Category: grandmasters

Blessed Gerard

Tenure c.1100-1120

Nationality Italian or French

Birth ?

Death 3 Sep 1118/1120 (Jerusalem)

Biographical Notes

General Notes Founder of the Order

(Free translation of the relevant passage from d’Avity)

When Jerusalem was captured by Godfrey of Bouillon, Gerard was Rector or Master of the Hostel of St John. During the siege of the city, he had been placed in prison by the Muslims who suspected that he had made secret compacts with the Christian besiegers. Once the city was occupied by the Christians, he was liberated after which he governed the Hostel of St John with much care …

Emery d’Amboise

Tenure 1503-13.11.1512 Rhodes

Nationality French

Langue France

Birth ?

Death 13.11.1512 Rhodes

Notes

 Cum magnus Magister Albussonus moreretur, CCCLXXXVII Equites Rhodi co~gregati erant, qui successorem in ipsius locum elegerunt fratrem Emericum Ambasianum, fratrem Georgii Ambasiani Cardinalis et legati in Gallia, archiepiscopi Rothomagensis, X. Iul. MDIII. Erat nationis Francicae, et magnus coenobiarcha Franciae, cum eligeretur, ibique commorabatur, cum eligeretur. Frater Guidus Blancofortius venit in Galliam, ut magnum Magistrum Rhodum proficiscentem comitaretur.

Anno MDIV. magnus Magister sollennem suum introitum fecit in urbem Rhodum, in eaque magno cum gaudio et applausu exceptus fuit, propterea quod a regibus Galliae et Hispaniae conventui Fratrum commendatus …

Manoel Pinto de Fonseca

Tenure 18 Jan 1741-23 January 1773

Nationality Portuguese

Langue Castile

Birth 1681

Death 23 January 1773 (Valletta, Malta)

Notes

Blazon Quarterly: 1 and 4, gu a cross arg; 2 and 3, arg five crescents gu in saltire.…

Afonso de Portugal

Tenure 1202*-1206 Abdicated

Nationality Portuguese

Birth ?

Death 15.3.1207

Notes d’Avity’s account

After the death Grandmaster de Duisson in 1194* Fra  Afonso of Portugal was elected. He was a Kinght of the Order of St John and was born into the Portuguese royal family, though it is uncertain.…

Foulques de Villaret

Tenure 1308-1322

Nationality French (Provence)

Langue Greater Provence

Birth ?

Death 15 Sept 1327 (buried at Mompessuli)

Notes

Foulques de Villaret was elected in 1308 but illegally deposed in 1317. The knights in Rhodes elected Maurice de Pagnac as Grandmaster but the election was opposed by the Pope, who appointed Gerard de Pins as Vicar. On the death of de Pagnac in 1322, Villaret was briefly reinstated but the knights continued their opposition by electing Hélion de Villeneuve and Villaret finally abdicated in 1323. He died on 15 Sept 1327.

According to other sources, he abdicated 13 Jun1319.

24. Exstincto …

Antonio Fluvian

Tenure 1421-29.10.1437

Nationality Spanish

Langue Spain/Aragon

Birth ?

Death 29.10.1437

Notes

Mortuo suc cessit frater Antonius Fluvianus sive Ripanus, natione Tarraconensis, sub instium mensis Iulii, anno MCDXXI.

Sub ipso coepit conciliumgenerale Basiliense, anno MCDXXXIII. et capitulum generale habitum fuit Rhodi, in quo legati denominati fuerunt, qui nomine Ordinis S. Ioannis Concilio interessent.

Anno MCDXXXV. Sultanus Aegypti victoria clatus, quam in insula Cypro obtinuerat, inducias rupit et magnos apparatus fecit, ut Rhodum obsideret: sed cum intellexisset, magnum Magistrum omnia mecessaria ad sustinendam obsidionem comparasse, ab incepto destitit, et Ordinem missum fecit.

Anno MCDXXXVII. magnus Magisterfun. davit et dotavit sacellum in urbe …