs/1971_BNJ_40_5.pdf
Trésors monétaires XXV (2011-2012) / Under the direction of Michel Amandry
Les Templiers Sont Parmi Nous / Gérard de Sède
Le Guide de La France Templière / Alain Lemeyre
The Le Trégor Newpaper article : https://bibliotheque.idbe.bzh/data/cle_350/Les_Templiers_du_Trgor__lArgoat.pdf
