Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Adopted 15 Feb 1113       Flag of the Order's Works Adopted c.1305 Note: Though without a territory since 12 Jun 1798, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta still regards itself, and is regarded by the states that give it diplomatic recognition¹, as a sovereign state. The Knights of Malta (full style Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta [SMOM]) now functions as a Roman Catholic charitable organization with limited diplomatic status as a "sovereign entity", complete with passports, coinage (via the world's smallest national mint), license plates, ITU amateur radio license prefix (1A) and a post office.   SMOM website Hear SMOM Anthem "Ave Crux Alba" (Hail, thou White  Cross) Text of SMOM Anthem (in Latin) Constitutional Charter (27 Jun 1961) Headquarters: Palazzo di Malta Via Condotti 68 (Rome, Italy) Currency: Scudo (to 1798 and from 1961) National Holiday: 24 Jun St. John's Day  Total Knights/Dames Worldwide: 12,500 (2007) GDP: $N/A Income: $N/A Expenditures: $N/A Religion: Roman Catholic 100% International Organizations/Treaties: APM (observer), CE (observer), EU (observer), FAO (observer), IADB (observer), IAEA (observer), ICCt (observer),  ICRM (observer), IFAD (observer),  IFRCS (observer), IOM (observer), LU (observer), OAS (observer), UN (observer), UNEP (observer), UNESCO (observer), UNHCR (observer), UNIDO (observer), WFP (observer), WHO (observer) Sovereign Military Order of Malta Chronology   c.1050                    Order of St. John founded. 15 Feb 1113               Pope Paschal II approved the foundation of the                             Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem. 15 Aug 1310               The Knights Hospitaller occupy the island of                              Rhodes (Knights of St. John Hospitaller of                             Jerusalem and Rhodes). Apr 1383 - 1409           During the Great Schism in Papacy, the Order on                             Rhodes, under Grand Master Fernández de                              Heredia, recognizes the Papal court at Avignon.                              As a consequence the Popes in Rome declare                              Heredia deposed and appointed Lieutenants in                             his place, these were not recognized on Rhodes.  24 Dec 1522               The Knights are expelled from Rhodes by Ottoman                              Empire. 23 Mar 1530               Malta granted as a fiefdom to the Knights of St.                             John Hospitaller by Emperor Charles V (Tripoli                             also granted but was relinquished in 1551). 26 Oct 1530               Knights of St. John Hospitaller take possession                             of Malta (Sovereign and Military Order of                             the Knights of Malta); as a feudal fief                             of the Kingdom of "Sicily" (Naples). 18 May 1565 - 8 Sep 1565  Ottoman siege of Malta. 1607                      Grand masters also made princes of Holy Roman                             Empire (confirmed 1620). 1630                      Grand masters ecclesiastical precedence equal to                             the dignity of a Cardinal of the Roman Church                             with the style of "His Most Eminent Highness." 12 Jun 1798               French occupy Malta, expulsion the Knights.  5 Sep 1800               British occupy Malta (making it a colony in 1814). 14 Dec 1822               By the Treaty of Verona the Order is recognized as                             a sovereign state. 1834                      Headquarters of the Order moved to the Palazzo di                             Malta in Rome (Knights Hospitaller of St. John                             of Jerusalem). 1869                      The Palazzo di Malta and the Villa Malta receive                             extraterritorial rights, in this way becoming                             the only "sovereign" territorial possessions of                             modern the Order. 27 Jun 1961               Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John                              of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta. 11 Jan 1969               Autonomy granted to the Order resident in Rome                             by Italy. 24 Aug 1994               Permanent observer status at the United Nations. SMOM website Diplomatic Recognition List Museum of the Order website American Assoc. website

Grand Masters¹
Feb 1113 -  3 Sep 1120     Gerardus (Blessed Gerard)              (d. 1120)
1120 - af.25 Oct 1158      Raymond du Puy
bf.29Nov1160-af.11Mar1162  Auger, dit de Balben
                            (some sources Arnaud de Comps,
                             probably suppositious)
bf.19 Jan 1163 - 1169/1170 Gilbert Assaillit
1169/1170 - 1172           Cast de Murols
1172/1173 - Oct 1177       Gérard Joubert de Syrie
1177 -  1 May 1187         Roger des Moulins
1188                       Borrell (Provisor et custos)
1188 - 1189/1190           Armengaud d'Asp (Provisor et custos) 
                             (by some sources asserted to be Master)
1190 - af.Jun 1192         Garnier de Naplouse
1192 - 1202                Godefroi de Donjon
1202 - 1206                Afonso, infante de Portugal 
1206 - af.22 May 1207      Geoffroy Le Rat
bf.Oct 1207-af.11 Nov 1227 Garin de Montaigu
bf.1 Mar 1228 - 1231       Bertrand de Thessy
bf.1 May 1231-af.May 1236  Guérin Lebrun
bf.20 Sep 1236-1239/1240   Bertrand de Comps
1239/1240 - 17 Sep 1242    Pierre de Vieille-Brioude
1242 - af.24 Jun 1258      Guillaume de Châteauneuf
bf.9 Oct 1258-1 Apr 1277   Hugues de Revel
bf.4 Aug 1277-12 Mar 1284  Nicolas de Lorgne
bf.Sep 1285 - 20 Oct 1293  Jean de Villiers
bf.30 Sep 1294-17 Mar 1296 Odon de Pins
26 Mar 1296 - 1305         Guillaume de Villaret
bf.3 Nov 1305 - Sep 1317   Foulques de Villaret (1st time)
18 Sep 1317 - 1319         Gérard de Pins (Lieutenant)
1317 - 1319                Maurice de Pagnac (in dissidence)
1319 - 13 Jun 1319         Foulques de Villaret (2nd time)
18 Jun 1319 - May 1346     Hélion de Villeneuve
May 1346 -  3 Dec 1353     Dieudonné de Gozon 
                             (until 28 Jun 1346, Lieutenant)
 8 Dec 1353 - 1355         Pierre de Corneillan
Aug 1355 - 28 May 1365     Roger de Pins
 1 Jun 1365 - 16 Feb 1374  Raymond Bérenger
Feb 1374 - 27 Jul 1377     Robert de Juilly (or de Juillac)
24 Oct 1377 - 24 Mar 1396  Juan Fernández de Heredia
Apr 1383 - 18 May 1395     Riccardo Caracciolo Rossi dei 
                             conti di Gerace
                             (appointed by Pope in Rome)
1395 - 25 Apr 1405         Bartolomeo Carafa della Spina 
                             (Lieutenant)
                             (appointed by Pope in Rome)
1405 - 1409                Nicola Orsini di Campodifiore 
                             (Lieutenant)
                             (appointed by Pope in Rome)
 6 May 1396 - 1421         Philibert de Naillac
 1 Jul 1421 - 26 Oct 1437  Antoni de Fluviá
 6 Nov 1437 - 19 May 1454  Jean Bonpar de Lastic
 1 Jun 1454 - 17 Aug 1461  Jacques de Milly (or Jobert de Milly)
24 Aug 1461 - 21 Feb 1467  Pere Ramon Zacosta
28 Feb 1467 -  8 Jun 1476  Giovanni Battista Orsini dei 
                             conti di Gravina
17 Jun 1476 -  3 Jul 1503  Pierre d'Aubusson
10 Jul 1503 - 13 Nov 1512  Aimery d'Amboise, dit Chaumont
22 Nov 1512 - 24 Nov 1513  Guy de Blanchefort
15 Dec 1513 - 10 Jan 1521  Fabrizio Del Carretto dei marchesi
                             del Finale
22 Jan 1521 - 22 Aug 1534  Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam 
26 Aug 1534 - 12 Nov 1535  Pietro del Ponte, dei signori di       (d. 1535)
                             Lambriase e Casal Gros 
                             (takes office 10 Nov 1534)
22 Nov 1535 - 26 Sep 1536  Didier de Saint-Jaille, dit Tholon     (d. 1536)
20 Oct 1536 -  6 Sep 1553  Juan de Omedes y Coscón                (b. 1473 - d. 1553) 
11 Sep 1553 - 17 Aug 1557  Claude de La Sengle 
21 Aug 1557 - 21 Aug 1568  Jean Parisot de La Valette             (b. 1494 - d. 1568)
23 Aug 1568 - 26 Jan 1572  Pietro Guidalotti Ciocchi Del Monte    (d. 1572)
27 Jan 1572 - 21 Dec 1581  Jean L'Évesque de La Cassière          (d. 1581)
1581 -  1581               Maturin de Lescaut, dit Romegas
                             (lieutenant; in dissidence)
12 Jan 1582 -  4 May 1595  Hugues de Loubenx, des seigneurs       (d. 1595)
                             de Loubenx et de Verdale
 8 May 1595 -  7 Feb 1601  Martín Garcés                          (d. 1601)
10 Feb 1601 - 14 Sep 1622  Alof de Wignacourt                     (b. 1547 - d. 1622)
17 Sep 1622 -  7 Mar 1623  Luís Mendes de Vasconcelos             (b. 1542/43 - d. 1623)
10 Mar 1623 -  7 Jun 1636  Antoine de Paule
                             (took office 20 Mar 1623)
16 Jun 1636 - 14 Aug 1657  Giovanni Paolo Lascaris,               (b. 1560 - d. 1657)
                             conte di Castellar, dei
                             conti di Ventimiglia
17 Aug 1657 -  6 Feb 1660  Martín de Redín y Cruzat
 9 Feb 1660 -  2 Jun 1660  Annet de Clermont-Chatte,              (b. 1587 - d. 1660)
                             des seigneurs de Geyssans
 5 Jun 1660 - 20 Oct 1663  Rafael Cotoner i d'Olesa               (d. 1663)
23 Oct 1663 - 29 Apr 1680  Nicolau Cotoner i d'Olesa              (b. 1608 - d. 1690)
 2 May 1680 - 20 Jul 1690  Gregorio Carafa, dei principi
                             di Roccella
27 Jul 1690 -  4 Feb 1697  Pierre-Adrien de Wignacourt            (b. 1618/19 - d. 1697)
 5 Feb 1697 - 10 Jan 1720  Ramon Perellós i de Rocafull           (b. 1637 - d. 1720)
14 Jan 1720 - 16 Jun 1722  Marc'Antonio Chigi Zondadari dei       (b. 1658 - d. 1722)
                             marchesi di San Quirico 
19 Jun 1722 - 12 Dec 1736  António Manuel de Vilhena              (b. 1663 - d. 1736)
16 Dec 1736 - 15 Jan 1741  Ramon Despuig i Martínez de            (b. 1670 - d. 1741)
                             Marcilla de los condes de Montealegre
18 Jan 1741 - 24 Jan 1773  Manuel Pinto da Fonseca                (b. 1681 - d. 1773)
28 Jan 1773 -  9 Nov 1775  Francisco Ximénez de Tejada de los     (b. 1703 - d. 1775)
                             señores de Sobrarbe y condes de
                             Aragón 
12 Nov 1775 - 13 Jul 1797  Jean-Emmanuel-Marie-des-Neiges,        (b. 1725 - d. 1797)
                             prince de Rohan-Polduc 
17 Jul 1797 - 26 Aug 1798  Ferdinand Joseph Freiherr von          (b. 1744 - d. 1805)
                             Hompesch zu Bollheim 
                            (abandons Malta 22 Jun 1798, abdicates 6 Jul 1799)
10 Sep 1798-23/24 Mar 1801 Pavel Petrovich                        (b. 1754 - d. 1801)
                            (Emperor Paul I of Russia;
                             to 7 Nov 1798 Protector of the Order
                             and acting Grand Master)
Lieutenants of the Grand Master (acting as Grand Masters)
27 Mar 1801 -  9 Feb 1803  Prince Nikolay Ivanovich Saltykov      (b. 1736 - d. 1816)
1802 -  9 Feb 1803         Giuseppe Caracciolo dei marchesi       (d. 1839)
                             di Sant'Eramo (1st time) 
                             (in opposition)
 9 Feb 1803 - 13 Jun 1805  Giovanni Battista Tommasi de Cortona   (b. 1731 - d. 1805)
17 Jun 1805 - 10 Feb 1809  Giuseppe Caracciolo dei marchesi       (s.a.)
                             di Sant'Eramo -Grand Master 
                             (2nd time) (in opposition)
29 Nov 1805 - 25 Apr 1814  Innigo Maria Guevara Suardo            (b. 1744 - d. 1814)
26 Apr 1814 - 10 Jun 1821  Andrea Di Giovanni e Centegles         (b. 1742 - d. 1821)
11 Jul 1821 - 19 May 1834  Antonio Busca Arconati Visconti        (b. 1767 - d. 1834)
23 May 1834 - 12 Jul 1845  Carlo Candida                          (b. 1762 - d. 1845)
15 Jul 1845 -  9 Oct 1864  Philipp Graf von Colloredo-Mels        (b. 1779 - d. 1864)
                             und-Waldsee 
25 Feb 1865 - 13 Jan 1872  Alessandro Borgia                      (b. 1783 - d. 1872)
14 Jan 1872 - 28 Mar 1879  Giovanni Battista Ceschi a Santa Croce (b. 1827 - d. 1905)
Grand Masters
28 Mar 1879 - 24 Jan 1905  Giovanni Battista Ceschi a Santa Croce (s.a.)
 6 Mar 1905 - 26 Mar 1931  Galeazzo Graf von Thun und Hohenstein  (b. 1850 - d. 1931)
26 Mar 1931 - 30 May 1931  Pio Franchi de' Cavalieri              (b. 1869 - d. 1960)
                            (ad interim lieutenant; acting)
30 May 1931 - 14 Nov 1951  Ludovico Chigi Della Rovere Albani,    (b. 1866 - d. 1951)
                             principe di Farnese, di Campagnano 
                             e di Soriano 
14 Nov 1951 - 25 Apr 1955  Conte Palatino Don Antonio Hercolani   (b. 1883 - d. 1962)
                             Fava Simonetti
                            (ad interim lieutenant; acting)
25 Apr 1955 - 11 May 1962  Ernesto Vittorio Maria Vincenzo Luigi  (b. 1882 - d. 1971)
                             Paternò-Castello dei duchi di Càrcaci 
                            (lieutenant of the grand master; acting)
11 May 1962 - 17 Jan 1988  Angelo di Mojana dei signori di        (b. 1905 - d. 1988)
                             Cologna
17 Jan 1988 - 11 Apr 1988  Giancarlo Pallavicini                  (b. 1911 - d. 1999)
                             (ad-interim lieutenant; acting)
11 Apr 1988 -  7 Feb 2008  Andrew Willoughby Ninian Bertie        (b. 1929 - d. 2008)
 7 Feb 2008 - 11 Mar 2008  Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di      (b. 1944)
                             Sanguinetto
                            (ad-interim lieutenant; acting)
11 Mar 2008 -              Matthew Festing                        (b. 1949)
 

Grand Chancellors
Nov 1978 - Feb 1980        Vittorio Marullo di Condojanni         (d. 1982)
15 Feb 1980 - 1997         Felice, barone Catalano di Melilli     (b. 1914 - d. 2003) 
1997 - Oct 2001            Carlo, conte Marullo di Condojanni,    (b. 1946)
                             principe di Casalnuovo 
                             (acting for di Melilli 1995-1997)
Oct 2001 - 16 Apr 2005     Count Jacques de Liedekerke            (b. 1928)
                             (acting to 1 Jan 2002)
16 Apr 2005 -              Jean-Pierre Mazery                     (b. 1942)
                             (acting for Liedekerke from 3 Nov 2004)

 ¹ full style of the Grand masters:
 (a) to 1798: Dei Gratia Sacrae Domus Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani et militaris Ordinis Sancti Sepulchri Dominici Magister humilis pauperumque Iesu Christi custos (the phrase et militaris Ordinis Sancti Sepulchri Dominici ceases to be effective 4 Nov 1497, but is not deleted)("by the Grace of God, Grand Master of the Sacred Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem and of the military Order of the Holy Sepulcher, humble guardian of the poor of Jesus Christ");
 (b) 10 Dec 1798 - 24 Mar 1801: Velikiy Magistr Ordena Svyatogo Ioanna Ierusalimskogo ("Grand master of the Holy Order of St. John of Jerusalem");
 (c) from 1803: Gran Maestro ("Grand master"); in common official use to 1805: Principe e Gran Maestro ("Prince and Grand master"); Long form: "His Most Eminent Highness, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Most Humble Guardian of the Poor of Jesus Christ."

 ² Currently the SMOM maintains diplomatic relations with 103 countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Austria, The Bahamas, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (Kinshasa), Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Latvia, Lebanon, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Macedonia, Madagascar, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nicaragua, Niger, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Slovakia, Slovenia, Somalia, Spain, The Sudan, Suriname, Tajikistan, Thailand, Togo, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uruguay, Vatican City and Venezuela. The Order of Malta also has official relations with: Belgium, Canada, European Commission, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland.