
The Square du Temple is a
garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...
in
Paris, France
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in the
3rd arrondissement, established in 1857. It is one of 24 city squares planned and created by
Georges-Eugène Haussmann and
Jean-Charles Adolphe Alphand. The Square occupies the site of a medieval
fortress
A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from L ...
in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, built by the
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon, mainly known as the Knights Templar, was a Military order (religious society), military order of the Catholic Church, Catholic faith, and one of the most important military ord ...
. Parts of the fortress were later used as a
prison
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where Prisoner, people are Imprisonment, imprisoned under the authority of the State (polity), state ...
during the
French Revolution, and then demolished by the mid-19th century.
History
Knights Templar
The
order of the Knights Templar began in the 12th century, first constructing a fort (Vieux Temple or Old Temple) in
Le Marais
The Marais (Le Marais ; "the marsh") is a historic district in Paris, France. It spreads across parts of the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, 3rd and 4th arrondissement of Paris, 4th Arrondissements of Paris, arrondissements on the Rive Droit ...
. In the 13th century, a new fortress was built as their European headquarters. The enclosure, called ''enclos du Temple'', originally featured a number of buildings important to the running of the order, and included a church and a massive turreted
keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residen ...
known as ''Grosse Tour'' (great tower), which housed a number of the order's prized possessions, and a smaller tower called ''Tour de César'' (Caesar's Tower).
The location of the towers is drawn on the ground in front of the Mairie de
Paris Centre (town hall), on the . The heavy doors of the Grosse Tour still exist and are kept at
Château de Vincennes
The Château de Vincennes () is a former fortress and royal residence next to the town of Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris, alongside the Bois de Vincennes. It was largely built between 1361 and 1369, and was a preferred residence, after ...
, whose great keep, attributed to of Notre-Dame cathedral, is thought to have been inspired by the nearby Templar fortress.
It was here in the ''enclos du Temple'' on the morning of Friday, the 13th of October, 1307 that agents of
Philip IV of France
Philip IV (April–June 1268 – 29 November 1314), called Philip the Fair (), was King of France from 1285 to 1314. Jure uxoris, By virtue of his marriage with Joan I of Navarre, he was also King of Navarre and Count of Champagne as Philip&n ...
arrested
Templar Grand Master Jacques de Molay
Jacques de Molay (; 1240–1250 – 11 or 18 March 1314), also spelled "Molai",Demurger, pp. 1–4. "So no conclusive decision can be reached, and we must stay in the realm of approximations, confining ourselves to placing Molay's date of birth ...
charging him with
heresy
Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy.
Heresy in Heresy in Christian ...
. Philip was deep in debt to the Templars due mainly to the 1294–1303
Gascon War with
Edward I of England
Edward I (17/18 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), also known as Edward Longshanks and the Hammer of the Scots (Latin: Malleus Scotorum), was King of England from 1272 to 1307. Concurrently, he was Lord of Ireland, and from 1254 ...
. Philip acted with the approval of
Pope Clement V
Pope Clement V (; – 20 April 1314), born Raymond Bertrand de Got (also occasionally spelled ''de Guoth'' and ''de Goth''), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 5 June 1305 to his death, in April 1314. He is reme ...
who also desired the dissolution of the Knights Templar. Clement V had annulled the
papal bull
A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it.
History
Papal ...
proclaiming
papal supremacy
Papal supremacy is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the Pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, the visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful, and as priest of the ...
over secular rulers, giving Philip legal authority to arrest the Templars. Philip confiscated the immense wealth of the French Templars. Jacques de Molay was burned at the stake for heresy without trial on March 18, 1314, where the
Square du Vert-Galant
The Square du Vert-Galant is a small, triangular park pointing downstream located at the western tip of the Ile de la Cité, next to the Pont Neuf, in the First Arrondissement of Paris. It was created in 1884 by joining two small islands to the ...
stands in Paris today.
French Revolution
The Temple is also known for having been the place where the
French royal family
France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions.
Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...
was jailed at the time of the
French Revolution. Members of the royal family imprisoned at the Temple's tower were:
*
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
,
King of France
France was ruled by monarchs from the establishment of the kingdom of West Francia in 843 until the end of the Second French Empire in 1870, with several interruptions.
Classical French historiography usually regards Clovis I, king of the Fra ...
, from 13 August 1792 to 21 January 1793, when he was taken to be
executed by guillotine at the
Place de la Révolution
The Place de la Concorde (; ) is a public square in Paris, France. Measuring in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.
It was the s ...
;
*
Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
,
Queen of France
This is a list of the women who were queens or empresses as wives of French monarchs from the 843 Treaty of Verdun, which gave rise to West Francia, until 1870, when the French Third Republic was declared.
Living wives of reigning monarchs te ...
, from 13 August 1792 to 1 August 1793 in the Temple's tower. She was then brought to the
Conciergerie
The Conciergerie () () is a former courthouse and prison in Paris, France, located on the west of the Île de la Cité, below the Palais de Justice. It was originally part of the former royal palace, the Palais de la Cité, which also included ...
, from where she eventually was also taken to the guillotine;
*
Madame Élisabeth, who stayed for 21 months at the tower before being taken on 9 May 1794 to the Conciergerie and guillotined the following day;
*
Louis XVII
Louis XVII (born Louis Charles, Duke of Normandy; 27 March 1785 – 8 June 1795) was the younger son of King Louis XVI of France and Queen Marie Antoinette. His older brother, Louis Joseph, Dauphin of France, died in June 1789, a little over ...
,
Dauphin of France
Dauphin of France (, also ; ), originally Dauphin of Viennois (''Dauphin de Viennois''), was the title given to the heir apparent to the throne of France from 1350 to 1791, and from 1824 to 1830. The word ''dauphin'' is French for dolphin and ...
, from 13 August 1792 until his death of tuberculosis at the tower on 8 June 1795, at the age of ten;
*
Princess Marie-Thérèse, who stayed at the tower for three years and four months before being sent into exile.
Demolition
By 1808, the Temple had become a place of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
for
royalist
A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of gove ...
s, so
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
ordered its demolition, which took two years. Remnants were demolished around 1860 under orders from
Napoleon III
Napoleon III (Charles-Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was President of France from 1848 to 1852 and then Emperor of the French from 1852 until his deposition in 1870. He was the first president, second emperor, and last ...
.
Today
Today its location is a
station
Station may refer to:
Agriculture
* Station (Australian agriculture), a large Australian landholding used for livestock production
* Station (New Zealand agriculture), a large New Zealand farm used for grazing by sheep and cattle
** Cattle statio ...
of the
Paris Metro, serving the
carreau du temple (covered market) and the Palais de Justice (Courthouse) of the third arrondissement.
The garden includes a gazebo, a playground for children, lawns with the largest open to the public from 15 April to 15 October, fountains and a pond with an artificial waterfall, built from rocks brought in from the forest of Fontainebleau. The grid surrounding the square was designed by the architect
Gabriel Davioud. The square contains almost 200 varieties of plants, including many exotic species, such as hazel, a
Ginkgo biloba
''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of gymnosperm tree native to East Asia. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million year ...
, a
Honey locust of America, a
Pterocarya fraxinifolia
''Pterocarya fraxinifolia'' is a species of tree in the Juglandaceae family. It is commonly known as the Caucasian wingnut or Caucasian walnut. It is native to the Caucasian region Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Russia, Ukraine and Turk ...
,
goldenrain tree,
Cedrela
''Cedrela'' is a genus of several species in the mahogany family, Meliaceae. They are evergreen or dry-season deciduous trees with pinnate leaves, native to the tropical and subtropical New World, from southern Mexico south to northern Argentina. ...
, and
Chinese quince.
In 2007, the square received the "ecological green spaces" awarded by
ECOCERT
ECOCERT is an organic certification organization, founded in France in 1991. It is based in Europe but conducts inspections in over 80 countries, making it one of the largest operations of its kind in the world.
ECOCERT's co-founder and CEO is ...
, the international organic certification.
There are two statues. One represents the songwriter
Pierre-Jean de Béranger
Pierre-Jean de Béranger (; 19 August 1780 – 16 July 1857) was a prolific France, French poet and Chansonnier (singer), chansonnier (songwriter), who enjoyed great popularity and influence in France during his lifetime, but faded into obscurity ...
, who lived on the nearby street which later took his name. This is the second statue of him; a first bronze statue, by
Amédée Donatien Doublemard, was erected with a public subscription held in 1879 by the newspaper "La Chanson", and was destroyed in 1941. It was replaced in 1953 with the present stone statue, by
Henri Lagriffoul.
Another statue, a bust on a pedestal, is dedicated: "To B. Wilhelm 1781-1842, founder of the French " above a medallion portrait that bears the inscription "To
Eugène Delaporte 1818-1886, propagator".
On 26 October 2007, a monument was inaugurated on the lawn of the main square of the Temple. It carries the names and ages of 85 "little ones who did not have time to attend school", Jewish children from 2 months to 6 years living in the 3rd arrondissement and deported between 1942 and 1944 and then murdered in
Auschwitz
Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...
. This monument was unveiled in the presence of several hundred people, city and district elected officials, representatives of associations and the Sons and Daughters of Jewish Deportees from France. The memorial is one of several honouring the 11,400 Jewish children deported from France. The lists of children were compiled from school and civic records by
Serge Klarsfeld.
In literature
*In
Patrick O'Brian
Patrick O'Brian (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series. These sea novels are set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars and ...
's
Aubrey-Maturin series, Capt. Jack Aubrey, Dr. Stephen Maturin and a young Lithuanian officer, Jagiello, are held prisoner at the Temple Prison in ''
The Surgeon's Mate.''
File:Heures d'Étienne Chevalier - Martyre de sainte Catherine.jpg, Miniature from the Hours of Étienne Chevalier, with the Temple in the background
File:Garneray - Louis XVI au Temple - P2813 - Musée Carnavalet (cropped).jpg, Louis XVI
Louis XVI (Louis-Auguste; ; 23 August 1754 – 21 January 1793) was the last king of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. The son of Louis, Dauphin of France (1729–1765), Louis, Dauphin of France (son and heir- ...
at the Tour du Temple, by Jean-François Garneray
Jean-François Garneray (1755 in Paris – 11 June 1837 in Auteuil) was a French painter. He was a student of Jacques-Louis David.
Children
His three sons were:
* Ambroise Louis Garneray (1783–1857), sea painter
* Auguste-Siméon Garneray ( ...
(1755-1837).
File:Marie Antoinette at the Temple Tower.jpg, Marie Antoinette
Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
, in the Temple Tower, attributed to Kucharsky
References
External links
{{Coord, 48, 51, 55, N, 2, 21, 44, E, region:FR-75_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title
Buildings and structures completed in the 13th century
Castles in Île-de-France
Defunct prisons in Paris
Former buildings and structures in Paris
3rd arrondissement of Paris
4th arrondissement of Paris
Buildings and structures demolished in 1810
French Revolution