Answer · confidence: partial
Did the Knights Templar hide their treasure in Portugal or Scotland after 1307?
The records show that the Portugal link is institutional, not a hidden-treasure claim: Templars in Portugal faced no persecution, and many were transferred to the Order of Christ 69. The Order of Christ inherited Templar property as a formal continuation, but the claim that Templars secretly became Portuguese explorers is not established 1320. For Scotland, the document finds no reliable evidence of an organized Templar force there, and the Scottish trial records mention no hidden treasure 1617. A 1910 work placed the treasure at Vrana rather than in Portugal or Scotland 1, and the supposed escape fleet from La Rochelle lacks secure historical evidence 14. The facts do not explicitly rule out every local hiding story, so the answer is only partly settled.
Checked 2026-10-22. Only documented and supported facts are used.
Dig deeper on this questionSources
[1] supported
A 1910 publication by Joaquín Miret y Sans argued that the Knights Templar hid and buried their great treasure in Vrana, Zadar County, not in Portugal or Scotland.
"In a 1910 publication by one Joaquín Miret y Sans, the case is made that the Knights Templar hid and buried the great treasure in Vrana, Zadar County"Knights Templar in popular culture
[2] supported
The papal bull Pastoralis praeeminentiae ordered the seizure of all Knights Templar properties on behalf of the church.
"It ordered the arrest of all Knights Templar and to seize their properties on behalf of the church."Pastoralis praeeminentiae - Wikipedia
[3] supported
Pope Clement V was forced to support the campaign against the Templars by Philip IV of France, who owed them a significant debt.
"Clement was forced to support the campaign against the Templars by Philip IV of France , who owed them a great deal of money and had initiated the first arrests against the Templars on 13 October 1307."Pastoralis praeeminentiae - Wikipedia
[4] supported
Edward II of England initially refused to believe the allegations against the Templars before eventually carrying out the arrest order.
"Despite the papal request, not all the monarchs complied immediately, most notably, Edward II of England who at first refused to believe the allegations, but later carried out the order."Pastoralis praeeminentiae - Wikipedia
[5] supported
The trials against the Templars involved the use of torture to induce confessions.
"Following the arrests, a period of trials was sanctioned against the Templars, enforced by torture and pain-induced confessions."Pastoralis praeeminentiae - Wikipedia
[6] supported
In Portugal, the Knights Templar did not face persecution upon their dissolution, and many were transferred to the Order of Christ.
"En Portugal, la orden del temple no sufrió de persecuciones a la hora de su disolución, es más, muchos fueron trasladados a otras órdenes como la Orden de Cristo ."Templarios en Portugal
[7] supported
King Dionisio I of Portugal hesitated to comply with the papal demand for confiscation, only doing so in 1309 due to growing complaints from clergy and nobles.
"el rey Dioniso I de Portugal dudó en cumplir con la exigencia papal y sólo lo hizo en 1309, cuando ya crecía el número de quejas de clérigos y nobles con disputas y demandas contra la Orden."Templarios en Portugal
[8] supported
The new Order of Christ was officially established by the papal bull Ad Ea Exquibus on March 14, 1319.
"La nueva Orden de Cristo fue oficializada por la bula papal Ad Ea Exquibus , firmada el 14 de marzo de 1319."Templarios en Portugal
[9] supported
Many former Templar knights joined the new Order of Christ without any arrests being made.
"Muchos antiguos caballeros Templarios se unieron a la nueva Orden, sin que se realizaran arrestos ni arrestos."Templarios en Portugal
[10] supported
The Order of Christ was established in 1318 as the Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar.
"La Orden de Cristo (en portugués : Ordem de Cristo ) fue una orden militar portuguesa , heredera de la Orden de los Caballeros Templarios en esta nación."Orden de Cristo
[11] supported
In 1319, King Dinis assigned the Portuguese properties and privileges of the Templars to the newly founded Order of Christ.
"En 1319 el rey Don Dinis asignó las propiedades portuguesas y privilegios de los templarios a la recién fundada Orden de Cristo, [ 1 ] que se convirtió así en la continuación del Templo en Portugal."Orden de Cristo
[12] supported
The Order of Christ took Castromarin as its headquarters to protect the Portuguese Algarve, before moving to Tomar in 1357.
"De hecho, la Orden de Cristo tomó como sede Castromarín , a fin de proteger el Algarve portugués. No obstante en 1357 la sede ya se había instalado en Tomar , la antigua sede de los Templarios."Orden de Cristo
[13] supported
The Order of Christ is considered a formal succession of the Templars to accommodate their human potential and economic resources for Portugal's defense.
"permite considerar a la Orden de Cristo como una sucesión del Templo en un aspecto meramente formal, a fin de dar cabida al enorme potencial humano y recursos económicos de los caballeros templarios, fundamentales para mantener Portugal a salvo de invasiones o incursiones enemigas."Orden de Cristo
[14] supported
The document says there is no secure historical evidence that a secret Templar fleet carrying the order's treasure escaped from La Rochelle just before the 1307 arrests.
"Historical evidence does not securely establish that a secret Templar fleet carrying the order's treasure escaped from La Rochelle immediately before the arrests."The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar: Myth or Truth? - Ruvyra
[15] supported
King Dinis of Portugal declared that he found no evidence of heresy, blasphemy, or immorality among the Templars in his kingdom.
"Os reis Dinis de Portugal e Jaime II de Aragão proclamaram que não encontraram provas de heresia, blasfêmia ou imoralidade entre os Templários em seus respectivos reinos."Julgamentos dos Cavaleiros Templários
[16] supported
The Scotland theory holds that fugitive Templars fled there because Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated and might ignore papal action against them, but the document finds no reliable evidence for an organized Templar force in Scotland.
"One popular theory claims fugitive Templars escaped to Scotland because King Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated and might therefore ignore papal action against them."The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar: Myth or Truth? - Ruvyra
[17] supported
In Scotland, two English Templars examined by the Bishop of St. Andrews confessed only minor offences, and the document mentions no hidden treasure there.
"Dois Templários, ambos da Inglaterra, foram examinados pelo Bispo de St. Andrews, na Escócia, e confessaram apenas delitos menores."Julgamentos dos Cavaleiros Templários
[18] supported
The document finds no reliable contemporary evidence that a secret Templar force fought at the Battle of Bannockburn.
"There is no reliable contemporary evidence demonstrating that a secret Templar force fought at the Battle of Bannockburn."The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar: Myth or Truth? - Ruvyra
[19] supported
On Cyprus, the Templars' property and treasure were seized when they surrendered in June 1308, rather than being hidden.
"Em junho, os Templários renderam-se, suas propriedades e tesouros foram apreendidos, e eles foram mantidos em Khirokitia"Julgamentos dos Cavaleiros Templários
[20] supported
The Portugal link is an institutional continuity: the Order of Christ, which inherited Templar property, later had Prince Henry the Navigator as its governor, but the claim that Templars secretly became Portuguese explorers is not established.
"Prince Henry the Navigator became its governor."The Lost Treasure of the Knights Templar: Myth or Truth? - Ruvyra
[21] supported
After the order was dissolved, Cypriot authorities kept the Templars' treasure and movable goods to cover the extraordinary costs of the trials.
"Entretanto, as autoridades cipriotas retiveram o tesouro e os bens móveis para cobrir os custos extraordinários dos julgamentos."Julgamentos dos Cavaleiros Templários