THE ORDER OF ST. JOHN
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The Order of St John has its origin around 1070 in the hospital of Italian merchants (from Amalfi) in
Jerusalem. Their leader, a certain Gérard, founded, after the conquest of the
city by the crusaders in 1099, a lay brotherhood that would take care of the
sick and wounded. The brotherhood was recognized by Pope Paschalius II in
1113 under the nameof "Order of
the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem". In 1125 the Order was reorganized
into a spiritual knighthood. The brothers were divided into three categories:
knights for the military service, clergy for the church service and laymen
for the hospital service. The knights fought alongside the Crusaders until
the last Christian settlements in the Holy Land fell into the hands of the
Mamluks in 1291. Given the military nature of the Order, she had to move
elsewhere. Initially, the Order settled in Cyprus but in 1310 it founded a
state on Rhodes that lasted until 1523 when the island was conquered by
Sultan Suleiman the Great. In 1524, the again displaced Order made a request
to the Spanish king Charles I (V) who acted as defender of the faith (fidei defensor) for a place of
establishment from which the tasks that the order had set itself could be
carried out. In 1530 the request was honored and the Order took possession of
Malta as the location for its headquarters. In 1798 the Order was ousted from the island
by the troops of Napoleon without significant resistance. After the Order was first taken under
protection by Tsar Paul I of Russia, after the death of Grand Master Tommasi
in 1805, a government interim was created and the Order was governed by
deputy grandmasters. In 1879 the Order was revived by Pope Leo
XIII. The head office is now based in Rome. The dress of the Order In the rules of the order of Raymond du Puy
from 1153 it was established that the
brothers of the order would wear a cross on their clothes, on the left
side of their chest. Initially this clothing consisted of a wide habit with
wide incisions for the arms. The cross is usually assumed to have been white
and had the characteristic eight-pointed shape. In this respect, however, there are
indications that the eight pointed cross has developed slowly. Images from
the 12th century usually show a more or less a cross patée, finished with
cross-lines that are sometimes curled so that points are formed at the ends.
Sometimes a ball or dot is added between these points. Only in the thirteenth
century there is a certain differentiation in the forms of the crosses used
in heraldry. In the fifteenth century the white eight
pointed cross was fully developed and became the specific cross of the Order
of St. John. In papal letters from 1248 and 1259 the dress
of the order, which seriously impeded fighting, was changed for the
battlefield. It was allowed to wear a red armor with a white cross on it. The dress of the order has not changed
substantially in the course of the centuries. However, images from
Johannieter naval officers from the eighteenth century show that at sea the
dress of the Order was also red, but with an eight pointed cross instead of
the white straight cross that was customary for the army.[1] The Banner. We only hear of a banner for the Order through
Matthew Paris giving the Vexillum
Hospitalis for the years 1240 and 1241. It is a white cross patée on a
red cloth. This banner is also quoted in the rules of
the order of 1259. That stated that in times of war the mantle would be red
with a white cross “in accordance with the standard”. The banner is the same as the Banner of the
Empire which is also red with a white cross. According to some, this standard
dates from the time of Emperor Henry VI, but it can also be assumed that it
only came into being after the establishment of the Latin Empire in 1204.
From this time on, the colors gold and red, which are the original national
colors, seem to be limited to the sphere of influence of Byzantium. At the
same time, the combination of red and white in the west is increasing, both
in lion coats of arms and in arms with a cross. A banner with
white cross on red is preserved in Bamberg and is said to have been of
Saint George, the patron of the west. The banner of a red cross on a white field at
the same time is the banner of the Ecclesia,
known at least from the Carolingian era. A white cross on red led King Henry VII as a
Roman King. Furthermore, this combination is known from the House Savoie from
at least 1231. Later users are the bishop of Utrecht (late 13th century), the
king of Denmark (14th century) and the Swiss League. The banner that the Johanieters used in 1241
can certainly be called the national standard and must therefore be
associated with the imperial party. After all, in the treaty that Richard of
Cornwall made in that year with the Sultan of Egypt, the Saint Johns elected
the suzerainty of the Sultan, which was in accordance with the policy of
Frederick II who in 1229 had recognized the suzerainty of the Sultan over the
Kingdom of Jerusalem. . Because of this they collided with the Templars who
were in charge of the Pope's case. In the controversy between Emperor and
Pope these two orders also came to stand against each other continuously. The cross on the banner remains long-term for
a long time. In the fifteenth century, the right, presumably at the same time
as the crystallization of the eight pointed cross on the order garment, and
in this form the banner is carried by the Johannite Order until the present
day. The Arms Some time later (1275) the arms are also
described: "le auntient del
Hospitall, gules un crois formy d'argent". The cross on the arms went through the same
development as that on the banner and probably no essential distinction was
made between banner and weapon. In the fifteenth century, the cross became
right but showpieces, as is not added by other princes in Western Europe.
Only when the Order is established in Malta is the weapon crowned. At the
beginning of the 18th century the weapon was placed on a Johannite cross and
surrounded by a rosary with a hanging cross. On the shield a crown of five
fleurons corresponding to the status of Rijksvorst that the Grand Master of
the Order had from the beginning of the seventeenth century. In this form the weapon of the Order remains
in use until 1798. Paul I of Russia placed the weapon on the
chest of the Russian eagle. At the end of the nineteenth century, after the
restoration of the Order in 1879, it was placed on a coat of arms on top of
which was the crown of the Saint John's who consisted of a five-armed crown
with an eight-pointed cross on top. At present the arm of the Order is surrounded
by two red banners with a white cross and placed on a black, crowned coat of
arms. |
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"Piae Postulatio Voluntatis". Bull
issued by Pope Paschal II in 1113 in favour of the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem, which was to transform what was a community of pious men into an
institution within the Church. By virtue of this document, the pope
officially recognized the existence of the new organisation as an operative
and militant part of the Roman Catholic Church, granting it papal protection
and confirming its properties in Europe and Asia. The bull is preserved at the National Library of Malta in Valletta Translation in English of the Bull Paschal,
bishop, and servant of such as are the servants of God, to his venerable son
Gerard, founder and Master of the Hospital at Jerusalem, and to his lawful
successors for evermore. The requests
of a devout desire ought to meet with a corresponding fulfillment. Inasmuch, as
of your affection thou hast requested, with regard to the Hospital which thou
hast founded in the city of Jerusalem, in proximity to the Church of the
Blessed John the Baptist, that it should be supported by the authority of the
Apostolic See, and fostered by the patronage of the blessed Apostle Peter:
We, therefore, much pleased with the pious earnestness of your hospitality,
do receive the petition with our paternal favour, and do ordain and
establish, by the authority of this our present decree, that that house of
God, your Hospital, shall now be placed, and shall for ever remain, under the
protection of the Apostolic See, and under that of the Blessed Peter. All
things whatsoever, therefore, which by your preserving care and solicitude
have been collected for the benefit of the said Hospital, for the support and
maintenance of pilgrims, or for relieving the necessities of the poor,
whether in the churches of Jerusalem, or in those of parishes within the
limits of other cities; and whatsoever goods may have been offered already by
the faithful, or for the future may through God’s grace be so offered, or
collected by other lawful means; and whatsoever goods have been, or shall be
granted to thee, or to thy successors, or to the brethren who are occupied in
the care and support of pilgrims, by the venerable brethren the bishops of
the diocese of Jerusalem; we hereby decree shall be retained by you and
undiminished. Moreover, as
to the tithes of your revenues, which you collect everywhere at your own
charge, and by your own toil, we do hereby fix and decree, that they shall be
retained by your own Hospital, all opposition on the part of the bishops and
their clergy notwithstanding. We also decree as valid all donations which
have been made to your Hospital by pious princes, either of their tribute
moneys or other donations. We ordain furthermore, that at your death no man
shall be appointed in your place, as chief and master, by any underhand
subtlety, or by violence; but him only who shall, by the inspiration of God,
have been duly elected by the professed brethren of the Institution. Furthermore,
all dignities or possessions which your Hospital at present holds either on
this side of the water, in Asia, or in Europe, as also those which hereafter
by God’s bounty it may obtain; we confirm them to you and to your successors,
who shall devote themselves with pious zeal to the cares of hospitality, and
through you to the said Hospital in perpetuity. We further decree that it
shall be unlawful for any man whatsoever rashly to disturb your Hospital, or
to carry off any of its property, or if carried off to retain possession of
it, or to diminish anything from its revenues, or to harass it with audacious
annoyances. But let all its property remain intact, for the sole use and
enjoyment of those for whose maintenance and support it has been granted. As
to the Hospitals or Poor Houses in the Western provinces, in the Borgo of
St.Egidio, Asti, Pisa, Bari, Otranto, Taranto and Messina, which are
distinguished by the title of Hospitals of Jerusalem, we decree that they
shall for ever remain, as they are this day, under the subjection and
disposal of yourself and your successors. If, therefore, at a future time,
any person, whether ecclesiastical or secular, knowing this paragraph of our
constitution, shall attempt to oppose its provisions, and if, after having
received a second or third warning, he shall not make a suitable satisfaction
and restitution, let him be deprived of all his dignities and honours, and
let him know that he stands exposed to the judgment of God, for the iniquity
he has perpetrated; and let him be deprived of the Sacraments of the Body and
Blood of Christ, and of the benefits of the redemption of our Lord, and at
the last judgment let him meet with the severest vengeance. But to all who
deal justly and rightly with the same, on them be the peace of our Lord Jesus
Christ, so that not only here below they may receive the rewards of good
actions, but also before the Judge of all mankind, they may enjoy the blessing
of peace eternal. I Paschal,
bishop of the Catholic Church, have signed I Richard
Bishop of Albano, have signed I Landulphus
Archbishop of Benevento, have read and signed I Canon
Bishop of the Church of Preneste, have read and signed I Anastasio Cardinal
priest with the title of Blessed Clement, have signed I Gregory
Bishop of Terracina, have read and signed I John Bishop
of Mellito, have read and signed I Romuald
Cardinal Deacon of the Roman Church, have signed I Gregorio
Cardinal priest of San Crisogono, have read and signed Given at
Benevento, by the hand of John, Cardinal and librarian of the Roman Church,
on the 15th day of February, in the 6th cycle of indiction of the incarnation
of our Lord, in the year 1113, and in the 14th year of the Pontificate of
Pope Paschal II. There are several emblems known of the order. 1. A coat of arms for peace, that is to say the
official dress of the Knights of the Order. This consisted of a black mantle
with a white cross. The cross evoluated from a cross patée to an eight
pointed cross. 2. An emblem. This consisted of an eight-pointed
cross. It evoluated to the arms Gules, an eight-pointed cross Argent |
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Official
dress (Coat of arms) |
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1153 – Rules
of the Order established by the 2nd Master of the Order Raymond du Puy: All Brothers must carry the cross
on their surplies and mantles to honour God and the Holy Cross. They must
carry it on their breasts, that by this sign God will strengthen the faith,
work and humility in us and defend the body and soul of us and all Christian
benefactors against the power of the devil in this and in the other world.
Amen. [2] Cartul. i n° 70. [3]
Representation of
a knight of St. John By a troubadour of the Provence. 1250-1300 Paris BNF ms
français 854, fol. 113v° On the
back of his black mantle a white cross patée pommelled.
Silver coin of Helion de Villeneuve (1319-’46)
Juan Fernandez de Heredia (1377-‘96) From: Grant
Cronica de Espanya. fol 1. Tercera partida | Fernández de Heredia, Juan Ms. 355 de la
Biblioteca de Cataluña [4]
Grand Master Pierre d’Aubusson (1476-1503) in
conference with the eight piliers of
The Order after 1462. All are dressed in black mantles with white,
eight-pointed crosses on their breast. From: BNF Latin 6067:
Caoursin, Guillaume: Obsidionis Rhodiae
urbis descriptio. fol. 3 v° . Lead
seal of the Grand Master and capital of the Order of St. John, 1693 [5] |
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Eight knights kneeling before a double cross X B[ULLA MAGI]STRI
ET CONVENTUS |
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in base the dead
Christ X HOSPITALIS
HIERUSALEM |
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1693 V. 27 Bolla di piombo
(Æ mm 37 ca),
pendente tramite filo di canapa; r. X b[ulla magi]stri et conventus// Nove cavalieri oranti, tre
dei quali a figura intera con il mantello ornato di una croce biforcata, genuflessi davanti ad una croce doppia, alla cui
destra è una lettera A. v. X hospitalis . hierusalem In alto il profilo della
chiesa del Santo Sepolchro con tre cupole: da quella centrale pende un
lampada; in basso la figura di Christo morto, il capo nimbato, deposito su un
giaciglio sorretto da archetti; a sinistra un turibolo in movimento, a destra croce astile biforcata. La raffigurazione per
elementi essentiali dell’interno del tempio del Santo Sepolchro connotava le
bolle plombee dell’ordine di S. Giovanni in Gerusalemme fin dai primi
esemplari conosciuti, risalenti al secolo XII. (Il Sigillo n° 205. Bascapè, G.C. Sigillografia. Il sigillo nella diplomatica, nel diritto, nella
storia, nell’arte. Vol. II: Sigillografia ecclesiastica. Milano 1978, pp. 254-255. Tavv. 252, n.1, p. 253, n.
5, p. 263, n. 1.) On both sides eight-pointed crosses.
Knights of the Order of St. John, 2018 |
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The Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades
used a plain Latin cross. The association of the “Maltese Cross” with the
order dates to the late 15th century; it is possibly first mentioned in 1489
in a regulation requiring the knights of Malta to wear "the white cross
with eight points".However, these eight-points do not signify that the
shape required was that of the four-arrowhead form of 1567, or anything near
it, as many variants of an eight-point cross are known. A cross patée fitchée was on the first seals
of the Order. 1234
A good example of early forms of the cross
are provided by the two seals of the Oxford Hospital circa 1234 and later.
These are in the form of Cross Formée and Pattée Formée, both with Fitch at
Foot (fig. 2.) #5. [6] |
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Seal of the Knights of Rhodes (1311-1523) The association of the eight-pointed cross
with Malta arose after the Knights Hospitaller moved from Rhodes to Malta in
1530 The first evidence for use of the Maltese
cross on Malta appears on the 2-tarì and 4-tarì copper coins of the Grand Master
Jean Parisot de Valette (Grand Master 1557–‘68). The 2- and 4-tarì coins are
dated 1567. This provides a date for the introduction of the Maltese cross.[
MALTA. Jean
de la Vallete 1557-‘68.AE.2 Tari 1567.( 5.40g, 27.3mm, 3h ) Obv.: X SVB HOC
SIGNA MILITAMVS, cross of the order. Reverse: X NON AES SED
FIDES, conjoined hands, above date 1(56)7, below value T.Z.
Alof de Wignacourt, 54th Grand Master, 1601-1622. 3
Tari n. d., Valetta. Very rare.
Photo.H.d.V 09.2000. 1647 Gules an eight-pointed cross Argent. L.: stone carved for the priory of the knights of malta, quebec, 1647.
Achievement of the Order on the façade of
the church of the Knights of St John in Florence (1699)
1726 The Maltese cross was depicted on the two-mils coin in the old Maltese currency and is now
shown on the back of the one- and two-euro coins, introduced in January 2008 |
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Throne of Tsar Paul as a Grand Master of the Order
Johanniter Ordens-Hospiz, Jerusalem established 1866
2005 |
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Coat of arms for war. This consisted of a a banner
Gules, a (straight) cross Argent. This evoluated from a flag to the arms of
the Order
1240 Mattheus Parisiensis: Historia Anglorum
B.L. Ms Roy. 14.C.VII fol. 130v: Deaths of French Crusaders at Gaza, 1240.
left margin: three inverted shield:
Scutum victorum Francorum non procul a Gazre. Captu sunt etiam et occisi
multi de Templariis et Hospitalariis: (a) Dareines (gules two trumpets in
pile, or); Henry II, Count of Bar (azure, two barbels addorsed or); (c) John
de Barres (gules a cross recercly or). Below are the inverted standards of
the Hospitallers and Templars: (a) Vexillum
Hospitalis (gules, a cross argent) and (b) Vexillum Templi (argent, a chief sable).
1241 The
same: Chronica Majora. Cambridge,
Corpus Christi College Ms 16, fol. 141: Banners of the Hospitallers and
Templars, 1241- bottom left margin: ecce
tria signa inter omnia magis infidelibus formidabilia - vexillum hospitalis,
vexillum templi, oloflamma Franciae.[7] |
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“The habit of the order, both in peace and
war, was originally a black cappa
clausa (i.e. the long monastic bell-like cloak with a slit on each side
for the arms) with a white, eight-pointed “Maltese” cross on the breast. As
this was highly inconvenient for fighting, Innocent IV in 1248 authorized the
brethren to wear in locis suspectis
a large super-tunic with a cross on the breast.” [8] 1259 Bull of Pope Alexander IV, dated in 1259, decreeing a distinctive
dress for the Knights
of Justice. Since it has come to our knowledge that,
amongst the bretheren of your Order, both Knights and others, there is no
distinction or diversity of dress, contrary to the usual custom in most other
similar institutions;..... .....we, therefore, [...] do hereby grant to
you [...] the regulation, that the Knights, brethren of your Order, shall
wear black mantles, that they may be distinguished from the other brethren;
but in campaigns, and in battle, they shall wear surcoats and other military
decorations of a red colour, on
which there shall be a cross of white
colour, sewn on in accordance with that of your standard; in order that
by the uniformity of signs, the unanimity of your spirits may be clearly
apparent, and that thus, in consequence, the safety of your persons may be
insured. [9] |
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1275 In an
english roll of arms the arms are blazoned:
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1275 ca Le auntient del Hospitall, gules un crois formy d’argent (Walford
C20 Cl. 22 Cd 39) [10] |
Gules, a
cross formy Argent (~1350) As documented by
the Libro
de Conoscimiento n° p. 54 n° 34. [11] |
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As in
Ulrich Richental Konzil zu Konstanz, 1417-‘20 Rex turcie och under dem grossen can |
Arms of the Order as in alliance
with the personal arms of the Grand Master, 15th cent. |
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Bronze seal and wax print. End of 15th cent. Arms:
Cross patée Crest:
Agnus Dei British Museum number 1872,0603.8 Description:
Seal-matrix: Knights Hospitallers of Jerusalem; bronze; pointed oval; shaped
ridge; pierced; shield of arms bearing Maltese cross; Agnus Dei; foliage in
the field; legend; with wax impression. Date: 14th
C- 15th C (End of the 15th C (Société de Sphragistique, 1852-1853) Production place: France, Mâcon Dimensions:
5.25 ´ 3.2 cm Inscriptions: *S: INDULGECIE: HOSPITALIS:IERUSALEM: (Seal of the Indulgence of the Hospital of
Jerusalem)
Galley of the Order of St. John at the battle of
Lepanto, 07.10. 1571 On the cover of the captain’s quarters: Gules
a cross formy witin a bordure Argent. On the stern the white flag: Argent, a cross
formy within a bordure Gules On the main: Argent, a cross formy within a
bordure Gules The arms could be crowned with a princely
crown after 1620
Crowned coat of arms of the Order in the Palace |
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Flags of Malta, ~ 1700 62: Gules a cross Argent (Roode Vlag van Malta) 63 Argent, an eight-pointed cross Gules (Witte
Vlag van Malta) From: Danckertsz,
Cornelis: Nieuwe Tafel van al de Zee
vaarende Vlagge des Weerelts, (ca. 1700). These flags also on later (1750) translated
editions of this map
1796 |
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Restoration of the Office of Grand Master by Pope Leo XIII, 1879
1879 |
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Arms:
Gules a cross Argent. Supporters: A Maltese cross Argent fimbriated Or Order: A
rosdary of the Order of St. John of Jeruzalem, called the Order of Malta on a
black ribbon. Mantle:
Purpure., fringed and tasseled Or, and princely crowned. (Heyer von Rosenfeld, 1895 ). |
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The Achievement |
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The achievement of the Order, 1594 From: Dell’ Istoria
Della Sacra Religione Et Illma Militia Di S. Gio Gierosolno di iacomo bosio.
Volume 2, 1594 |
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The
Double-Headed Eagle of the Order Saint John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller before 1798. Copyright © The
Rev'd Dr Michael Foster SSC MIWO |
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The double headed eagle, which provided a
supporter for the arms of the Order under Grand Master Paul I, was not an
innovation as some might believe. The original form of the Double-headed
eagle was Austrian and had been in use from 1778 to 1798, and had resulted
from the absorption of the Order of St Anthony into that of St John, which
itself had used the Austrian Eagle. The precedent for Paul had been set by
the Order before he became a Protector, or its Grandmaster. All that Paul I
did, was to replace the eagle of the Holy Roman/Austrian Empire, with that of
the Empire of Russia.
Romanesque church in Fixey (Cote d’Or) (1170). Dedicated to St Antoine |
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Arms of
the Order |
Cross of
the Order |
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Photo’s Henk
Tijhof This Hospitaller Order of St Anthony (not an Order
of Chivalry but a non-military Monastic Order) was founded at La Motte in the
Dauphiné of France in 1095 by Gaston, a nobleman, whose son was struck by a
fungal disease, known in the Middle Ages as Saint Anthony's fire (ergotism).
This disease is caused by a transformation of the grain (often rye) into
enlarged, hard, brown to black spur-like structures that constitute the
source of the drug ergot in flour and causes convulsions often leading to
death. (In Dutch: moederkoornvergiftiging; in German: Mutterkornvergiftigung;
in Swedish: mjoldryka and in Finnish: torajyva). The members of this Order specialised in curing
patients suffering from this disease, hence the name Saint Anthony's fire.
The Order originally consisting of laymen, was approved by Pope Urban II
during the Council of Clermont in 1095. Later, in 1218, Pope Honorius III
permitted the brothers to take the vows of obedience, poverty and chastity.
In the thirteenth century the Order spread over the whole of Western Europe
with about 370 hospitals. Blue arms with a tau-cross Der hertzog in kriechen von Bastym In Ulrich
Richental’s Council of Constantz ca. 1420 Because of the wars and disorder during the
Reformation the monasteries and hospitals of the Order were often confiscated
or destroyed. The attempt of their Grand Master in 1630 to reform the Order
was not a success. In 1775 Pope Pius VI incorporated the Order into the Order
of Saint John of Jerusalem.
The coat of arms of the Hospitallers of Saint
Anthony was: Or, a Tau-cross Azure which the members of the Order wore on
their black cloak.
In 1502 the Austrian Emperor Maximilian I
granted the Austrian double-headed eagle as an augmentation to their coat of
arms, placed behind the Tau-Cross When the Order was amalgamated with the
Order of Saint John of Jerusalem this double-headed eagle was placed as a
supporter behind the coat of arms of the latter Order and also behind that of
the Grand Master. In 1778,
three years after the amalgamation of the Order of Saint Anthony with the
Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, Grand Master Rohan placed the Order's arms
upon the Austrian double-headed eagle. On this Gold Coin from Grand Master
Rohan's time which dates to 1778, the eagle holds a Tau-Cross in both beaks. The correct eagle for the pre 1798 period is
all black with a red tongue. It follows that golden beaks and claws, red
beaks and claws and white feathers amongst the black are inappropriate and
historically incorrect. Late 1798 the Austrian Eagle had been replaced by the
Russian Eagle. |
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The last time the Order used the Austrian Eagle as a
supporter was under Ferdinand von Hompesch in 1798. Following the disgrace of
Hompesch and the election of Paul I (initially schismatically) to the
Grandmastership of the Order, the Austrian Eagle was replaced by the Russian
Eagle, and in addition to the plain white greek cross on a red shield, the
Maltese Cross was placed behind the shield. Following the transfer of the Grand Magistracy to
Roman Catholic control in 1803, the Russian Arms ceased to be the Official
Arms of the Order. However the Russian Grand Priory continued with the Arms
as given by Emperor Paul I. The exilic Grand Priory, which was given a formal
existence by the Russian Commanders of Family meeting at Paris in 1928,
provided a description of the Arms in the Constitution framed in 1953; ART. 11. Les armoiries du Grand Prieuré Russe représentant le blason octroyé
au Prieuré par le Grand Maître de l'Ordre Souverain de Saint-Jean de
Jérusalem et Empereur de toutes les Russies, Paul Ier l'Aigle
bicéphale de Russie avec la Croix de Malte blanche à huit pointes sur son
poitrail portant l'antique écu militaire de cet Ordre à la Croix pleine
blanche sur champ de gueules (rouge). Les principaux actes du Grand Prieuré Russe sont timbrés de ce blason,
dont se sert également son Grand Prieur (ou Protecteur). Le blason ordinaire
du Grand Prieuré est la double Croix de Malte décrite ci-dessus. ART. 12. L'insigne dont peuvent se servir et le
porter sur le côté gauche de la poitrine les membres du Grand Prieuré est la
Croix de Malte blanche à huit pointes avec un écusson d'or le superposé
portant l'Aigle Noire bicéphale de Russie. In English Translation: ART. 11.
The coat of arms of Russian Grand Priory representing the blason granted to
the Priory by the Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Saint-John of
Jerusalem and Emperor of all Russians, Paul I, The two headed Eagle of Russia
with the white Cross of Malta with eight points on its breast carrying the
antique military shield of this Order with a plain white Cross on
a field of gules (red). ART. 12.
The insignia which can serve and to be worn on the left side of the chest of
the members of Grand Priory is the white Cross of Malta with eight points
with a gold shield superimposed carrying the Black double-headed Eagle of
Russia. © The Reverend Dr. Michael
Foster SSC. MIWO. Lit.: Caluwé, The Reverend
Robert de. Guide notes on Heraldry of the Sovereign Order of Saint John of
Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller, OSJ ivzw Belgium, 2000, pages 42 & 43. |
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Gold coin of the Order, 1778 |
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The achievement of the Order in the time of Tsar
Paul of Russia (1798-1801) 1799-1801 Arms: The
Order Crown: A
royal c rown Supporters: A Maltese cross supported by a two-headed eagle with sceptre and orb crowned and imperially crowned being the Russian Imperial Eagle. (Pichel. 1970 frontisp.)
Achievement of the Order and the legend: ORDRE
SOUVERAIN DE SAINT JEAN DE JERUSALEM
1798 |
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Paul I liet een kroon voor
de Johannieter Orde maken. Een afbeelding hiervan in: Dom Romanovich, St.
Petersburg, 1992 p. 232. Eerder gepubliceerd in: Drevnosti Rossiiskogo
Gosudarstva. Cht. I-VI. M, 1849-1853. |
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The armorial bearings of the Order display a
white latin cross on a red oval field surrounded by a rosary, all
superimposed on a white eight-pointed cross and displayed under a princely
mantle surmounted by a crown (as described in Article 6 of the Order’s
Constitution). It is the emblem of the Sovereign Order of Malta’s Grand
Magistry and its Institutions: Grand Priories, Subpriories, National
Associations and Diplomatic Missions. CONSTITUTIONAL CHARTER AND CODE OF THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY HOSPITALLER ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA Promulgated 27 June 1961 revised
by the Extraordinary Chapter General 28-30 April 1997 ARTICLE 6 Flags, Insignia and Armorial Bearings of the Order Par. 1 —
The flag of the Order bears either the white latin cross on a red field or
the white eight - pointed cross (cross of Malta) on a red field. Par. 2 —
The armorial bearings of the Order display a white latin cross on a red oval
field, surrounded by a rosary, all superimposed on a white eight - pointed
cross and displayed under a princely mantle surmounted by a crown . Par. 3 — A
special regulation, approved by the Grand Master with the deliberative vote
of the Sovereign Council, defines the characteristics and the use of the
flags, the insignia and the a rmorial bearings of the Order. 14 The Emblem of the Order’s works The emblem is the symbol of the Order of
Malta’s medical and humanitarian activities worldwide. |
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Photo H.d.V. March
1997 Sign board of the Headquarters of the Order in St.
Paul Street, Valetta The Arms of the
Grand Priories of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights
Hospitaller Arms: Gules
a cross Argent Supporters:
An eight-pointed cross Argent and a two-headed eagle billed an clawed Argent. Crown: a
royal crown of five hoops. Legend:
World Headquarters Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights
Hospitaller. PRO FIDE PRO UTILITATE HOMINUM (For the Faith
and the benefit of mankind)
Author: Michael Medvedev, GHA[R] / 2006-11-23 |
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Arms:
Gules a cross Argent Order:
Rosary with Maltese cross. Supporters:
An eight-pointed cross Argent, and four banners of the Order in saltire Mantle:
Sable, fringed and tasseled. Legend:
Embassy of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem
of Rhodes and of Malta. (Sign board of the Embassy of The Order in
Ordnance Street, Valetta. Photo H.d.V. March 1997) |
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The Knights Hospitaller began to take the
features of a state following its acquisition of Rhodes and nearby islands in
the early 14th century. The subdivision of the Order into langues began in 1319 during a meeting
of the Chapter General in Montpellier. For the purposes of administration of
the Order's possessions in Europe, the langues
were divided into grand priories, some of which were further divided
into priories or bailiwicks, and at the lowest level into commandries dealing
with regional or local administration. The head of each langue was known as a pilier
or bailiff. The piliers, together with the Knights
Grand Cross, the bishop, the bailiffs of the convents and the prior of the
Conventual Church, sat on the Grand Council of the Order. Each pilier also had specific
responsibilities within the order; that of France was the Hospitaller, that
of Italy was the Admiral of the Order's fleet. The headquarters of each langue was known as
an auberge, a French word meaning
inn. Auberges were first built in Rhodes in the late Middle Ages. After the Order moved to Malta in 1530, auberges were built in Birgu between the 1530s and the 1550s, and later
in Valletta from the 1570s onwards. When the system of the langues was established in the 14th century, there were seven langues split according to
ethno-linguistic divisions: the Gallo-Romance sphere was divided into the langues
of Auvergne, France and Provence. the Ibero-Romance areal was designated as the langue
of Aragon the Italo-Romance areal was designated as the langue
of Italy Germanic Europe was designated as the langue of
Germany, and it included all of the Holy Roman Empire, including its
Slavic-speaking parts, as well as Scandinavia, Hungary and Poland the British Isles were designated as the langue
of England In 1462, the langue of Castille, Léon and Portugal was split from that of
Aragon. The langue of England was
dissolved in the mid-16th century following the English Reformation, and
while there was an Auberge d'Angleterre
in Birgu, no English auberge
was built in Valletta. The langue
was reinstituted by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc in 1784 as the Anglo-Bavarian Langue,
which also included Bavarian and Polish
knights. It was housed in Auberge
de Bavière, which
had been built as a private palazzo.
The banners of the langues of the Order of St. John From left to right: Provence; Auvergne;
France; Italy; Present Arms of the Order; Aragon; England; Germany; Castilia St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta,
which was built as the Order's conventual church, contains chapels for each
of the langues. The langues
were dissolved when the Order was expelled from Malta with the French
invasion and occupation in 1798. In the 19th century, the system of langues was replaced by Grand Priories
and National Associations. |
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Æ To Order of St. John, Grandmasters |
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© Hubert de Vries 2019-12-18