View source for Arnold of Torroja

{{Short description|Grand Master of the Knights Templar}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| honorific-prefix    = 
| name                = Arnold of Torroja
| native_name         = Arnau de Torroja
| native_name_lang    = Catalonia
| honorific-suffix    = 
| image               = Blason Arnaud de Toroge.svg
| imagesize           = 
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| alt                 = 
| caption             = Arnold of Torroja's [[coat of arms]]
| order               = 
| office1             = 9th [[Grand Masters of the Knights Templar|Grand Master of the Knights Templar]]
| term_start1         = 1181
| term_end1           = 1184
| monarch1            = 
| predecessor1        = [[Odo of St Amand]]
| successor1          = [[Gerard de Ridefort]]
| birth_date          = 
| birth_place         = [[Solsona, Lleida|Solsona]]
| death_date          = 30 September 1184
| death_place         = [[Verona]], Italy
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| citizenship         = 
| nationality         = [[Catalans|Catalan]]
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'''Arnold of Torroja''' ({{langx|ca|Arnau de Torroja}}; ? – 30 September 1184) was a knight of [[Crown of Aragon]] and the ninth [[Grand master (order)|Grand Master]] of the [[Knights Templar]] from 1181 until his death in 1184.

== Personal life ==
While no date of birth survives for Torroja; he was very old at his death, being in excess of 70 years when he was elected as Grand Master.<ref name=templiers>{{cite web |title=The Masters of the Templar Order: Arnaud de Toroge |publisher=templiers.org |url=http://www.templiers.org/arnaudtoroge-eng.php |accessdate=August 26, 2015}}</ref> He had served in the order for many years and was the Templar Master in both [[Crown of Aragon]] and [[Provence]].<ref name=barber>{{cite book |last=Barber |first=Malcolm |year=2006 |title=The Trial of the Templars |series=Canto Classics |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-1076-4576-9 |edition=2nd}}</ref>

== Military record ==
=== Reconquista ===
Torroja's military career had mainly been focused on the [[Reconquista]],<ref name=templiers/> fighting [[Muslims]] for the [[Crown of Aragon]] and for Portugal but was principally active in [[Catalonia]] and [[Aragon]].<ref name=barber/> His appointment as Grand Master was likely due to his image as an outsider i.e. an experienced Templar whose power base was outside the Holy Land.<ref name=barber/> This appealed to the order as the previous Grand Master [[Odo de St Amand]] had become embroiled in [[Kingdom of Jerusalem|Jerusalem's]] politics but it did mean that Torroja was inexperienced in the "political situation of the [[Crusader States|Latin States]]".<ref name=templiers/> He became the order's new leader in 1181.<ref name=barber/>

=== Conflict with the Hospitallers ===
During the Grand Master's reign the [[Knights Hospitaller]] reached a new peak in their influence. There had been rivalry between orders previously but factionalism in the face of renewed Muslim pressure was unacceptable. The two Grand Masters met for mediation with [[Pope Lucius III]] and [[Baldwin IV of Jerusalem|King Baldwin IV]] and the problems were resolved.<ref name=templiers/> In fact Torroja is recorded as a skilled diplomat himself acting as a mediator between several political groups in the East.<ref name=barber/> He also conducted successful peace negotiations with [[Saladin]] after raids by [[Raynald of Châtillon]] in [[Oultrejordain|Transjordan]].<ref name=templiers/>

=== Embassy to Europe ===
In 1184, Torroja set out with [[Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem|Patriarch Heraclius]] and [[Grand master (order)|Grand Master]] [[Roger de Moulins]] of the [[Knights Hospitaller]] to gather European support for the [[Kingdom of Jerusalem]].<ref name=templiers/> They planned to visit [[Kingdom of Italy (medieval)|Italy]], [[Kingdom of England|England]] and [[Kingdom of France|France]],<ref name=barber/> but he fell ill<ref name=templiers/> and died at [[Verona]] on September 30, 1184.<ref name=barber/> He was succeeded as Grand Master by [[Gérard de Ridefort]].<ref name="Arnaud de Torroge">{{cite web |last=Ramonet Riu |first=Ramon |title=Arnau de Torroja |url=http://webspace.webring.com/people/or/ramonetriu/arnaudetorroja.html |publisher=Ramon Ramonet Riu |accessdate=August 18, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326082017/http://webspace.webring.com/people/or/ramonetriu/arnaudetorroja.html |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Tomb ===
In February 2018 was announced the discovery of a tomb in the [[San Fermo Maggiore, Verona|San Fermo Maggiore church in Verona]], which almost certainly is Arnold's final resting place. The tomb contained a stone sarcophagus with a [[cross pattée]] carved on it, itself containing a human body, and several analysis conducted by researchers of the [[University of Verona|Universities of Verona]], [[University of Bologna|Bologna]] and [[University of Nottingham|Nottingham]] together would confirm the identity of the deceased; it would be the first known tomb of a Templar Grand Master.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tgverona.it/pages/671516/attualita/trovato_a_san_fermo_l_ultimo_dei_templari.html |title=Trovato a San Fermo l'ultimo dei Templari |last=Vitacchio |first=Giovanni |date=February 20, 2018 |website=TG Verona |access-date=February 21, 2018|language=Italian |trans-title=Last Templar found in San Fermo}}</ref>

From preliminary analysis, the remains are those of a man in his fifties who lived around seven centuries ago, and who suffered from back pain and toothache. Along with the bones, remains of a dress of fine silk datable to the 12th century, as well as what looks like a [[shroud]], further support the identification. The DNA from the bones will be compared with that of Arnold's brother, the then [[archbishop of Tarragona]], [[Guillermo de Torroja]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.larena.it/home/cultura/cultura-veronese/templari-quella-tomba-%C3%A8-l-unica-al-mondo-1.6450410?refresh_ce#scroll=1543 |title="Templari, quella tomba è l'unica al mondo" |last=Perina |first=Laura |date=April 22, 2018 |website=L'Arena |access-date=October 7, 2018 |language=Italian |archive-date=October 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181007145634/http://www.larena.it/home/cultura/cultura-veronese/templari-quella-tomba-%C3%A8-l-unica-al-mondo-1.6450410?refresh_ce#scroll=1543 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== References ==
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{{succession box|
title=[[Grand Masters of the Knights Templar|Grand Master of the Knights Templar]] |
    before=[[Odo de St Amand]] |
    after=[[Gérard de Ridefort]] |
    years=1179–1184 }}
{{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toroge, Arnaud de}}
[[Category:1184 deaths]]
[[Category:12th-century Catalan people]]
[[Category:Grand masters of the Knights Templar]]
[[Category:Year of birth unknown]]