Knights of St.John of Malta

Before being conquered by the Arabs in year 870, Malta was held by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthagenians and Romans. After being held by Sicily from 1090 to 1530, the island was given by Emperor Charles V to the Knights of St.John who had been expelled from Rhodes by the Turks. The French took Malta in 1798 but lost it when the Maltese revolted, aided by the British. Malta was a British Crown colony from 1814, independence was achieved on 21 Sep 1964 and a republic declared on 13 Dec 1974.

Grand Masters of the Sovereign Order of the Knights of St.John of Malta

Pietro da Ponte 1534-1535
Desiderius de Saint-Jaile 1535-1536
Jean d'Homedes 1536-1553
Jean Parisot de la Valette 1557-28 Aug 1568, b.1494
The capital of Malta is named after the most famous Grand Master: de la Valette who held the fortifications heroically during the celebrated Seige of Malta in 1565. Outnumbered four to one by the Turks he maintained his position until the seige was lifted by the Neapolitans.

Pietro da Monte 1568-1572 Jean Levesque de la Cassiere 1572-1586 Hugo Verdale de Loubens 1586-1595 Martin de Garzez 1595-1601 Alof de Wignacourt 1601-1622 Luiz Mendez de Vasconcellos 1622-1623 Antonio de Paule 1623-1636 Paul Lascaris Castellard 1636-1657 Martin de Redin 1657-1660 Annet de Clermont 1660 Raphael Cotoner 1660-1663 Nicholas Cotoner 1663-1680 Gregorio Caraffa 1680-1690 Adrian de Wignacourt 1690-1697 Raimon Perellos y Roccafol 1697-1720 Michele Antonio Zondonari 1720-1722 Antonio Manuel de Vilhena 1722-1736 Raimon Despuiz de Montenegre 1736-1741 Manuel Pinto de Fonseca 1741-1773 Francisco Ximenes de Texada 1773-1775 Emmanuel de Rohan 1775-1797 Ferdinand von Hompesch 1797-1798

Jean Parisot de la Valette Grand Master Knights of St.John of Malta 1557-1568

(The Knights of Malta continue to this day as a Sovereign Order in Rome, but without territory, and Malta was therefore not regarded as a state until the late 20th century.)