Coats of Arms
of the
Grandmasters of the Order of St John of
Jerusalem
© John Cilia La Corte 2005
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The most reliable sources were consulted in this compilation which attempts an accurate reproduction of the arms of all the Grandmasters of the Order of St John. An enlarged image, the blazon and further information on each grandmaster with illustrations can be viewed by clicking on each icon. Some of the arms, particularly of the early masters, one or two possibly attributed anachronistically, gave rise to various interpretations and these are also reproduced where available. The list is in chronological order commencing with the founder of the Order, the Blessed Gerard and grouped under the name of each successive Seat of the Order. The first official master, however, was Gerard's successor, Raymond du Puy with whom the numerical order starts here. This is the sequence adopted by Vertot but others, notably the SMOM, begin with the Blessed Gerard and this will account for numerical differences when compared with other lists. The two Caracciolo grandmasters are also included, although the first, Riccardo, an anti-grandmaster, is the less eligible since he was a non-elected appointee of Pope Urban VI. Giuseppe, on the other hand, although properly elected, was rejected by Pope Pius VII. Two other controversial Grandmasters, Rostang and de Pagnac, are also appended. The first is only known through his seals and the second was elected by the Rhodian knights after they had illegally deposed Foulques de Villaret. |
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| Following the rejection by Pope Pius VII of Caracciolo, the last legitimately elected Grandmaster, an interregnum of Lieutenant Grandmasters lasting 74 years was ended by Pope Leo XIII who restored the Grandmastership by appointing Johann Baptist Ceschi a Santa Croce in Rome. |
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Sources:
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Heraldic Historical
Avity, Pierre d' (1573-1635): Les
Estats, empires, et principautéz du monde : représentez par
la description des pays, moeurs des habitans, richesses des provinces, les
forces, le gouvernement, la religion, et les Princes qui ont gouverné
chascun estat ; Avec l'origine de toutes les religions, et de tous les Chevaliers
et Ordres militaires.
Illustrations
The engravings of the Great Siege of Malta, 1565 as well as the second set
of Grandmasters' portraits up to La Valette are by Antonio F. Lucini, reproduced
from the frescos of Matteo Perez d'Aleccio in the Palace of the
Grandmasters,Valletta. They were originally published in:
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-s.GIF)
