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Knights of Malta: First "European Union"
The exhibit showing this extremely important chapter
in Maltese history focussed on a round table, which
depicted the coats of arms of the eight different national
or regional groups - called "langues" - of
the Knights of the Order of St John, which ruled Malta
from 1530-1798. For nearly 300 years, these "langues"
joined together to defend and promote Christianity,
particularly providing medical assistance for all of
Europe:
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Aragon
Auvergne
Castille/Leon/Portugal
England (until the Reformation)
France
Germany
Italy
Provence
Aristocratic sons from these regions - present-day
England, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain
- were registered for membership in the Order
at birth, as entry was difficult to obtain. The
Knights swore celibacy, and were trained in military
and medical arts, as well as religious doctine.
We highly recommend the cathedral in Valletta
(St John's Co-Cathedral), which has beautiful
side chapels for each of the langues, where the
Knights prayed and confessed in their repective
languages. The Knights of each langue lived as
a group in their own elaborate "auberge"
or inn in Valletta, and the leader of all lived
in the sumptuous Grand Master's Palace.
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Which language was spoken in this first "EU"
when the Knights all met together for conferences or
military exercises?! Latin was our first guess; French,
as the language of the majority, was our second. We
asked the organizers of the Pageant at Fort St Elmo
in Valletta, and we were told that in fact the "lingua
franca" was Italian. This was the military language
of the time; Latin was reserved for religious purposes.
The Grand Masters of the Order were listed in the exhibit.
Ferdinand vom Hompesch, the only German Grand Master,
was also the very last. Betrayed by French interests
on Malta that collaborated with Napoleon, Hampesch surrendered
Malta to the French navy in 1798 without a real fight.
The unfortunate Grand Master was deposed by the Order,
which was forced to flee to Sicily. Since 1834 the Knights
have been based in Malta Palace in Rome, and nobility
is no longer required for membership. The Knights are
represented in the United Nations.
Click here for Jan Bottenberg's
list of the Grand Masters!
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