Order of Hospitallers of St. Anthony

The Order of Hospitallers of St. Anthony was a Roman Catholic order founded near Grenoble, France, around 1100 CE. This order became a pilgrimage center for those suffering from St. Anthony's fire, also known as ergotism. The black-robed Hospitallers, who collected alms while ringing small bells, were a common sight across western Europe. Their pigs were also granted special privileges to roam freely in medieval streets, becoming part of the later iconography associated with St. Anthony.1

The Order of Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, also known as the Hospitallers, originated in Jerusalem in the 11th century as a hospital for sick and poor pilgrims. This order, headquartered in Rome, continues its humanitarian work today under various names and jurisdictions.2