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The village center features two churches side by side: the old St. Firminus Church (1764) and the new one (1893). It features old buildings and a church path.

The Templar Commandery in Villers-le-Temple originated around 1260, when Knight Gérard de Villers acquired land here and built a walled complex with towers and a chapel. It served as a fortified agricultural and administrative center for the order in the Hesbaye region. After the dissolution of the Templar Order, the property passed into the hands of the Knights Hospitaller; today, all that remains are walls, a tower, and Gérard's tombstone in the church.

visible from the road

visible on the road

visible from the road

Next to the church you will find the parsonage. Compostella pilgrims are expressly welcomed there. In the parsonage - which is not freely accessible - three coats of arms are engraved in the kitchen fireplace. In the middle the coat of arms of Érard de la Marck (1505-1536), the prince-bishop who had the church and parsonage restored at the time. The same coat of arms is also applied to the wall of the church. Source: https://connaitrelawallonie.wallonie.be/fr/culture-et-patrimoine/patrimoine/eglise-et-presbytere-de-saint-severin-nandrin

The community to which Gerard de Villers belonged is often referred to in a shortened form as the "Order of the Templars", but its full name is: "Poor Knighthood of Christ and the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem". He achieved sad notoriety when this order was dissolved by the French king and the pope in 1312 and many of its members met their violent end at the stake as alleged heretics. The main reason for the dissolution, however, was not the alleged human and religious misconduct of the members, but rather the legendary wealth of this order. King Philip IV of France primarily wanted to secure the treasures in order to supplement his coffers.

The church of Saint-Pierre de Villers is the former church of the Commandery of the Order of the Temple, founded in 1260