Birgu Vittoriosa
After its expulsion from Rhodes, the Order was deprived of its sovereign territory and had to content itself with a temporary home for seven years. The Holy Roman Emperor at the time was the Hapsburg Charles V, who was also King of Spain and Hungary. Hungary was then partly occupied by the Ottomans and his Spanish possessions in the Mediterranean were under constant attack from Turkish marauders. Their common enemy brought the Knights and the Emperor together and, seeking urgent relief in the defence of his southern flank, the Emperor was conscious of the need to ensure a strong …