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Field Report: Castillos los Templars
Field Report: Castillos los Templars
by Charlotte Amundson
The Castillo los Templars (Templar Castle) is in a small city named Ponferrada in Spain. The castle is a historical monument, and was refurbished in the 1950s and again in 2014. Its curved archways and towers are in the Romanesque style. It was built during the 12th and 14th century in the Middle Ages for the Templar Knights. The Castle provided protection for the Templars and the city until it was left to ruin after gun powder was invented. Gun powder and cannonballs could penetrate the walls, making all castles unnecessary. Castles were hard to maintain because they were big, dark, and cold. Later, mansions were created and there was no longer a need for castles. Mansions, like the castles, were a sign of power and wealth. But, unlike the castles, mansions were easier to maintain and did not need to be used as a safe house for an entire city. The Templar Castle was remarkable and this field report will discuss many of its features including; who the Templars were, the defensive structure, women’s roles during the Middle Ages, and the Templar library.
The Templar Knights are a group of men who were considered the best fighting force in Europe. They were funded by the Catholic Church and felt that they were on a mission from God to protect the pilgrims as they journeyed to Santiago, Rome, and Jerusalem. They could be identified by their white tunics and a red Templar cross. The Templars were a force to be reckoned with during the 11th to 14th centuries. The Templars used this castle for defending and protecting the Camino de Santiago. The founder of The Templars was Hugues de Payens and in the beginning, their mission was righteous and helpful to the church. The Templar Knights lost support from the church and the people when they were unable to keep the holy land during the crusades. Many people became suspicious of them when word of secret initiations got out. They had too much power in the church, the government, and banking. When King Phillip IV declared them outlaws, they were disbanded by the Pope in 1312. The Templars thought they were righteous and doing God’s work, and even to this day, many in Spain feel like they were protecting the people. However, they brutally killed many people, because they were not Christians. So their reputation depends on the perspective of who is telling the story.
The castle was built as a defensive structure, that could be sustained under attack for years. It has double walls which is a great defensive strategy. An attacking army has to get through two heavily guarded walls, with positions for archers to hide behind. The first wall was built so if an unwanted army took control the wall could be destroyed along with killing everyone on it.
The castle has dark, steep, and slippery steps to the top of the tallest tower, it is possible to see over half the city. You can also see the bridge to the main entrance. This is helpful for guarding the castle. The Castle has an area of over 8000 square meters, it is large and has room for crops, animals, and a water source. An entire city could be sustained in the castle for years if it was attacked.
During the Middle Ages, a woman’s job was to have as many kids as possible. Over half of her children were likely to die, and large families meant that there would be more kids to take care of her when she got old. Women were also required to do all the cooking, cleaning and childcare. They did not have the rights to property or their own wealth, and because of this they had little choices in their lives. At age 13 girls were considered adults and by 15 most were married. Here is a photo of typical clothes worn by a woman in the Middle Ages.
In the castle you can visit the Templar Library, and if you can read Latin you can get a glimpse of what life was like back then. During the Middle Ages there wasn’t a printing press, so everything had to be written out on paper. Because they were handwritten, books were a prized possession and were very fancy. At that time only certain people were allowed to see these books, women specifically were not allowed to see them. Even if they did, women were not taught to read. Information was power, so it was kept for only the few. In the Templar library we saw a lot of books, including Romeo and Juliet in Spanish, the Divine Comedy by Dante, Bibles, and the Book of Kells.
A globe from the 1700’s shows what scholars thought the United States and Canada looked like at the time. They couldn’t see the world from above in an airplane or spaceship, drawing it from what they knew on land.
The Castillo los Templars holds lots of historical information about the Templars, how this castle was used to defend The Camino de Santiago, women’s roles, and the library. People lived very different during the Middle Ages and it is educational and interesting to learn about what happened. It is valuable to maintain these castles so that others can have opportunities to learn about this time period.
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