
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's oldest surviving order of chivalry. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and is widely considered a sovereign subject of international law.
Higher Order
Seat of the Order in the Holy Land
- 1099-1120 : The Blessed Gerard
- 1120-1160 : Raymond du Puy de Provence
- 1160-1163 : Auger de Balben
- 1162-1163 : Arnaud de Comps
- 1163-1170 : Gilbert d'Aissailly
- c.1170-1172 : Gastone de Murols
- 1172-1177 : Jobert de Síria
- 1177-1187 : Roger de Moulins
- 1187-1190 : Armengol de Aspa
- 1190-1192 : Garnier of Nablus
- 1193-1202 : Geoffroy de Donjon
- 1203-1206 : Afonso de Portugal
- 1206-1207 : Geoffrey le Rat
- 1207-1228 : Garin de Montaigu
- 1228-1231 : Bertrand de Thercy
- 1231-1236 : Guerin de Montacute
- 1236-1240 : Bertrand de Comps
- 1240-1242 : Pierre de Vielle-Bride
- 1242-1258 : Guillaume de Chateauneuf
Grand Master of the Order
Seat of the Order in the Holy Land
- 1258-1277 : Hugues de Revel
- 1277-1284 : Nicolas Lorgue
Seat of the Order in Cyprus
- 1284-1294 : Jean de Villiers
- 1294-1296 : Odon de Pins
- 1296-1305 : Guillaume de Villaret
Seat of the Order in Rhodes
- 1305-1319 : Foulques de Villaret
- 1319-1346 : Hélion de Villeneuve
- 1346-1353 : Dieudonné de Gozon
- 1353-1355 : Pierre de Corneillan
- 1355-1365 : Roger de Pins
- 1365-1374 : Raymond Berenger
- 1374-1376 : Robert de Juliac
- 1376-1396 : Juan Fernández de Heredia
- 1383-1395 : Riccardo Caracciolo, Rival Grand Master
- 1396-1421 : Philibert de Naillac
- 1421-1437 : Antoni de Fluvià
- 1437-1454 : Jean de Lastic
- 1454-1461 : Jacques de Milly
- 1461-1467 : Pere Ramon Sacosta
- 1467-1476 : Giovanni Battista Orsini
- 1476-1503 : Pierre d'Aubusson
- 1503-1512 : Emery d'Amboise
- 1512-1513 : Guy de Blanchefort
- 1513-1521 : Fabrizio del Carretto
Seat of the Order in Malta
- 1521-1534 : Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
- 1534-1535 : Piero de Ponte
- 1535-1536 : Didier de Saint-Jaille
- 1536-1553 : Juan de Homedes y Coscón
- 1553-1557 : Claude de la Sengle
- 1557-1568 : Jean Parisot de la Valette
- 1568-1572 : Pierre de Monte
- 1572-1581 : Jean de la Cassiere
- 1577-1581 : Mathurin Romegas, Lieutenant
- 1581 : Mathurin Romegas, Rival Grand Master
- 1581-1595 : Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle
- 1595-1601 : Martín Garzez
- 1601-1622 : Alof de Wignacourt
- 1622-1623 : Luís Mendes de Vasconcellos
- 1623-1636 : Antoine de Paulo
- 1636-1657 : Jean de Lascaris-Castellar
- 1657-1660 : Martin de Redin
- 1660 : Annet de Clermont-Gessant
- 1660-1663 : Rafael Cotoner
- 1663-1680 : Nicolau Cotoner
- 1680-1690 : Gregorio Carafa
- 1690-1697 : Adrien de Wignacourt
- 1697-1720 : Ramon Perellos i Rocafull
- 1720-1722 : Marc'Antonio Zondadari
- 1722-1736 : António Manoel de Vilhena
- 1736-1741 : Raymond Despuig
- 1741-1773 : Manuel Pinto da Fonseca
- 1773-1775 : Francisco Ximenez de Texada
- 1775-1797 : Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc
- 1797-1799 : Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim
Other Orders
The Hospitaller Order of St. John has given rise to many splinter groups and imitators, both chivalric and fraternal.
There are five orders that are recognized as orders of knighthood by being recognized by the sovereign authorities of the countries they are based in. One is the Sovereign Order of Malta. The others are members of the Alliance of Orders of St. John.
- Sovereign Order of Malta, an internationally recognized sovereign entity associated with the Roman Catholic Church
- Bailiwick of Brandenburg of St. John and Jerusalem, the German order
- Order of St. John of the Netherlands, the Netherlands order
- Order of St. John of Sweden, the Swedish order
- Venerable Order of St. John, the British order
Other orders include:
- Knights of St. John and Malta, a Canadian and U.S. order
- Royal Black Association of the Knights of Malta. a Scottish order
Sources
- Orders of St John, Sovereign Order of Malta
Resources
- James J. Algrant, C.St.J, The Proliferation of Russian and Other "Orders" of St. John.
- Robert W. Y. Formhals (Prince Grand Master of the Hospitaller Order of St.John of Jerusalem), White Cross: Story of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (1979).
- List of Self Styled or False Orders of St. John, Australian Department of Defense
- The Orders of St John of Jerusalem, The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
- Research Web Pages Site Map, The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
- Self Styled Orders of St. John and dependent Charitable Organisations, The Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller
- Self-Styled Order of St. John