UKRDOUG Castle Tours - Serednie Castle Traditional Geocache
UKRDOUG Castle Tours - Serednie Castle
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This is the first of UKRDOUG Castle Tours. Serednie Castle was a fortress of the Knights Templar built in the 12th-13th Century.
Please respect this architectural gem. The GC is not hidden in or on the castle. After you find the GC, please feel free to admire the sole remaining castle tower, wander throughout the two moats, and eat a picnic lunch in the park.
UKRDOUG Castle Tours - Serednie Castle
The Knights Templar were assigned to guard the Tomb Of Jesus in Jerusalem and became one of the largest charities in Christendom in the 12th century. They built fortresses all over Europe, this being their northernmost.
The Crusades brought tremendous treasures to these Monk-Knights. They increased their wealth by loaning funds to such people as Pope Clement V and the French monarch King Philip the Beautiful. It was the latter transactions that would lead to their demise.
With their power growing so vast, rumors began to abound in the early 14th century that the Knights Templar desired to create their own Kingdom like the Teutonic Knights had done in Prussia.
In 1305, Pope Clement V began to explore this idea with the Knights Templar but needed to clear them of a charge made two years prior. Although Clement concluded that the charges were false, he sent a letter to King Philip the Beautiful to assist him in holding an official hearing to resolve the issues once and for all.
King Philip, heavily in debt to the Knights Templar, seized this opportunity to free himself of his debt. On October 13, 1307 (considered to be the start of the Friday the 13th curse), King Philip ordered the arrests of the leaders of the Knights Templar. They were charged with heresies and tortured for confessions of blasphemy. Pope Clement ordered the arrest of all members of the order on November 22 and the seizure of all property including this castle in Serednie. In 1312 the order was dissolved by papal bull.
The Serednie Castle was turned over in 1312 to the Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit. The order was formed in Hungarian lands in 1250. But they too would eventually be suppressed in the 18th century and the Serednie Castle would be turned over to the Druget family who ruled in Uzhgorod. Rumor has it that the Druget family built a tunnel that connected their castle in Uzhgorod to the Serednie Castle 40 miles away.
No longer needed for defense, the castle has been dismantled over the centuries by the local residents for building material.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Or pnershy. N zhttyr'f ubzr vf va ivrj bs gur pnpur. Purpx sbe zhttyrf orsber ybbxvat haqre n ebpx.