Of battles and escorts : the Hospitallers in the wider tapestry of the 17th century

Abstract

Various descriptions, both written and visual, survive from the 17th century that show the Hospitaller-Maltese galley fleet engaged in battles against Muslim vessels across the Mediterranean. These events and the narratives that stemmed from them were about war, but they were also about faith, politics, adventure, ritual, protocol, and at times also fun and pleasure, with the line between these aspects being porous. The crowned heads of Europe regularly called upon the Religion (the Order of St John/Malta) to assist them in their naval engagements. A somewhat lesser-known aspect of the activities of the Hospitallers was when they were summoned to provide an escort service to princesses and other royal figures. The presence of the Hospitaller-Maltese fleet provided tangible security and intangible but palpable prestige. Through the letters and reports of the Hospitaller captains general, this chapter will present two case studies from the 1660s that will serve as illustrative examples of how battles and escorts functioned to keep the Order of Malta anchored within the tapestry of 17th-century European and Mediterranean affairs in a manner that sustained the relevance of the Religion on the stage of a wider world.