: Combining religious devotion with military prowess, members took vows of poverty and chastity but were feared on the battlefield. They were recognizable by their white mantles marked with a red cross.
: The Order developed a sophisticated financial network. Pilgrims could deposit assets in their home country and withdraw them in the Holy Land using a "letter of credit," making the Templiers the preeminent bankers of the Crusades . templierii
: Their immense wealth and influence eventually led to their downfall. In 1307, King Philip IV of France, heavily in debt to the order, ordered the mass arrest of Templiers on charges of heresy and financial corruption. King Philip IV of France
Templierii. Viața și moartea Ordinului Templului by Alain Demurger heavily in debt to the order