X-Nico

29 unusual facts about Knights Hospitaller


Alan Kogosowski

In 1999, Alan Kogosowski was honored by the Polish branch of the Order of the Knights of Malta with a special decoration in recognition of his many all-Chopin recitals in London, and series of Chopin concerts to raise funds for medicines to be sent to Poland.

Benjamin Chapman

After the conquest, Oliver Cromwell granted Chapman an estate in the county of Westmeath, at Killua (also known as St. Lucy's), a former preceptory of the Knights Hospitallers.

Charles Camilleri

His works include the now famous Malta Suite, Maltese Dances, A Maltese Overture - Din l-Art Helwa, operas in Maltese, a ballet based on the Knights of Malta and the oratorio Pawlu ta' Malta.

Diritto Municipale

The Municipal Law' (Diritto Municipale in the original Italian) was a compilation of the knight's and Malta's laws during their stay on the Island.

It was commissioned by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc in 1781 and completed in 1784.

Gaspar Coelho

Just as European feudalism and religious zealotry had given birth to a number of military orders such as the Knights Templar or the Knights of Malta, so too did a number of Buddhist monastic orders focus on martial arts and participate in warfare.

History of religion in Malta

A Jewish subculture re-emerged in Malta during the reign of the Knights Hospitaller.

While the Maltese Islands were under the dominion of the Knights of Malta, from the 15th century through to the late 18th century, the Grand Master had the status of a prince of the Catholic Church, and enjoyed a special relationship with the Pope, which occasionally led to a considerable amount of friction with the local Bishops.

John Furley

The organisation arose out of the Order of St. John, a charitable body of vague aims claiming descent from the medieval Knights Hospitaller.

Kirpal Singh

In 1962 he was the first non-Christian to be vested with The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Knights of Malta), for his spiritual and humanitarian mission.

Komenda

The name of the village is identical to the Slovene common noun komenda 'commandry', referring to a property and residence owned by the Knights Hospitaller from 1223 to 1872.

Lord Prior

The title of the leader of the Priory of St John of Jerusalem, the Knights Hospitallers in England, otherwise known as the Grand Prior

Malcolm Innes of Edingight

He has been a member of the Royal Company of Archers since 1971, and is a Grand Officer of Merit of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

Manoel Island

In 1643 Jean Paul Lascaris, Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, constructed a quarantine hospital (lazzaretto) on the island, in an attempt to control the periodic influx of plague and cholera on board visiting ships.

National Archives of Malta

This facility is located in an old bank building and houses court and tribunal records dating back to those decisions made under the Knights Hospitaller.

In addition, a building in Mdina was identified as suitable to house the records of Malta's courts from the beginning of the occupation of Malta by the Knights Hospitaller to the early period of occupation by the United Kingdom.

Old White Horse Inn

On each side of the gable are stone lanterns that denote the former owners Order of Knights of St John of Jerusalem.

Park Railway Maltanka

The name Maltanka comes from the Knights of Malta, who used to own the land and the old church nearby.

Postage stamps and postal history of Malta

A postal system began in Malta in the early 18th century with letters from the Knights of Malta to Rome and other parts of Europe.

Robert Bigsby

Bigsby was awarded an honorary LLD by the University of Glasgow, became a member of several foreign literary societies, was voted a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and in 1837 a Fellow of the Royal Society (although ejected in 1845 for non-payment) and became secretary and registrar of the English "Langue" of the Knights Hospitaller.

Saint James Cavalier

St. James, one of two Cavaliers built out of the originally projected nine, by the Knights of Malta.

Scottish Knights Templar

Knights Templar Internationally use the Cross pattée, including The Commandery of St Clair in alignment with the International Order OSMTH, The Grand Priory of the Scots (mainly American Scots) a Cross with two branches, and other Scottish Knights Templar Groups use the Eight Pointed Cross coloured red more commonly but not exclusively known as the Maltese Cross, of the Knights Hospitaller or Order of St. John or Cross of Amalfi.

Sir Francis Layland-Barratt, 1st Baronet

He married in 1884, Frances Layland (Lady of Grace of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, CBE 1920) of Stonehouse, Wallasey.

Stare Drawsko

Drahim (Draheim) comprised a castle, which was a stronghold of the Knights Hospitaller, who ruled the area.

Strakonice

Later they donated a part of the castle to the knights of the Order of St. John.

Swinton, Greater Manchester

Documents record that certain areas belonged to the Knights Hospitaller.

Symbols of Malta

The original flag of the Knights Hospitaller consisted of a white Maltese Cross on a black background, however this was never used in Malta.

Terra Alta

It is also known as Castellania, a name dating back to its medieval status as a fiefdom held by the Order of Knights of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem under the Crown of Aragon.

Watchtower

Some notable examples of military Mediterranean watchtowers include the towers that the Knights of Malta had constructed on the coasts of Malta.


Fort Saint Michael

The fort was built by the Order of Saint John after the 1551 attack, on the peninsula then known as Isola di San Michele formed by Dockyard Creek and French Creek in Grand Harbour.

Fungus Rock

The Knights Hospitaller apparently discovered what is popularly known as the Malta Fungus, growing on the rock's flat top.

Juan Fernández de Heredia

Through the aid of the latter, he was appointed to govern the grand priories of the kingdoms of Castile and León, and of the abbey of Saint-Gilles in southern France, the richest priory of the order.

Kamenny Island

At the easternmost tip of the island stands the Kamennoostrovsky Palace, built by Georg von Veldten for Paul I and the Neo-Gothic church of Saint John of Jerusalem (1776–81) constructed in honor of the victory at Chesma and frequented by Alexander Pushkin during his stay at a dacha on Kamenny Ostrov.

Knight Crusader

The great military orders of the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller are eager for the fray, but others are concerned that there are not enough Christian knights in Outremer to form a field army while continuing to garrison the castles that protect the Kingdom.

Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch

He became a Knight Hospitaller in 1658 and was next appointed as Prior and Castellan of the Order of Mailberg, based at Schloss Mailberg.

Lewin Brzeski

It is first mentioned in a contract from 1257, when a monastery run by the Knights Hospitaller in Łosiów purchased a mill near the town.

Pedro Álvares Pereira

He was the son of Iria Gonçalves do Carvalhal and Álvaro Gonçalves Pereira, to whom he succeed after his death as patriarch of the Pereira family and as Prior of Crato (leader of the Knights Hospitaller in Portugal).

Piero de Ponte

He became a Knights Hospitaller and was the Order's governor of the island of Lango when Rhodes fell to the Ottomans on New Year's Day 1523, and was still there in 1534 when he received the news of his election to the office of Grand Master of the Order, to succeed Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam at Malta.

Roche-Guillaume

In 1298 or 1299, the military orders—the Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller—and their leaders, including Jacques de Molay, Otton de Grandson and the Great Master of the Hospitallers, briefly campaigned in Armenia, in order to fight off an invasion by the Mamluks.

Russian Imperial Union Order

The Union Order is also formally allied with The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Russian Grand Priory Association, the surviving Russian priory of the Knights of Malta.

Sir William Shelley

Of the judge's six brothers, one, John, became a knight of the Order of St John, and was killed in defending Rhodes against the Ottoman Turks in 1522; from another, Edward, who is variously given as second, third, or fourth son, came the baronets of Castle Goring, Sussex (created 1806), and Percy Bysshe Shelley, the poet.

St John's Gate, Clerkenwell

St John's Gate is one of the few tangible remains from Clerkenwell's monastic past; it was built in 1504 by Prior Thomas Docwra as the south entrance to the inner precinct of the Priory of the Knights of Saint John - the Knights Hospitallers.

Strzegom

At the same time the building of the St. Peter and Paul parish church began, from 1203 under the patronage of the Order of Saint John.

Teutonic Knights in popular culture

The Teutonic Knights are featured in a variety of historically-themed computer games, including Medieval: Total War, Medieval II: Total War, in which the Order is equaled with the Templars and the Knights of Saint John in power.

The Citadella, Gozo

The northern side of the Citadel dates back to the period of the Crown of Aragon, while the southern flank, overlooking Victoria, was re-constructed between 1599 and 1603 by the Knights of St. John.

The Maid of Honour

Frederick and his forces have taken Siena, but now face a vigorous counterattack, led by the general Gonzaga, a member of the Knights of Malta.

Xlendi Tower

Xlendi Tower, Munxar, was built in 1650 on Gozo during the reign of Grand Master of the Knights of Malta Juan de Lascaris-Castellar.

Zaporizhian Sich

According to folklore, some moved to Malta, because Kosh members considered themselves the kind of Maltese chivalry.