The Templars, a religious knightly order, emerged during the Crusades in Palestine when, in 1119, nine French knights led by Hugo of Payens and Godfrey of St. Omer founded a society. They did this to honor the sweet Mother of God by combining monasticism and knighthood, dedicating themselves at the tomb of the Savior to a chaste and devout life, as well as to the brave protection of the Holy Land and the guidance of pilgrims through dangerous and uncertain regions. On October 13, 1307, the Templars were arrested in France along with their Grand Master, and at the same time, their properties began to be confiscated. The knights were extorted into making confessions through torture, which were then regarded as irrefutable evidence of the guilt of all members. Not only the Imperial Assembly in Tours, but also Pope Clement V declared the charges justified.