Crusades to Late Renaissance Occultism to Enlightenment Timeline (1075-1680)

HISTORY ABOUT THE TIMELINE

This timeline focuses on significant events and personages specifically from the Crusades to the Late Renaissance, which leads into the Enlightenment. It is a record of Europe’s most riveting historical developments in the study of Religion and War in Europe, and the history of the Catholic Church and Occult Philosophy from outside the view of Christian (not merely Catholic) heresiology. This timeline is thoroughly revised and separated from any Islamic influence, Freemasonry, Enlightenment period, the American Revolution and Theosophical Movement eras. This entire history is important for my work, my position and thesis’s in relation to every single philosophical root of Classical Republicanism and the Neo-Classical Republicanism of the U.S. founders, as well as with early Black philosophers who were also influenced by this heritage. This particular timeline begins with the Crusades and Gnostic Cathars, which flourished mainly between 1140 and 1170 with mystic doctrines influencing Troubadour poetry and Grail romances. It leads into early Rosicrucian precursors (c. 1265–1484), connecting: a) alchemical and Kabbalistic thought; b) the Friends of God (1307–1382), a Christian esoteric circle founded by Rulman Merswin as a precursor to Rosicrucianism; c) the Order of the Crescent (founded in 1448) by René d’Anjou, an esoteric chivalric order with ties to Renaissance occultism; and d) alchemical networks like those of the forgotten Blanche d’Evreux (1332–1398), patronizing Nicolas Flamel’s Kabbalistic-Hermetic studies. There are other connections to figures like Roger Bacon (c. 1220–1292, philosopher-adept) and Cardinal Nicolas de Cusa (1401–1464, a Kabbalist with theosophical ideas), which bring to life the real connections and strands of thought that create a long history of esoteric lineage.

“Visit the interior of the Earth;
by rectification thou shalt find the hidden stone.”¹

ALCHEMICAL MOTTO

Periods	Details	Major Roles
1075–1275: Templars and Early Esoteric Networks	Period of Templars during Crusades; Frankish Knight Godfroi de Bouillon leads; Rashi heads esoteric rabbinical Kabbalist school in Troyes; Prieuré de Sion, Carmelites, and Calabria networks active.	Godfroi de Bouillon, Rashi (1040–1105); links to Kabbalah, Cistercians, and later Grail Romances/Cathar doctrines.
1095: First Crusade	Launch of First Crusade. First Crusade occurs due to complex mix of religious devotion, political ambition, and a direct appeal for military aid from the Byzantine Empire, which was under threat from the Seljuk Turks. Pope Urban II initially sought to provide aid to the Byzantines, but it evolved into the Christian reconquest of Jerusalem and other sacred sites in the Holy Land, which had been under Muslim control for centuries.	Ties to Frankish knights like Godfroi de Bouillon and Templar precursors.
1099: Capture of Jerusalem; Founding of Prieuré de Sion	Jerusalem captured; Prieuré de Sion founded.	Godfroi de Bouillon (founder of Order of Notre Dame de Sion, later Prieuré de Sion).
1113–1115: Saint Bernard Joins Cistercians	Saint Bernard joins Order of Cistercians at Cîteaux; becomes founding abbot of Clairvaux.	Bernard patronizes Templars; nephew André de Montbard founding Templar member.
1118: Official Founding of Templars	Order of the Poor Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon founded by Hugues de Payens along with eight companions bound to vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and protection of Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land, that were taken in the presence of the Patriarch of Jerusalem. Granted quarters by King Baldwin II of Jerusalem in his palace adjacent to the site of the Temple of Solomon. Templars served the dual role of warriors and monks.	Hugues de Payens first Grand-Master; composed of St. Bernard and other companions.
1129: Vatican Recognizes Templars	Vatican council recognizes and incorporates Templars; hosted at Troyes under Comte de Champagne. Official papal recognition of the Knights Templar as a formal military-religious order by the Catholic Church. Pope Honorius II did not attend in person but sent his papal legate, Matthew, Cardinal Bishop of Albano, to preside over the council. This council established the Order’s first written rule (the “Primitive Rule”), which was drafted under the significant influence and guidance of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. This rule adapted the Cistercian monastic tenets of poverty, chastity, and obedience, adding a specific vow to defend the Holy Land and protect pilgrims. The gathering was primarily composed of French clerics, including archbishops, bishops, and abbots from across France, as well as several lay nobles like Count Theobald II of Champagne. Hugues de Payens and some of his fellow knights were present to petition the council. Following the council, the Order grew rapidly in membership and wealth through donations and grants of property across Europe. A decade later, Pope Innocent II issued the papal bull Omne Datum Optimum (1139), which granted the Templars extraordinary privileges, such as exemption from local laws and total subordination only to the Pope.	Hugues de Payens Grand-Master; Eulogy and Rule by Saint Bernard; André de Montbard and Comte de Champagne Hugh I) involved
1139: Papal Bull on Templar Allegiance	Pope Innocentius II declares Templars’ sole allegiance to Pope.	Innocentius II (protégé of Saint Bernard, former Cistercian).
1145: Second Crusade	Second Crusade begins.	Templars involved in Holy Land defense.
1140s–1170: Flourishing of Gnostic Cathars	Gnostic Cathars (or “Good Christians” as they called themselves) flourish in Languedoc; mystic doctrines in Troubadour poems had a forgotten influence on Enlightenment tolerance ideas. The Cathars flourishes in Southern France during the 12th and 13th centuries, but are systematically eliminated by the Roman Catholic Church through the Albigensian Crusade (1209–1229) and the subsequent Medieval Inquisition, eradicating the Cathars by the mid-14th century.2 The term “Albigensian” applied to them is a geographical identifier.3	Influences Troubadours (1130–1220); targeted by Pope Innocentius III; echoes in Grail Romances and John Locke’s research.
Notable Cathar mystics	Guilhabert de Castres (fl. 1160s–1180s): A highly influential Cathar archdeacon of Fanjeaux who helped organize the Cathar Church in the mid-12th century. He attended the critical Council of Saint-Félix-Lauragais in 1167, a landmark event in the institutional history of Catharism. Esclarmonde of Foix (d. c. 1200): A powerful noblewoman and the sister of Raymond-Roger, Count of Foix, a key defender of the Cathars. Esclarmonde was a prominent parfaite and a major figure in the cultural and religious life of the Languedoc before the Crusade. She received the consolamentum in 1204 and became a vocal opponent of Catholic preaching. Benet de Terme (fl. 1220s–1230s): A Cathar deacon of Limoux and a leading figure involved in maintaining the clandestine Cathar structure following the initial phase of the Albigensian Crusade. Guilhem Dejean and Raimon de Saint Martin (d. 1244): were two perfecti who were among the more than 200 Cathars burned alive.4 Their refusal to recant their faith even in the face of certain death became a potent symbol of Cathar martyrdom.  Peire Autier (d. 1310): A key leader in the late 13th and early 14th century, who led a brief revival of the Cathar movement in the Pyrenean foothills long after the main crusade had ended. His activities and eventual execution in Toulouse in 1310 are well-documented in the surviving records of the Inquisition, which provide much of what we know about late Cathar belief. Guillaume Bélibaste (d. 1321): Often cited as the last known Cathar parfait in the Languedoc region. He fled persecution, living in hiding in the Kingdom of Valencia before being betrayed by an informer of the Inquisition led by Jacques Fournier (who later became Pope Benedict XII). He was burned at the stake in 1321 at Villerouge-Termenès.
1180–1200: Publication of Esoteric Grail Romances	Esoteric Grail Romances published; strong Cathar, Templar, Cistercian influence.	Chrétien de Troyes (sponsored by Marie, Contesse de Champagne), Wolfram von Eschenbach, Robert de Borron; inspired by Troubadours and Cathars.
1187: End of Frankish Presence in Holy Land	Beginning of end for Frankish presence.	Grand Master Gérard de Ridefort responsible; Templar debacle.
1209: Launch of Albigensian Crusade	The Catholic Church and secular authorities named the military campaign launched to eliminate the Cathars the “Albigensian Crusade” (1209–1229) because of their association with the region and the town of Albi.	Guilhabert de Castres and noted others; Peire Autier leads brief revival; Guillaume Bélibaste cited among last of Cathar initiates
1210: Establishment of Franciscans	Order of Franciscans established by St. Francis of Assisi; approved by Pope Innocentius III (who targeted Cathars).	Involves Cathar suppression.
Notables of Crusade and Templar Era	Rashi (1040-1105). Kabbalist and Rabbi: Founder of an esoteric school in Troyes, France. Godfroi de Bouillon (c. 1060-1100): Duke of Lower Lorraine. Leader of First Crusade. First western ruler of Jerusalem. Brother of Baldwin I, first western King of Jerusalem. Founder of the Order of Notre Dame de Sion, later named the Prieuré de Sion. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153): a) Abbot of Clairvaux, b) patron of the Templars, c) religious conscience of Europe, d) spokesman of Catholic Christianity, e) nephew of André de Montbard, f) lived in the domains of the Comte de Champagne, e) presided over the council of Troyes in 1129 mmto incorporate the Templars. André de Montbard (1097-1156): a) uncle of Saint Bernard, b) one of the nine founding members of the Knights Templar around 1118-1119, c) the fifth Grand Master of the Knights Templar, serving from August 1153 until his death in January 11, d) Lived in the domains of the Comte de Champagne. The Montbard family were high nobility in Burgundy and vassals of the Count of Champagne. Hugh I Comte de Champagne (c. 1074-c. 1130): a) Overlord of Saint Bernard and de Montbard, b) gave land to Bernard to build the abbey of Clairvaux, c) Hugh I was a major patron and later joined the Order himself around 1126, d) at council of Torys in 1129 held in the city of Troyes, the capital of his county, and was convened to formally recognize the new Order, which was presided over by the papal legate, Matthew, Cardinal Bishop of Albano. Bernard of Clairvaux was in attendance. Hugues de Payens (c. 1070-1139): a) Templars first Grand Master, b) a knight in the service of the Count of Champagne, a vassal, c) He led the Order for nearly two decades, transforming it from a small band of nine knights into an influential international military and financial institution, d) succeeded by Robert de Craon. Roger Bacon (c. 1214/1220- c. 1292): English philosopher, scientist and reformer. An adept according to H.P. Blavatsky (BCW5 11: 546).
c. 1220–1292: Roger Bacon’s Life and Philosophical Work	English Philosopher, scientist, reformer; early adept in experimental science with occult philosophical orientation. A forgotten bridge to Rosicrucian empiricism.	An adept according to H.P.B (BCW 11: 546).
c. 1265–1484: Beginnings of Rosicrucians	Early Rosicrucian precursors emerge in alchemical and Hermetic circles.	Links to Kabbalistic, Hermetic thought; precursors to manifestos.
1265–1321: Dante Alighieri	Italian poet inspired by Provencal Troubadours; “Inferno” is written as an occult revelation.	Influenced by Troubadours; ties to esoteric verse traditions.
1307–1382: Friends of God Movement	Christian esoteric movement founded by Rulman Merswin; a forgotten precursor to Rosicrucian furor.	Esoteric Christian networks; influences later mystic theosophy.
1332–1398: Blanche d’Evreux’s Alchemical Studies	Wife of Philippe VI; alchemical studies and laboratories in castles; a forgotten royal patronage of occult sciences.	Patron of Nicolas Flamel; sponsors Kabbalistic-Hermetic pursuits.
1330–1418: Nicolas Flamel	French alchemist; Kabbalistic, Hermetic interests; life transformed by 1362 alchemical text.	Sponsored by Blanche d’Evreux; alchemical lineage to Renaissance magi.
1378?–1484: Christian Rosencreuz	German Magus; alleged founder of Order of the Rosy Cross for ancient science, numerology, cosmic law.	Rosicrucian origins; ties to early precursors.
1401–1464: Cardinal Nicolas de Cusa	German Cardinal, scientist, Kabbalist; published De Docta Ignorantia with theosophical ideas.	Kabbalist influences on Renaissance thought.
Notables from Beginnings of the Rosicrucians	Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). Italian poet inspired by the Provencal troubadours. “His ‘Inferno’ a true Occult Revelation in verse.” (see H.P.B., BCW14:45). Rulman Merswin (1307-1382). Founder of the Friends of God, a Christian esoteric movement. Blanche d’Evruex (1332-1398). Wife of Philippe VI, king of France. Immersed in Alchemical studies and experiments; had laboratories in some of her castles. Personal patron of Nicolas Flamel. Nicolas Flamel (1330-1418). French Alchemist with interest in Kabbalistic and Hermetic thought. Sponsored by Blanche d’Evreux. Life transformed by Alchemical text found in 1362. Christian Rosencreuz (1378?-1484?). German Magus. Alleged founder of the Order of the Rosy Cross, which aim was the study and application of ancient science, numerology and cosmic law. Cardinal Nicolas de Cusa (1401-1464). German Cardinal, scientist and Kabbalist. Cusa was an Adept (BCW14:377). Published De Docta Ignorantia, which “contains theosophical ideas throughout.” (BCW14:538).
After 1439 Council in Florence	Promotes Greek philosophers, Kabbalah, Gnosticism, Hermeticism.	Founded by Cosimo de Medici
1444: Founding of Library of San Marco	Platonic Academy and Hermetic revival	Cosimo de Medici
1448: Founding of Order of the Crescent	Esoteric chivalric order founded by René d’Anjou; linked to Templar successors.	Leonardo da Vinci member; ties to Renaissance occult patronage.
1471: Hermetic Corpus Translated	Hermetic Corpus translated by Marsilio Ficino.	Renaissance occult revival; influences Pico della Mirandola.
1475: End of Hundred Years’ War Turning Point	Turning point in war.	Enables Renaissance patronage of arts and esotericism.
Notables of Occult Renaissance in Italy, Germany, & England	George Gemistus Pletho (1355/1360-1452/1454): Byzantine scholar and philosopher. Inspired Cosimo de Medici to found the Platonic Academy. Promoted Greek Philosophers, and had a profound influence on the Renaissance. Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464): Virtual lord of Florence and patron of the arts. Influenced by René d’Anjou. Patron of Marsilio Ficino. Protector of the Platonic Academy in Florence. Founder of Europe’s first public library, the San Marco Library. Rene D’Anjou (1409-1480): He was the titular (claimant) King of Jerusalem from around 1438 and was the King of Naples from 1435 to 1442 before being deposed. He was also Duke of Anjou and Lorraine and Count of Provence. Cosimo de Medici was a significant patron of such works. René founded the chivalric Order of the Crescent (Ordre du Croissant) in 1448. Major patron of the arts and had connections to the artistic avant garde around Mantegna and the Bellini. He was a close associate and brother-in-law to the Dauphin Charles VII during the Hundred Years’ War. He joined the French army at Reims in 1429 and was present at Charles VII’s consecration, which Joan of Arc also attended. Marsilio Ficino (1433-1499): Italian philosopher, scholar and magus. Head of the Platonic Academy in Florence (1462). Translated the Hermetic corpus (1471), Plato (1484) and Plotinus (1492). Sponsored by Cosimo de Medici. Teacher of Lorenzo de Medici. Andrea del Verrocchio (1435-1488): Italian sculptor and painter. Alchemist and hermeticist. Taught Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. Botticelli (1444-1510).  Italian painter. Studied under alchemist and hermeticist Verrocchio and Mantegna. Patronized by de Medici. Well acquainted with Leonardo da Vinci. Lorenzo de Medici (1447-1492): Virtual lord of Florence and patron of the arts. Patron of Verrocchio, Botticelli, Pico della Mirandola. Christopher Columbus (1451-1506): Italian explorer born in the republic of Genoa who sailed for the Spanish crown. In the service of René of Anjou in 1472-73. Married to Portuguese noblewoman Filipa Moniz Perestrelo. Some biographies say, that her father, Bartolomeu Perestrello was associated with the Order of Christ (the Portuguese successor to the Templars). It is widely believed, that Columbus’s ships featured the red pattée cross of the Knights of the Order of Christ. The Knights Templar order was officially dissolved by the Pope in the early 14th century, but in Portugal, it was reinstituted as the Order of Christ under royal protection. Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519): Italian artist, inventor and versatile genius. Sponsored by de Medicis and Ludovico Sforza, son of Francesco Sforza, close friend of René d’Anjou. Member of the Order of the Crescent. John Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494): Italian philosopher, scholar and magus. Sponsored by Lorenzo de Medici. Connected with the Platonic Academy. Strongly influenced by Ficino. Explored Kabbalist magic. Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527): Philosopher, diplomat and social scientist. Worked with da Vinci on modern science and study of politics and human nature. Founder of the philosophy of history and understood the doctrine of historical cycles. A highly misunderstood luminary. Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543): Polish astronomer, skilled medical practitioner. An adept according H.P.B. Studied at Bologna, Italy. Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486-1535): German writer, physician and magus. Influenced by Pico della Mirandola. Influenced Giordano Bruno. An adept according to H.P.B (BCW 3:264). Paracelsus (c. 1493-1541): Swiss physician, alchemist, chemist and magus. Influenced Giordano Bruno. An adept according to H.P.B (BCW 4: 607). Henry Kunrath (c. 1560-1601 or 1605): German alchemist and Hermeticist. Follower of Paracelsus. An adept according to H.P.B (BCW 3: 264). Thomas More (1478-1535): Pioneering English Neoplatonist. John Colet (c. 1466/67-1519): English Neoplatonist. Worked with Thomas More and his circle. Colet was a prominent Christian humanist and is recognized as the chief transmitter of Florentine Platonism to England. He studied the works of Plato, Plotinus, and Pico della Mirandola during his time in Italy and France and frequently referred to them in his lectures. John Dee (1527-1608): English Mathematician, scientist and astrologer. Renowned polymath, a respected scientist, and a prominent advisor to Queen Elizabeth I on scientific and astrological matters. He made significant contributions to navigation and mathematics. Francis Bacon (1561-1626): English philosopher of science and politician. Bacon had a prominent political career, serving as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. He is most famous for his work as a philosopher, driving the scientific revolution with his advocacy for the scientific method and empirical evidence, particularly through his works Novum Organum and The New Atlantis. Giordano Bruno (1548-1600): Philosopher, esotericist, writer and magus. He advocated for an infinite universe with countless worlds, moving beyond the Copernican model and challenging Aristotelian natural philosophy Tommaso Campanela (1568-1639): Italian philosopher, poet and magus. Known for his utopian work The City of the Sun and for his philosophy that integrated natural magic and empirical observation, which placed him at odds with the prevailing Aristotelian scholasticism.
1612: Publications of Rosicrucian manifesto and Boehme	Fama Fraternitatis, a Rosicrucian manifestos and mystic text The Aurora by Jakob Boehme.	Rosicrucian furor under Frederick V; Boehme influenced by Paracelsus.
1615: Publication of Confessio Fraternitatis	Publication of Confessio Fraternitatis, a Rosicrucian confession.	Expansion of Rosicrucian ideas across Europe.
1616: Chemical Wedding	The Chemical Wedding by Christian Rosencreutz, a Rosicrucian allegory.	Linked to Andrea del Verrocchio circle and alchemical symbolism.
1637: Publication by Descartes	Discourse on Method by Descartes, a philosophical work marking rationalist shift.	Descartes as possible Rosicrucian; connects to Hartlib Circle.
1663: Founding of The Royal Society	The Royal Society, an esoteric-scientific society founded in London.	Inspired by Johann Comenius (possible Rosicrucian).
1683: Opening of Ashmolean Museum	First public museum by Elias Ashmole.	Antiquarian focus; Ashmole as Freemason precursor.
1687: Isaac Newton Publishes The Principia	Ideas on natural philosophy revolutionizes science.	Newton’s private alchemy; Royal Society president with Masonic ties.
1679–1680: Publications by John Locke	Two Treatises on Government and Essay Concerning Human Understanding.	Enlightenment cornerstone; Locke researched Cathars and alchemy.
Notables of Late European Renaissance heading into Enlightenment Era	Marin Mersenne (1588-1648): French mathematician and theologian. Friend and supporter of Descartes. Clearinghouse for French philosophers, scientists, theologians, mathematicians etc. (like Hartlib in England). Educated at Jesuit college La Fléche. Critical of Renaissance Occultism.   Johann Comenius (1592-1670): Bohemian educator, writer and possibly Rosicrucian. Studied at Heidelberg with professors close to Frederick. Member of the Bohemian Brethren. Inspirer of the Royal Society. Corresponded with Andrea. René Descartes (1596-1650): French philosopher, mathematician and Rosicrucian. During winter quarters in Bohemia D. had his famous dreams, “leading him towards the conviction that mathematics were the sole key to the understanding of nature.” Heard about the Rosicrucians and was seen as one of them. Friend of Mersenne and connected with the Hartlib Circle. Educated at Jesuit college La Fléche. (Article about Descartes’ status as a Rosicrucian and Rosicrucian connections) Samuel Hartlib (1600-1662): German educational and agricultural reformer, Rosicrucian. Center of the Hartlib Circle of esotericists and scientists. Connected with Andrea, Descartes, Boyle and Newton. Thomas Vaughn (1622-1666): English alchemist. Wrote under the pseudonym of Eugenius Philaletes. An adept according to H.P.B (BCW 4: 607). Robert Boyle (1627-1691): English natural philosopher and pioneering chemist. Member of the Invisible College and the Royal Society. Taught Alchemy to Newton. Friends with John Locke. John Locke (1632-1704): English philosopher, initiator of the Age of Enlightenment and Reason in England and France, inspirer of the American Constitution. Friend of Newton. Did research on Mary Magdalen, Alchemy, and the Cathars. Isaac Newton (1642-1727): English scientist and mathematician. President of the Royal Society. Strong interest in Alchemy and Hermeticism. Friends with leading Masonic figure Jean Desagulier, who was connected with pioneering Freemasons Chevalier Ramsay, James Anderson and Charles Radclyffe. Elias Ashmole (1617 -1692): English antiquarian, collector and expert on chivalric orders. Freemason. Founder of the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford. The last of Rosicrucians and alchemists, according to H.P. Blavatsky.

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FOOTNOTES

1. The famous alchemical motto “Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem Veram Medicinam” originated from 16th-17th century Rosicrucian and Hermetic-alchemical influences. It appeared first in an alchemical treatise titled L’Azoth des Philosophes, attributed to Basilius Valentinus, a legendary and pseudonymous 15th century Benedictine monk, which were compiled posthumously in the late 16th-17th century and became a Latin alchemical maxim and reproduced in Western esoteric and later occult literature. It is recognized as a core maxim of Hermetic-alchemical symbolism. ↩︎
2. The Cathars or “Good Men” recognized as possessors of genuine gnosis. Their initiated, or perfecti (the “pure ones”) were taught to have access to secret, initiatory knowledge about the invisible worlds, which distinguished them from standard Christian belief. Their consolamentum (initiation) ritual was not a final sacrament for the dying, but an inner initiation. The Cathar mystics strict, ascetic lifestyle involved vows of chastity and poverty, and a vegetarian diet as evidence of their dedication to the spiritual purity (katharos) necessary to achieve the higher wisdom. The extraordinary courage and willingness to face death by fire during the Albigensian Crusade speaks to their spiritual certainty acquired through their initiation, demonstrating that those who received initiation (consolamentum) no longer feared death. Blavatsky seemed to believe that the Cathars were representatives of an authentic esoteric tradition that challenged the rigid dogma of the established church. Their religious leaders or perfecti (who lived strictly ascetic lives) traveled, preached, and administered the initiation sacrament; and the political leaders of the Languedoc (like the Counts of Toulouse) were seen as credentes (or believers) who tolerated the faith. ↩︎
3. The movement had a strong presence around the city of Albi in the Languedoc region of France, which became a major stronghold. It is said, that the Templars refused to join the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars. ↩︎
4. Burned alive in the mass pyre at the foot of Montségur castle after final surrender in March 1244. ↩︎
5. BCW is a reference to Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s “Collected Writings,” dealing with the origins of Johannite and Gnostic roots in Templars beliefs. Blavatsky reinforced early arguments of Masons about the Gnostic roots of the Templars. Templar spirituality can be seen as the most traditional medieval practice of canonical Christian mysticism. This view recognizes the influence of the Gnostic system on the Fathers and the eclectic school of Alexandria. ↩︎