Robert de Craon

Robert de Craon known as Burgundian the , lord of Craon

He is the second Master of the Ordre of the Temple of 1136/1137 until in January 1149. Undoubtedly born at the end from XIe century or the beginning from XIIe, of origin angevine, he is the son of Renaud de Craon, and the junior by three brothers. He settles in Aquitaine and is promised in marriage to the girl of a lord of the Angoumois. Perhaps following a disappointment in love, it leaves the Occident in 1125 and leaves in Holy Land. It quickly becomes templier there.

Robert is not present at the Concile of Troyes. However, it is of return in Occident in 1132. At this time, it is seneshal of the Temple, which makes it possible to attest that already at the time, a hierarchy was in place. It is noticed that the seneshal was a title which was then reserved for the Temple in the East: one could deduce from it that then the order was not established enough in Occident to distinguish the hierarchies. However thus, Robert is in occident in 1132, probably to make known the order. He goes back in 1136 there.

He is essential at the same time by his military value, but also by his piety. Also it is indicated Master, undoubtedly in June 1136, with died of the founder of the order, Hugues de Payns. It appears a brilliant organizer and makes about the Temple a major actor of the Latin States of the East. Its legislative role interns is considerable and the March 29th 1139 the pope Innocent II, by its bubble “ optimum Omne datum ” grants to the Order a certain number of privileges. Thus, the templiers are exempted Dîme, episcopal jurisdiction (what means that the Order has its own ecclesiastics who do not belong to the bishops) and are entitled to carry the Red Cross on white zone.

Robert de Craon is less happy on the military level. Hardly elected official, it beats the emir of Alep but lets his knights deliver themselves to plunderings. The emir is turned over then against them and cuts them in parts. Robert de Craon authorizes the templiers of Spain to launching an important forwarding (nearly 70 vessels) against Lisbon, but it is also a failure. In 1140, the templiers resist with heroism a Turkish army much more at the time of the Bataille of Técua.

The chronicler Guillaume de Tyr quotes it like participant in 1148 in the second crusade. It seems that Robert de Craon died the January 13rd 1149. the obituaire of Rheims indeed announces its death the day of the ides of January, that is to say the 13 and its successor, Evrard of the Bars, is already places in April 1149 from there.

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