Temple Church

In front of you is the church of the Order of the Temple in England. Look at its shape: the front part is round, like the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which the Templars swore to protect. It was consecrated in 1185 by Heraclius, Patriarch of Jerusalem, who had travelled to England to seek help for the Crusades.

1Two knights on one horse

Now look at the column in the courtyard. The two figures sharing a mount copy the order's seal, usually read as a symbol of the poverty in which the Templars began. The sculpture is modern, from 2000. Their power and wealth grew so great that in 1307 the King of France had them arrested, and in 1312 the Pope dissolved the order. The church passed to the Knights Hospitaller and then to the lawyers, who still occupy the Temple district today.

2Knights in stone

Inside lie nine effigies of medieval knights. The most famous is William Marshal, who died in 1219, the knight who served four kings. Not all of them were Templars: they were noblemen who paid to be buried here. The bombs of May 1941 set the church on fire and damaged the figures, which were later restored.

The effigies' crossed legs don't prove they were crusaders: it's a common pose in the sculpture of the period.

Since “The Da Vinci Code” came out in 2003, many visitors come looking for clues. The hidden Templar treasures and secrets belong to the novel, not to history.

3What to look for

• The Round and its round-headed windows.
• The west doorway, Romanesque, with its decorated arch.
• The column with the two knights.