La Maisnie Champenoise - Knights Templar, Hospitallers, Teutonic Knights, etc.
 
  

 The Hospitallers 

History and Grand Masters

The Order of the Hospital was created by Brother Gerard and a few merchants from Amalfi in the middle of the 11th century, as part of a mainly evangelic aim.

 

Origins and Organization

 

The Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem, the historical protectors of a hospital built in Jerusalem before the first Crusade, were known by the shortened name of Hospitallers or Knights of the Hospital. The order was founded after the creation of the Roman Kingdom in Jerusalem and approved by Pope Paschal II in 1113, followed by Pope Eugene III in 1153. The brothers took the vows of poverty, obedience and chastity, and swore to help defend Jerusalem. Gerard, the first leader, was called the rector; later, the leaders of the order were given the title of Grand Master. As a matter of necessity, the order became a military order and its knights were of noble birth. The order featured three categories of members: knights, chaplains and serving brethren. The knights included the Knights of Justice (title acquired by presenting at least 16 degrees of noble lineage) and Knights of Grace (title obtained through merit alone). Serving brothers were responsible for both war duties and administering care in the infirmary. Chaplains were the order's priests. They formed a community subject to the Rule of St Augustine. The order was initially sworn to protecting the pilgrims and crusaders, but subsequently left the Holy Land during the fall of the Crusader States.

 

The Knights of Rhodes

 

After 1309, the order set up its headquarters on the island of Rhodes. It formed a territorial state and its navy protected the Eastern Mediterranean against the Muslims. The properties belonging to the Knights Templar were offered to the order in 1312. The order's holdings in foreign countries were called "tongues". The knights were forced to leave Rhodes in 1522 when the island was besieged by Suleiman the Magnificent, the leader of the Ottoman Turks. It was not until 1530 that they established new headquarters, when Malta was offered to them.

 

The Knights of Malta

 

Now masters of the island, the Knights of Malta (which was the name taken by the order) did a fantastic job defending the island against the besieging Ottoman fleet in 1565. The order remained widely in the European history books until the 19th century. It lost its English and German holdings during the reformation and its French holdings during the Revolution. The Russians then offered their protection to the order, but Malta fell to the French, led by Napoleon. The order moved to Trieste in 1798 and then to Rome in 1834. By then, the Russians had confiscated all of the order's possessions on their land.
The Knights of Malta, such as recognized by Pope John XXIII in 1961, formed a religious community and an order of knighthood. Organized into five large priories and several national associations, they maintained diplomatic ties with the Vatican and various countries. As a religious community, they had hospitals, first-aid centers and equipment for treating casualties and refugees. They wore a large black cloak bearing the Maltese cross. The Grand Master had the title of prince and held an ecclesiastical rank equal to that of a cardinal.


 

Hospitaller Grand Masters Contemporary with the Knights Templar

  1. Raymond du Puy, Grand Master from 1120 to 1160
  2. Auger de Balben, Grand Master from 1160 to 1162
  3. Arnaud de Comps, Grand Master from 1162 to 1163
  4. Gilbert d'Assailly, Grand Master from 1163 to 1170
  5. Gaston de Murols, Grand Master from 1170 to 1172
  6. Joubert of Syria, Grand Master from 1172 to 1177
  7. Roger des Moulins, Grand Master from 1177 to 1187
  8. Hermangard d'Asp, Grand Master from 1188 to 1190
  9. Garnier de Naplous, Grand Master from 1190 to 1192
  10. Geoffrey de Donjon, Grand Master from 1193 to 1202
  11. Alfonse of Portugal, Grand Master from 1203 to 1206
  12. Geoffrey le Rat, Grand Master from 1206 to 1207
  13. Garin de Montaigu, Grand Master from 1207 to 1227
  14. Bertrand de Thessy, Grand Master from 1230 to 1231
  15. Guerin de Montaigu, Grand Master from 1231 to 1236
  16. Bertrand de Comps, Grand Master from 1236 to 1239
  17. Pierre de Vieille-Bride, Grand Master from 1239 to 1241
  18. Guillaume de Châteuneuf, Grand Master from 1241 to 1258
  19. Hugues de Revel, Grand Master from 1258 to 1277
  20. Nicolas Lorgne, Grand Master from 1277 to 1283
  21. Jean de Villiers, Grand Master from 1285 to 1293
  22. Odon de Pins, Grand Master from 1294 to 1296
  23. Guillaume de Villaret, Grand Master from 1296 to 1304
  24. Foulques de Villaret, Grand Master from 1305 to 1319
  25. Helion de Villeneuve, Grand Master from 1319 to 1346
  26. Dieudonné de Gozon, Grand Master from 1346 to 1353
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