Cressac-Saint-Genis

The chapel (temple) was built by the Templars in the 12th century. Its structure and ornaments have the sobriety of Cistercian chapels: a rectangular aisleless nave closed by a flat chevet lit by three narrow windows (triplet). Unlike Cistercian edifices - often unpainted - the temple is adorned with wall paintings representing crusade scenes

THE WALL PAINTINGS

These paintings probably represent some episodes of the defeat of the the atabeg (sultan) of Aleppo by the Knights Templars

The history of this magnificent fortress - the Krak of the Chevaliers - is not very well known, it was given to a Kurdish garrison by the Amir of Aleppo in 1031. The castle that the Kurds erected was taken over by the Count of Toulouse in 1099. It was taken over by the Hospitallers in 1142.

I) - NORTH WALL:

II) - THE WEST WALL

West wall: left, St. George trampling on the dragon and the Triumphant Church - in the splay of the window, a ship sails to the Holy Land - right, the Emperor Constantine crushing heresy or Philippe Auguste, king of France, trampling on the Infidel,watched by the queen

III) CHEVET:

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