The "Projet Beaucéant" was originally a website, created in 1994 at the dawn of the Internet in Europe and whose purpose was to share, with the help of volunteers and enthusiasts, all the available information about the history of the Order of the Templars, as well as the places it has occupied throughout its two centuries of existence.

    Based on this voluntary sharing of knowledge, the website is in no way intended to be an extension on the "Web" of any neo-Templar structure, much less a sectarian association.

    After a few years and many diverse and varied administrative adventures, the development of the website continues according to the objectives and philosophy established by the initiators of the Project. To do this, several people passionate about the subject continue to send me texts and photos of various Templar, Hospitaller or even Teutonic settlements.

    From the beginning, the site has been a showcase of History (with a big H and a small h) that these men have left behind through the various historic remains that we have inherited... Real estate remains that, for some, have not moved for several centuries except for the damage caused by the ravages of time, and others, which appear less ancient because of the various damages they have had to undergo and the subsequent reconstructions or adaptations.

    At the moment, you can discover on the site nearly 300 Templar, Hospitaller or Teutonic sites throughout Europe and the Near East ; a database of more than 1500 names of members of the Order listed following the reading of the books in my private library, of which you can also have an overview by visiting the page dedicated to them.

    But the website does not stop at this content, a small historical encyclopedia of the events and important characters of the time, whether they are Popes, Kings, Princes,... develops in parallel, as well as an English version which has been under construction for some time and of which several dozen pages are already translated. The entire site represents more than 2000 entries.

    For several years now, a travelling exhibition has been added to this encyclopaedic and virtual content. Over the years, this exhibition, which was born with collages on cardboard, has evolved to what you can see today.

    To conclude, I would simply like to add that all the people involved in the development of the Beaucéant Project site, including myself, are not necessarily professionals in history, but often simple enthusiasts of this subject who spend a lot of time and energy sharing their knowledge with as many people as possible.

For the Beaucéant Project
Christophe Staf