Military Order of Mountjoy

By Crusader1307

The Military Order of Mountjoy (aka Orden de Montjoie, Orden de Monte Gaudio), also known as The Knights of Trufac - were formed in 1180, by Count Alvarez (an ex-Knight of The Order of Santiago). The Orders mission was to protect pilgrims of The Iberian Peninsular. Knights from Aragon and Castile were recruited. They held an "official founding" ceremony in Jerusalem. They wore a white mantle-apron with the Red and White multi-colored Cross (with a Red overcloak). The name "Montjoie" (French), comes from the hill that the first Crusading Knights reached in The Holy Land - from where they could see Jerusalem. The Order followed The Cistercian Rule. Although it claimed a French history, The Order was strictly Spanish. A detachment of The Order was ordered to The Battle of Hattin (1187). All were killed in battle. The few survivors were merged into The Order of Knights Templar. There was a weak attempt to reconstitute The Order in 1307 (after the fall of The Templars) - but this failed.