Homeless

fter many difficulties the fleet of the Order landed at Civitavecchia at the end of July. Adrian VI was alone in offering them refuge and protection. A triumphant welcome awaited the defenders of Rhodes. The naval squadron of the Pope formed a guard of honour for their arrival at the dock. The Pope put the entire city at the disposal of the Grand Master in order to allow the Knights a provisional home. This was a generous and unexpected gesture on the part of the Order's host which gave great hope for the future. Fra' Philippe de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam established the Convent and Hospital at Civitavecchia and the Papal naval base became the first residence of the "Sacra Milizia" after the loss of Rhodes.

In spite of the helpfulness of the Holy See, the Grand Master did not lose time in evaluating the various possibilities of a new and adequate home for his Knights, even though his hope was one day to return to Rhodes. Among the options was the port of Sued on the northern coast of Crete, or Cerigo the most southern of the Ionic Islands. A project that received immediate objection from Venice: the "Serenissima" feared the close proximity of the belligerent "children" of St. John because of Venetian commercial and political relations with Constantinople. Other sites were also taken into consideration: Elba, Minorca, Ibiza, Ischia and Malta. The best solution appeared to be Malta: it belonged to the Spanish crown and it was Charles V himself who held the power to make such a concession.

On September 1st Pope Adrian VI died thereby causing the loss of a precious ally for the Knights of St. John. On October 8th 1523, while the Cardinals were already in Conclave, the Order's Ambassadors left for Spain on a diplomatic mission. They were led by the Prior of Castille, Fra' Don Diego de Toledo and Fra' Gabriele Martinengo, the military engineer who had won so much glory in Rhodes where he was seriously injured. A few weeks later Rome and the Christian world greeted a new Pope, Giulio de' Medici who ascended the throne of Peter with the name of Clement VII. The work of the Ambassadors began to give results and the Emperor of Spain, Charles V, proposed Minorca, Ischia, Elba, Ibiza, Heres and Ponza as possible future homes, but none of these islands seemed to answer their needs as well as Malta, which was also being considered.

The geographical position of Malta made it a natural bastion from where the Knights could monitor all the movements of the Turkish fleet which was becoming increasingly aggressive and sailed the seas undisturbed. The Spanish Sovereign took this matter into account and towards the middle of April one of the Order's envoys, Antonio Bosio, arrived at Viterbo, where the Convent had meanwhile been moved to, with the first proposals. The Emperor intended to grant them Malta, Gozo and the base of Tripoli but made heavy demands in return.

The two islands would be assigned as a perpetual fief by Charles in his own name and in that of his successors, but the Grand Master would have to swear allegiance to the Sovereign. The Knights could not accept such a proposal because it was contrary to their Rule which imposed strict neutrality in wars between Christian States and contrasted with the principals and the supranational nature of the Order.

The first reaction to the proposal was negative but following two somewhat heated meetings the Chapter decided to negotiate with the Sovereign and declared that the Order would accept Malta and Gozo on condition that there would be no bonds attached to the grant. The only commitment was that a Mass would be celebrated once a year as a thanksgiving for all the benefits received or that a falcon would be given as a gift to the Viceroy of Sicily on the feast of All the Saints.

It was an audacious answer that risked provoking the Emperor's anger but he did not rise to the occasion and granted that a delegation visit the island. Eight Knights, one for each Langue, arrived in Malta and studied the island in detail. The results of this visit allowed the Chapter to obtain detailed information regarding the conditions of its defences and the local resources. Despite the urgency, the representatives of the Order were not prepared to rush into a decision.

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