L’exécution de Jacques de Molay (1314)

This illustration depicts the execution of Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, who was burned at the stake in Paris in 1314. After years of trial and accusations of heresy, he was condemned by royal authority. Refusing to confess guilt, he maintained his innocence until the end. His death marks the end of the Templar Order and symbolizes the growing control of King Philip IV of France over religious institutions. This event remains one of the most famous and controversial episodes of the Middle Ages.