List of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller


This is a list of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller, including its continuation as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta after 1798. It also includes unrecognized "anti-Grand Masters" and lieutenants or stewards during vacancies.
The title "Grand Master" is applied retrospectively; the medieval heads of the order took the title of custos of the hospital. The title magister is used on coins minted in Rhodes, beginning with Foulques de Villaret. The first to use the title Grandis Magister was Jean de Lastic ; the title Grandis Magister is found on coins minted by Pierre d'Aubusson. Later Grand Masters in Rhodes used Magnus Magister.After the loss of Rhodes, Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam and his successors went back to using simple Magister, abbreviated M.H.H. for Magister Hospitalis Hierosolymae. Use of Magister Magnus is taken up again in the 17th century, under Antoine de Paule.
The title of Prince and Grand Master is in use from 1880, when Franz Joseph I of Austria granted the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire to the Grand Masters. The title has remained in use after the dissolution of the Austrian Empire in 1919.
Numbered lists of Grand Masters of the Order, with portraits and attributed arms, are published from the early 17th century, with updated editions appearing throughout the 18th century. The numbering of Grand Masters in use by the Order by the early 18th century, published in the 1719 Statutes of the Order, lists the Blessed Gerard as founder without number, counting Raymond du Puy as first Master of the Hospital, Foulques de Villaret as 24th, Riccardo Caracciolo as 32nd, Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam as 43rd and the then-incumbent Ramón Perellós y Rocafull as 63rd.

Knights Hospitaller (Kingdom of Jerusalem)

NrTitlePictureNameTime in officeNotes
—/1Founder and Rector of the HospitalBlessed Gerard1099/1113–1118/20Order established in 1099 and given papal recognition in 1113 by Paschal II
1/2CustosRaymond du Puy1118/21/23–1160-
2/3CustosAuger de Balben1160–1163-
3/4Arnaud de Comps1162–1163Historicity uncertain
4/5CustosGilbert d'Aissailly1163–1169-
5/6Gastone de Murolsc. 1169-
6/7CustosJobert of Syriac. 1169/72–1177Acted as regent for king Manuel I in 1172. In 1174 opposed Miles of Plancy in favour of Raymond III of Tripoli. Fought in the crusade of Philip I, Count of Flanders of 1176.
7/8CustosRoger de Moulins1177–1187-
8/9ProvisorArmengol de Aspa 1187–1190Loss of Jerusalem in 1187, headquarters moved to Acre. In the crisis following the loss of Jerusalem, Ermengard was not elected as custos and acted only ad interim. He was nevertheless included into the canonical list of Grand Masters compiled in the early modern period. After the capture of Acre and the consolidation of the order, Ermengard retired with the regular election of Garnier de Nablus as new master.
9/10CustosGarnier de Nablus1190–1192Battle of Arsuf 1191
10/11CustosGeoffroy de Donjon1193–1202-
11/12CustosAfonso de Portugal1202–1206Fourth Crusade, resigned in 1206
12/13CustosGeoffrey le Rat 1206–1207First structured the order by nationality, or langues.
13/14CustosGuérin de Montaigu1207–1228Fifth Crusade, Siege of Damietta
14/15CustosBertrand de Thercy1228–1231Re-conquest of Jerusalem in 1228/9
15/16CustosGuerin Lebrun1231–1236Captured in battle, and died in captivity in Egypt
16/17CustosBertrand de Comps1236–1240Headquarters moved to Jerusalem
17/18CustosPierre de Vieille-Brioude1240–1242-
18/19CustosGuillaume de Chateauneuf1242–1258Fall of Jerusalem in 1244, headquarters at Acre, Krak des Chevaliers and Margat
19/20CustosHugues de Revel1258–1277-
20/21Nicolas Lorgne1277–1285Loss of Margat 1285
21/22Jean de Villiers1285–1294Siege of Acre
22/23Odon de Pins1294–1296Headquarters moved to Limisso, Cyprus
23/24Guillaume de Villaret1296–1305-

Knights of Rhodes

NrTitlePictureNameTime in officeNotes
24/25MagisterFoulques de Villaret1305–1319Nephew of Guillaume de Villaret. Hospitaller conquest of Rhodes in 1308/9.
Anti-Grand MasterMaurice de Pagnac
1317–1319-
25/26MagisterHélion de Villeneuve1319–1346-
26/27MagisterDieudonné de Gozon1346–1353-
27/28MagisterPierre de Corneillan1353–1355-
28/29MagisterRoger de Pins1355–1365-
29/30MagisterRaymond Berengar1365–1374-
20/31MagisterRobert de Juilly 1374–1376-
31/32MagisterJuan Fernández de Heredia1376–1396-
MagisterRiccardo Caracciolo1383–1395Rival Grand Master, recognized only by the Langues of Italy and England.
33/34MagisterPhilibert de Naillac1396–1421-
34/35MagisterAnton Flavian de Ripa1421–1437-
35/36Grandis MagisterJean de Lastic1437–1454Siege of Rhodes
36/37Grandis MagisterJacques de Milly1454–1461-
37/38Grandis MagisterPiero Raimondo Zacosta1461–1467-
38/39Grandis MagisterGiovanni Battista Orsini1467–1476-
39/40Grandis MagisterPierre d'Aubusson1476–1503Siege of Rhodes
40/41Magnus MagisterEmery d'Amboise1503–1512-
41/42Magnus MagisterGuy de Blanchefort1512–1513-
42/43Magnus MagisterFabrizio del Carretto1513–1521-

Knights of Malta

NrTitlePictureNameTime in officeNotes
43/44MagisterPhilippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam1521–1534Siege of Rhodes, headquarters moved to Malta in 1530
44/45MagisterPiero de Ponte1534–1535-
45/46MagisterDidier de Saint-Jaille1535–1536-
46/47MagisterJuan de Homedes1536–1553Malta was attacked by an Ottoman fleet in 1551. The attack was repelled, but the Ottomans captured the island of Gozo, and later also the order's stronghold in Tripoli. De Homedes began a program improve the fortifications at Malta
47/48MagisterClaude de la Sengle1553–1557Continued the improvement of fortifications, expanding Fort Saint Michael into a major bastion and completing Fort Saint Elmo.
48/49MagisterJean Parisot de Valette1557–1568Valette became the Order's most illustrious leader, commanding the resistance against the Ottomans at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.
49/50MagisterPierre de Monte1568–1572Continued the construction of the new capital Valletta. Strengthened the order's fleet, and participated in the Battle of Lepanto of 7 October 1571.
50/51MagisterJean de la Cassière1572–1581Crisis in the wake of the Protestant Reformation. Expulsion of the Order of Saint John in 1581.
LieutenantMathurin Romegas1577–1581-
Anti-Grand MasterMathurin Romegas1581-
51/52MagisterHugues Loubenx de Verdalle1581–1595-
52/53MagisterMartín Garzés1595–1601-
53/54MagisterAlof de Wignacourt1601–1622Constructed the Wignacourt towers and the Wignacourt Aqueduct. Repelled the last serious Ottoman attempt at capturing Malta in 1614.
54/55MagisterLuís Mendes de Vasconcellos1622–1623-
55/56Magister MagnusAntoine de Paule1623–1636
56/57Magister MagnusGiovanni Paolo Lascaris1636–1657Caribbean possessions
57/58Magister MagnusMartin de Redin1657–1660-
58/59Magister MagnusAnnet de Clermont-Gessant1660Died less than four months after his election, on 2 June 1660.
59/60Magister MagnusRafael Cotoner1660–1663Commissioned the Italian Baroque artist Mattia Preti to start painting Saint John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta.
60/61Magister MagnusNicolás Cotoner1663–1680Siege of Candia + Mattia Preti's work at St John's Co-Cathedral completed.
61/62Magister MagnusGregorio Carafa1680–1690Renovation of Auberge d'Italie in the Baroque style, improvement of Fort Saint Angelo and Fort Saint Elmo. Ottoman attacks were still expected, but there were no longer any notable engagements.
62/63Magister MagnusAdrien de Wignacourt1690–1697Instituted a widows pension for the widows of those fallen in the Ottoman wars.
63/64Magister MagnusRamón Perellós1697–1720Organised the Consulato del Mare. Established relations with imperial Russia. Fought corruption within the Order. Engagement against Ottoman pirates.
64/65Magister MagnusMarc'Antonio Zondadari1720–1722-
65/66Magister MagnusAntónio Manoel de Vilhena1722–1736Restored the city Mdina, constructed Fort Manoel and significantly improved the fortifications of Malta in general. Built Casa Leoni and Palazzo Parisio, and renovated Verdala Palace. Manoel Theatre. Conducted peace negotiations with the Ottomans, without result. Declared neutrality in the War of the Polish Succession.
66/67Magister MagnusRamón Despuig1736–1741Improved the fortifications of Mdina, modernised legislation, renovated the Co-Cathedral of St. John. Naval engagements with Ottoman Algeria.
67/68Magister MagnusManuel Pinto da Fonseca1741–1773Expelled the Jesuits from Malta. In 1753 proclaimed the sovereignty of the Order on Malta and a dispute started with the Kingdom of Sicily under King Charles V. Normal relations were resumed the next year, with the Order retaining de facto control over Malta as a sovereign state.
68/69Magister MagnusFrancisco Ximénez de Tejada1773–1775Rising of the Priests, bankruptcy of the order.
69/70Magister MagnusEmmanuel de Rohan-Polduc1775–1797Instituted the Anglo-Bavarian langue and the Russian Grand Priory.
70/71Magister MagnusFerdinand von Hompesch
zu Bolheim		1797–1799First German elected to the Office. Abdicated 6 July 1799 following the French invasion of Malta.

[Sovereign Military Order of Malta]

NrTitlePictureNameTime in officeNotes
72Grand Master Paul I of Russia1798–1801Elected by the Priory of St. Petersburg in September 1798. This election resulted in the establishment of the Russian tradition of the Knights Hospitaller. On Paul's death in 1801, his son Alexander I of Russia decided to end this irregular situation and refused to be Grand Master. The election of a new Grand Master was deferred to pope Pius VII.
Nikolay Saltykov1801–1803De facto Lieutenant in Saint Petersburg
73Grand Master
Gran Maestro		Giovanni Battista Tommasi1803–1805Appointed by Pope Pius VII in 1803. Residence in Messina and Catania
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Innico Maria Guevara-Suardo1805–1814Headquarters in Catania. Loss of territories and Protestant branches.
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Andrea Di Giovanni y Centellés1814–1821Headquarters in Catania
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Antoine Busca1821–1834Headquarters in Ferrara. SMOM recognized at the Congress of Verona.
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Carlo Candida1834–1845Headquarters moved to Palazzo Malta, Rome. Restoration of the grand priories of Lombardy-Venetia and of Sicily in 1839/41.
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Filippo di Colloredo-Mels1845–1864
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Alessandro Borgia1865–1871
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Giovanni Battista Ceschi
a Santa Croce		1871–1879-
74Prince and Grand Master
Princeps et Magister Magnus		Giovanni Battista Ceschi
a Santa Croce		1879–1905Restoration of the office of Grand Master after a 75-year interregnum, confirmed by Pope Leo XIII.
75Prince and Grand Master
Princeps et Magister Magnus		Galeas von Thun und
Hohenstein		1905–1931
76Prince and Grand Master
Principe e Gran Maestro		Ludovico Chigi Albani
della Rovere		1931–1951
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Antonio Hercolani Fava
Simonetti		1951–1955
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Ernesto Paternò Castello
di Carcaci		1955–1962
77Prince and Grand Master
Principe e Gran Maestro		Angelo de Mojana di Cologna1962–1988
Lieutenant ad interimJean Charles Pallavicini1988
78Prince and Grand Master
Principe e Gran Maestro		Andrew Bertie1988–2008Partial revision of the constitution.
Lieutenant ad interimGiacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto2008
79Prince and Grand Master
Principe e Gran Maestro		Matthew Festing2008–2017First Grand Master elected under the new constitution of 1997. Resigned in 2017 following a dispute with the Vatican.
Lieutenant ad interimLudwig Hoffmann-Rumerstein2017
Lieutenant
Luogotenente Generale		Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto2017–2018
80Prince and Grand Master
Principe e Gran Maestro		Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto2018–2020
Lieutenant ad interimRuy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas2020–present