Who were the Hospitallers?

The Hospitallers, a religious military order, originated in Jerusalem in the 11th century. Italian merchants from Amalfi founded a hospital to care for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital’s superior, Gerard, expanded the work and founded hostels in Provençal and Italian cities. The order was formally recognized on February 15, 1113, by Pope Paschal II. Raymond de Puy, Gerard’s successor, replaced the Benedictine rule with the Augustinian and acquired wealth and land. The Hospitallers combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom and became a formidable military order in the Holy Land, along with the Templars. Today, the order continues its humanitarian work under different names and jurisdictions.

Why were the Hospitallers founded?

The Hospitallers were founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century. Italian merchants from Amalfi established a hospital to care for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital’s superior, a monk named Gerard, intensified his work and founded hostels in Provençal and Italian cities on the route to the Holy Land. The order was formally named and recognized on February 15, 1113, in a papal bull issued by Pope Paschal II. Over time, the Hospitallers became a religious military order that combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom.

What were the main activities of the Hospitallers?

The Hospitallers, a religious military order founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century, had the initial purpose of caring for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the Hospitallers intensified their work and began building hostels in Provençal and Italian cities along the route to the Holy Land. Over time, the Hospitallers acquired wealth and land, combining tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming a formidable military order in the Holy Land along with the Templars. Although the order no longer exercises territorial rule, it continues its humanitarian tasks in most parts of the modern world.

How did the Hospitallers help people during the Crusades?

During the Crusades, the Hospitallers played a crucial role in assisting people by providing care for sick and poor pilgrims in their hospital in Jerusalem. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, they expanded their work, establishing hostels in various cities along the route to the Holy Land. The Hospitallers combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming a formidable military order. Even after the Muslims recaptured Jerusalem in 1187 and the Crusader principalities fell in 1291, the Hospitallers continued their mission, moving their headquarters to different locations and providing medical care. They built a large hospital in Valletta, Malta, which attracted patients from across Europe. Today, known as the Knights of Malta, they continue to devote themselves to caring for the poor and sick worldwide.

What role did the Hospitallers play in medieval Europe?

The Hospitallers played a significant role in medieval Europe as a religious military order, initially founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century to care for sick and poor pilgrims. Recognized by Pope Paschal II in 1113, they acquired wealth and land, combining tending the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming one of the most formidable military orders in the Holy Land alongside the Templars. After the fall of Acre in 1291, they moved to Cyprus and then acquired Rhodes in 1309, ruling it as an independent state and becoming a scourge of Muslim shipping in the eastern Mediterranean for over two centuries.

How have the Hospitallers changed or continued their work in modern times?

The Hospitallers , now headquartered in Rome, continue their humanitarian work globally under different names and jurisdictions. The order originated in the 11th century in Jerusalem, where Italian merchants founded a hospital for sick and poor pilgrims. After the city's Christian conquest in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital expanded its services and established hostels in Italian and Provençal cities. Formally recognized in 1113, the Hospitallers combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming a formidable military order. Over time, they transitioned from warfare to territorial administration and medical care in Malta. Although they no longer rule territory, the order maintains sovereign status, issuing passports recognized by the Holy See and some Roman Catholic states. Membership is exclusive to Roman Catholics and maintains an aristocratic structure.

Hospitallers

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At a Glance

Knights of Malta summary

Quick Facts

Also spelled:: Hospitalers

Also called:: Order of Malta or Knights of Malta

Formally (since 1961):: Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta

Previously (1113–1309):: Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem

(1309–1522):: Order of the Knights of Rhodes

Hospitallers

religious order

Also known as: Crusader Knights of Rhodes, Hospitalers, Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem, Knight Hospitaler, Knights Hospitalers of the Order of Saint John, Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights of Malta, Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, Order of Malta, Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, Order of the Knights of Rhodes, Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta, Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights Hospitaler of Saint John of Jerusalem, Sovereign and Military Order of the Knights of Malta(Show More)

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Top Questions

Who were the Hospitallers?
The Hospitallers, a religious military order, originated in Jerusalem in the 11th century. Italian merchants from Amalfi founded a hospital to care for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital’s superior, Gerard, expanded the work and founded hostels in Provençal and Italian cities.

The order was formally recognized on February 15, 1113, by Pope Paschal II. Raymond de Puy, Gerard’s successor, replaced the Benedictine rule with the Augustinian and acquired wealth and land. The Hospitallers combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom and became a formidable military order in the Holy Land, along with the Templars. Today, the order continues its humanitarian work under different names and jurisdictions.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why were the Hospitallers founded?
The Hospitallers were founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century. Italian merchants from Amalfi established a hospital to care for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital’s superior, a monk named Gerard, intensified his work and founded hostels in Provençal and Italian cities on the route to the Holy Land. The order was formally named and recognized on February 15, 1113, in a papal bull issued by Pope Paschal II.

Over time, the Hospitallers became a religious military order that combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What were the main activities of the Hospitallers?
The Hospitallers, a religious military order founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century, had the initial purpose of caring for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the Hospitallers intensified their work and began building hostels in Provençal and Italian cities along the route to the Holy Land.

Over time, the Hospitallers acquired wealth and land, combining tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming a formidable military order in the Holy Land along with the Templars. Although the order no longer exercises territorial rule, it continues its humanitarian tasks in most parts of the modern world.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did the Hospitallers help people during the Crusades?
During the Crusades, the Hospitallers played a crucial role in assisting people by providing care for sick and poor pilgrims in their hospital in Jerusalem. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099, they expanded their work, establishing hostels in various cities along the route to the Holy Land.

The Hospitallers combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming a formidable military order. Even after the Muslims recaptured Jerusalem in 1187 and the Crusader principalities fell in 1291, the Hospitallers continued their mission, moving their headquarters to different locations and providing medical care. They built a large hospital in Valletta, Malta, which attracted patients from across Europe. Today, known as the Knights of Malta, they continue to devote themselves to caring for the poor and sick worldwide.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What role did the Hospitallers play in medieval Europe?
The Hospitallers played a significant role in medieval Europe as a religious military order, initially founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century to care for sick and poor pilgrims. Recognized by Pope Paschal II in 1113, they acquired wealth and land, combining tending the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming one of the most formidable military orders in the Holy Land alongside the Templars. After the fall of Acre in 1291, they moved to Cyprus and then acquired Rhodes in 1309, ruling it as an independent state and becoming a scourge of Muslim shipping in the eastern Mediterranean for over two centuries.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How have the Hospitallers changed or continued their work in modern times?
The Hospitallers, now headquartered in Rome, continue their humanitarian work globally under different names and jurisdictions.

The order originated in the 11th century in Jerusalem, where Italian merchants founded a hospital for sick and poor pilgrims. After the city's Christian conquest in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital expanded its services and established hostels in Italian and Provençal cities. Formally recognized in 1113, the Hospitallers combined tending to the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom, becoming a formidable military order. Over time, they transitioned from warfare to territorial administration and medical care in Malta. Although they no longer rule territory, the order maintains sovereign status, issuing passports recognized by the Holy See and some Roman Catholic states. Membership is exclusive to Roman Catholics and maintains an aristocratic structure.
4 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Hospitallers, a religious military order that was founded at Jerusalem in the 11th century and that, headquartered in Rome, continues its humanitarian tasks in most parts of the modern world under several slightly different names and jurisdictions.

The origin of the Hospitallers was an 11th-century hospital founded in Jerusalem by Italian merchants from Amalfi to care for sick and poor pilgrims. After the Christian conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 during the First Crusade, the hospital’s superior, a monk named Gerard, intensified his work in Jerusalem and founded hostels in Provençal and Italian cities on the route to the Holy Land. The order was formally named and recognized on February 15, 1113, in a papal bull issued by Pope Paschal II. Raymond de Puy, who succeeded Gerard in 1120, substituted the Augustinian rule for the Benedictine and began building the power of the organization. It acquired wealth and lands and combined the task of tending the sick with defending the Crusader kingdom. Along with the Templars, the Hospitallers became the most formidable military order in the Holy Land.

When the Muslims recaptured Jerusalem in 1187, the Hospitallers removed their headquarters first to Margat and then, in 1197, to Acre. When the Crusader principalities came to an end after the fall of Acre in 1291, the Hospitallers moved to Limassol in Cyprus. In 1309 they acquired Rhodes, which they came to rule as an independent state, with right of coinage and other attributes of sovereignty. Under the order’s rule, the master (grand master from c. 1430) was elected for life (subject to papal confirmation) and ruled a celibate brotherhood of knights, chaplains, and serving brothers. For more than two centuries these Knights of Rhodes were the scourge of Muslim shipping on the eastern Mediterranean. They constituted the last Christian outpost in the East.

By the 15th century the Turks had succeeded the Arabs as the protagonists of militant Islam, and in 1522 Süleyman the Magnificent laid final siege to Rhodes. After six months the Knights capitulated and on January 1, 1523, sailed away with as many of the citizens as chose to follow them. For seven years the wandering Knights were without a base, but in 1530 the Holy Roman emperor Charles V gave them the Maltese archipelago in return, among other things, for the annual presentation of a falcon to his viceroy of Sicily. The superb leadership of the grand master Jean Parisot de la Valette prevented Süleyman the Magnificent from dislodging the Knights from Malta in 1565 in one of the most famous sieges in history, which ended in a Turkish disaster. What was left of the Turkish navy was permanently crippled in 1571 at the Battle of Lepanto by the combined fleets of several European powers that included the Knights of Malta. The Knights then proceeded to build a new Maltese capital, Valletta, named after la Valette. In it they built great defense works and a hospital of grand dimensions that attracted many physically and mentally ill patients from outside Malta.

Thereafter the Knights continued as a territorial sovereign state in Malta but gradually gave up warfare and turned wholly to territorial administration and to medical care. In 1798, however, their reign in Malta came to an end, when Napoleon, on his way to Egypt, occupied the island. The order’s return to Malta was provided for in the Treaty of Amiens (1802) but eliminated by the Treaty of Paris (1814), which assigned Malta to Great Britain. In 1834 the Knights of Malta became permanently established in Rome. From 1805 they were ruled by lieutenants until Pope Leo XIII revived the office of grand master in 1879. A new constitution containing a more precise definition of both the religious and the sovereign status of the order was adopted in 1961, and a code was issued in 1966.

Although the order no longer exercises territorial rule, it issues passports, and its sovereign status is recognized by the Holy See and some other Roman Catholic states. Membership is confined to Roman Catholics, and the central organization is essentially aristocratic, being ruled chiefly by a primary class of “professed” knights of justice and chaplains who can prove the nobility of their four grandparents for two centuries.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.

Hospitallers

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