Lessons in History

If we can't learn from History, then we're set to repeat the same mistakes
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Sovereign Military Order of Malta
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and Malta

The Order is composed of over 12,000 Knights worldwide. They have permanent observer status at the United Nations, embassies or representatives in 96 countries, and receive some very powerful world political figures as can be seen from their photographic gallery. You can also get more information by reading their FAQ or by reading their History.

 
December 5,1999--Valletta

 

Over eight hundred members of the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem (or of Rhodes or of Malta SMOM), from various countries assembled on the island for a three-day "pilgrimage" which launched the ninth centenary celebrations of the Order. A highlight of this unprecedented gathering of Knights (and Dames) in Malta took place on December 5th with the signing of an agreement between the Maltese government and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (the Order of St. John). Through this agreement, the upper part of the historical fort of St. Angelo (the victorious Fort of the Great Siege of 1565 against the Turks) was turned over to the Order on a ninety-nine-year lease. The agreement binds the Order to restore and maintain the fort while Malta will retain its sovereign rights over the fort.

 

March 1, 2005--BBC History Magazine

 

The Maltese government recently gave Sovereign Military Order of Malta extra-territorial rights to once again carry out its sovereign functions in what, during much of the 16th century, was the Hospitaller Grand Master's palace in Valletta - Fort Angelo. The Order is now busy restoring it, and for the first time over 200 years the Hospitallers' Crusader period battle flag flutters over the ancient fortress.

 

After the loss of the island of Malta in 1798, the Order settled permanently in Rome, Italy, in 1834. Its two headquarters, granted with extraterritoriality, are the Palazzo Malta in Via dei Condotti 68 - where the Grand Master resides and Government Bodies meet - and the Villa Malta on the Aventine. The latter hosts the Grand Priory of Rome, the Embassy of the Order to the Holy See and the Embassy of the Order to the Italian Republic. You can read more details here or you can visit their official web site or watch this video.