Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, was executed by being burned at the stake on Ile de Cite in Paris, specifically near Notre Dame. While there are stories of him being burnt in front of Notre Dame, the execution actually took place on the island in the Seine. The date of his execution is most often cited as March 18, 1314.
He was burned at the stake on March 18, 1314, on the Île aux Juifs, which was a small island in the Seine River. This island, along with two others, was later joined to the Île de la Cité when the Pont Neuf was built. While the Pont Neuf itself didn’t exist at the time of Molay’s execution, the execution site was very close to where the Pont Neuf would eventually be built, and there’s a marker on the bridge to mark the spot.
I crossed the Pont Neuf to visit the site and you struggle to find the plaque showing visitors where Jacques de Molay met his end. It’s hard to visualise what happened on that fateful day. De Molay was executed as a heretic after being accused of various crimes, including idolatry and heresy, by King Philip IV of France and Pope Clement V. The Templar grand master was bound to a stake and set ablaze, resulting in a slow and painful death.
He was burned at the stake along with Geoffroi de Charney, Master of Normandy. Hugues de Pairaud, Visitor of France, and Godefroi de Gonneville, Master of Aquitaine, were condemned to imprisonment. While they were not burned with De Molay, they were charged with very similar crimes.
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