Gli Ordini militari e le chiese a pianta centrale. Vecchie riflessioni e nuove prospettive

Conceived as heterogeneous memories of the Crusader Levant, the central­planned churches have long played a pivotal role in the scholarship of the Military Orders’ sacred architecture. However, research on the Eastern models and on their Western emulations has often been shaped by both the a priori attribution of non­longitudinal and obscurely sourced structures to the Templars and the Hospitallers, and by a fragmented understanding of the phenomenon on an international scale. This essay retraces the debate on the link between the central­planned buildings and the Military Orders from its nineteenth­century origins, examining the evolving interpretations in light of the most recent studies and archaeological findings. Furthermore, this analysis challenges the notion of a uniform replication of centrally planned churches, highlighting the diversity of solutions adopted, the influence of local factors in their definition, as well as the internal and external competition among the brethren. Through a critical reassessment of the established status quaestionis, this study outlines new per­spectives of research, fostering a broader understanding of the relationship between sacred architecture and Military Orders.