The Hospitaller Knights, also known as the Knights of Saint John, the Knights Hospitaller, the Knights of Rhodes, the Knights of Malta, and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, were a Catholic military order that traces its origins back to an 11th century hospital in Jerusalem dedicated to caring for sick, poor and injured pilgrims to the Holy Land. The order played an important role in the Crusades and eventually established themselves on Rhodes and later Malta, controlling the Mediterranean maritime trade routes. Here is an in-depth look at the history and legacy of this famous Catholic military order.
Origins in Jerusalem
The Hospitaller order was founded around 1070 in Jerusalem by Amalfi merchants. The merchants built a church, convent, and hospital dedicated to John the Baptist near the Church of the Holy Sepulchre to provide medical care for pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. The convent quickly expanded with donations from Europeans eager to support a Christian presence in the Holy Land. Pope Paschal II officially recognized the hospital in a papal bull in 1113, placing it under the Augustinian Rule. As the order grew, knights were hired to protect the hospital, pilgrims and sick. After the First Crusade captured Jerusalem in 1099, the order was responsible for medical care of the crusaders in the new Kingdom of Jerusalem. Gerard, the leader of the order and its first “rector”, expanded healthcare by establishing new hospitals in Italy including in Pisa, Bari, Otranto and Taranto.
Military Focus in the 12th Century
After the death of Gerard around 1118, his successor Raymond du Puy reorganized the order into three classes – knights, chaplains, and serving brothers. The military role was elevated and the order became a Catholic military organization charged with the care and defense of the Holy Land. Between 1120-1160, the Order focused on building fortresses across the Holy Land to protect pilgrims and Christian territories. They built the famous Krak des Chevaliers fortress in Syria, one of the best preserved Crusader castles today. The knights wore a white cross on their trademark black mantles as their official symbol. The Order was sanctioned by the Catholic Church but maintained independence, answering only to the pope. The combination of military might and broad economic resources made the Hospitaller knights an elite force in the Kingdom of Jerusalem. They participated in key Crusader battles like Montgisard and Hattin.
Temporary Move to Acre
After Jerusalem fell to Saladin in 1187, the Order temporarily relocated their headquarters north to Acre, one of the last Crusader strongholds in the Holy Land. Despite the setback, the Hospitallers focused their resources on assisting Crusader forces in their attempt to recover Jerusalem and the lost territory in the 13th century. The Order helped finance the rebuilding of the walls around Acre. However they were unable to prevent Acre from eventually falling in 1291, forcing the Hospitallers out of the mainland Holy Land. With the Latin presence completely removed from the region, the Hospitallers first relocated to Cyprus and then looked toward establishing a new headquarters in Europe.
Establishing the Knights of Rhodes
In 1309, after a brief time in Italy, the Grand Master of the Hospitallers, Foulques de Villaret, successfully led a campaign to conquer the island of Rhodes. For the next two centuries Rhodes served as the new headquarters for the Order. With the new territory, the Knights also acquired a naval fleet which allowed them to focus on piracy against Muslim shipping, disrupting a vital Mediterranean trade route. The Knights introduced their famous naval infantry forces, known for their special shock tactics, and welcomed many other knights left without cause after the Holy Land was lost. The Knights also built up impressive fortifications on Rhodes to withstand later Ottoman sieges. Though Cyprus was lost in 1489, the Hospitallers held Rhodes until 1522 when Suleiman the Magnificent finally forced the knights into surrender after a 6 month siege with over 100,000 Ottoman soldiers. Again, the knights were displaced and forced to seek a new home.
Fortifying Malta
After 7 more years of searching, the Order acquired the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino from Emperor Charles V in 1530. Malta was strategically located in the center of the Mediterranean and had natural harbors and ports that could be fortified. The Knights settled in the town of Birgu and strengthened its fortifications including the Castle of Sant’Angelo. In 1565, the Ottoman Empire sent a massive fleet to try and dislodge the Knights from Malta once and for all. The forces numbered around 48,000 men versus the Knights numbering around 9,000. Despite being severely outnumbered in the Great Siege of Malta, the Knights were able to hold out for 3 months until reinforcements arrived. Their victory against overwhelming odds made the Knights legendary. After seeing off the Ottoman threat, the Knights expanded and further developed Malta including building the impressive Valletta fortress.
Decline of the Knights
The Knights continued to base their operations out of Malta over the next several centuries. However, the Order’s power and European influence gradually declined, especially as Muslim power faded from the seas. Their fleet was severely crippled by the Barbary pirates in the early 17th century. The Order itself became increasingly unpopular as its grandests grew detached from its original hospitaller mission. The Order tried to emphasize its role as a humanitarian organization providing medical aid, but it was unable to recover its earlier prestige.
By the 18th century, the Knights had become overly reliant on donations and could not cover its expenses with its limited Maltese territory and trade routes. The Order went into further decline when Napoleon seized Malta in 1798 as he was enroute to his Egyptian campaign. The Order was forced to surrender their home. Though the Knights were restored temporarily from 1814-1824, new Catholic military orders like the Order of Christ eventually made the medieval Hospitaller Knights obsolete.
Legacy of the Knights
At their height during the Crusades the Knights Hospitaller were one of the most powerful military forces in the medieval world. The Hospitallers pioneered the concept of medical care during warfare. Even as the Knights grew in military prowess, they stayed firm to their original hospitaller mission by finance hospitals and providing medical assistance whenever possible. Elements of the Hospitaller legacy live on through the Order of Malta which, though now ceremonial, still provides medical care and emergency relief around the world.
The Hospitaller Knights left behind an impressive military architectural legacy as well including their medieval castles and fortifications in the Holy Land, Rhodes, Malta and across Europe. The Krak des Chevaliers in Syria is one of the greatest and best preserved Crusader castles. In Malta, the coastal fortresses and cities built by the Knights like Valletta, Birgu, Senglea and others are UNESCO World Heritage sites and popular tourist destinations today.
As one of the longest lasting medieval Catholic military orders, the Knights Hospitaller were major players in Near East power politics in the Middle Ages. Their military and maritime achievements became the stuff of legend. The Hospitallers came to the aid of Outremer when it was most vulnerable and desperate for reinforcement. Even as their Christian Crusader partners like the Templars, Teutons and Jerusalemite Kings came and went, the Hospitaller Knights endured and made their formidable presence known and feared across the Mediterranean.
