theocracy · Italy
Hospitaller Malta
Origins
Expelled from Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in 1522, the Knights Hospitaller received Malta, Gozo and Tripoli from Emperor Charles V in 1530, in return for a symbolic annual falcon. Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam settled the Order at Birgu.
Rule and society
The Order, a military-religious brotherhood of European nobles divided into national langues, was ruled by an elected Grand Master. In 1565 Jean de Valette defended Malta against the Ottoman Great Siege, and the new capital Valletta was built from 1566. The knights waged corsair war on Muslim shipping, ran a celebrated hospital, the Sacra Infermeria, and built fortifications, churches and palaces.
Decline and legacy
In 1798 Napoleon's fleet, on its way to Egypt, demanded entry; Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch surrendered without a fight. The French were expelled in 1800, and Malta became a British possession. The Order survives as a sovereign body in Rome.
On the connections map
Open the full map →Connections (4)
- Hospitaller Tripoli was part of Hospitaller Malta1530 CE – 1551 CE
- Hospitaller Malta was a vassal of Kingdom of Sicily1530 CE – 1798 CE
- Hospitaller Caribbean colonies was a colony of Hospitaller Malta1651 CE – 1665 CE
- Hospitaller Malta was conquered by French First Republic1798 CE
Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Hospitaller Malta. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hospitaller-malta
- MLA
- “Hospitaller Malta.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hospitaller-malta. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Hospitaller Malta.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hospitaller-malta.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Hospitaller Malta’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/hospitaller-malta (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻