Outside, some decoration details, extremely curious and original, hold the attention quickly. One discusses without end, for example, in connection with the capitals of the entry: there, a left knee discovered; here, a Christ blessing, issuant of a basin which would be the Graal... Under a chrism the western gate comprises a stringcourse in half-circle, carved fifty-two human figures, joined two by two. Those of the center are serene, almost smiling; those of bottom are grotesque and grimaçantes... With the southern door, a curious circular figure cut in flat part in the archstone, a small flat roll defines a round space where a cross is coarsely carved. The branches corresponding to the vertical deviate some a little, they are decorated on the left with a kind of standard. The two other branches, almost perpendicular, seem to be the support of a rolled up snake. The left amount of the same door, as well as other places on the walls, is covered with graffiti, engravings: crossbows, cross, wheels with central hole (sundials), all signs which we could raise elsewhere in Sainte-matron near, and on Vendean buildings having belonged to the Temple: vault of Féolette, church of Puyravault... But it is especially the interior decoration which astonishes deeply and raises absolutely insoluble questions. Let us exclude from the description the drawings carried out at one time more recent than that which interests us. The vault is entirely decorated with geometrical red blood stone reasons on white zone: on a star sowing, (two superimposed crosses?) regularly aligned, rosettes (daisies) multiply various models, with six branches for the majority, and sometimes to four . Some see there Eastern reasons, others of the Celtic crosses... With the ceiling also, a kind of, banner with, dominating a templar cross, an ochre stringcourse of color, decorated of nine white triangles and especially a square appearing a swatiska (or, whose distribution of the blacks and white, according to medians and diagonals, evokes a swatiska?) In top of the walls, with the starter of the vault, a , painted band represents characters (not identified) in kinds of cabins.
The decoration of the interior western wall appears of a different invoice. Still rosettes, but especially enigmatic drawings: "house of God" with chrism, checkerwork and flowers of iris; centaur armed with an arc (in a word, a Sagittarius) aiming at a stag continued by a large black dog; and, especially, a rectangle made up of eight bands of five squares (proportion: 1, 6; numbers of harmony, near of the golden number). Diagonals are traced in nine of these squares, composing another square. Last detail. It is said sometimes that was a sergeant with pledges who, questioned at the time of the lawsuit, stated to have seen, the first, Baphomet. And this, in Montsaunès. you can see it like him, by contemplating the curious figure of monkey (?) carved at the base of the staircase of the tower. Let us conclude with Mrs. Laborde, who accounts well for the impression produced by this original decoration: "One cannot deny that a great part of the painted decoration of Montsaunès is apart from the ordinary programs. Without hiding the influence of many works with feeling treating of the secret rites of the Order, there are no legends bottomless of truth, and one cannot reject the assumption that certain elements of the Order were impressed by more or less orthodoxe esoteric beliefs. If the majority of Templiers were of the monks without culture, theological formation, others located at a different level. Templars were often in nonwarlike relations with the Muslim and Jew worlds. Medieval Christendom itself sheltered many clandestine groups, cultivating the esotericism in a hermetic symbolic system, whose vault of Montsaunès is, perhaps, an illustration... " At all events, the successors of Templars respected and protected these signs. Thus, the only church templière of the still intact and alive area - chance? or does will occult to safeguard one (possible) message? - proposes us enigmatic images. And gives us to dream. . .

bibliography:
 Les templiers des pays d'oc et du roussillon of Simon JEAN

Montsaunès

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The donation initial, total, was an enormous field, most probably resulting from an old Gallo-Roman villa, as excavations seem to prove it. Templars occupied a strengthened house there, with keep. They were lords of these places but also returned justice in other strongholds: Figarol, Mazères, Canens, Lafitte, Cadeillan, Costs, Aussein. The ancient church, built on an old temple of Mythra, was destroyed by Templiers in XIIIème century, and replaced by the current building. It is a church bricks and stones, equipped in the west with a bell-tower wall.. Three doors: one in frontage for the people, one in north for the Knights and one in the south leading to the cemetery (disappeared) and the "rectorery". Housing of the Commander and Knights in north, there remains only a well.
The plan of the Church is simple, a semicircular heart, a rectangular nave and with their junction, a tower staircase which was used as access to the roofs and the gallery outside. Perhaps the church was used as keep in Commandery: a wood gallery determined its top. The rectorery seems to have been a place of reception for the pilgrims: a shell marks its lintel, Montsaunès was an important stage on the road of Compostelle, and the church is dedicated to saint.Jacques...