Knights Hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller (also known as the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta, Order of St. John, Knights of Malta, and Chevaliers of Malta) was a Christian religious/military order, and was charged with the care and defence of the Holy Land.

World Heritage Sites connected to 'Knights Hospitaller':

  • Crac des Chevaliers Was the Knights Hospitaller HQ during the Cruusades and was expanded between 1150-1250 and eventually housed a garrison of 2000.
  • Old City of Jerusalem Founded there in 1080 as a Christian hospital (by Amalfatians). Became a religious/military order during the First Crusade in 1099 charged with "care and defense of the Holy Land"
  • Rhodes Had been retrieved for Byzantium during the First Crusade. But, having been expelled from Jerusalem in 1291 the Knights Hospitaller occupied it in 1309 after a 2 year siege. They made it their HQ when they were fully expelled from Tripoli.
  • Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France "Aragnouet: Hospice du Plan and Chapel of Notre-Dame-del’Assomption, known as the Chapel of the Templars". Taken over by the Knights Hospitaller after disbanding of Knights Templar.
  • Valetta Finally kicked out of Rhodes in 1522 the Knights Hospitaller wandered Europe for 7 years looking for a home and were granted Malta in 1530 by Charles V of Spain as King of Sicily (They had to pay a Falcon annually - hence the "Maltese Falcon"!). Valetta itself was built after the Ottoman seige of 1565 was successfully resisted.