Bertrand de Blanchefort was a French nobleman with
Cathar sympathies who was head of the Templars from
(1153-1170) or (1156-1169) depending on the historical
source you view. He was probably the most influential and
significant of the order's Grand Masters. It was
Blanchefort who developed the Knights Templar into the
well disciplined organized entity it is known as. Bertrand
was the figure who got the Templars involved deeply in
European politics of the day.
It is believed that Bertrand de Blanchefort imported
German speaking miners (who were of a military
discipline) to mine for gold on the face of Mount
Blanchefort that had been depleted by Roman armies
years before.