The explosive rise of the Knights Templar and the power of the Vatican was marked by many mysteries that long have remained unexplained. Now recent research sheds intriguing new light on these highly influential people. How did the Templars become so secretive, and what was the critical advantage this attribute gave to them? Under what strange circumstances did these men, who had taken vows of poverty, become the dominant bankers of Europe? Why were they so often linked to the Holy Grail, Ark of the Covenant, and other religious objects--and did those legends have some basis in fact? Beginning with the breakthrough work of Gibbon, Barber and Addison, then adding numerous recent sources, we see that in the early years of the Middle Ages, Europe had no knights, the pope was relatively powerless, and the Vatican was marshy land embracing a cemetery. Then several dramatic changes took place. The pope began to live in a palace and ruled cities. The Templars arose and soon exceeded all expectations. These knights were everywhere in Europe as landholders, advisors to kings, and champions from the Holy Land. And tantalizingly, their 870 European estates created a river of gold flowing across the continent. The impact of this strong brotherhood is still felt today. How did all of this happen? The fascinating answers can be surprising--sometimes even amazing--and are carefully documented. A wealth of maps and rare illustrations make this a highly visual journey among exceptional people and experiences that you will always remember.