The Sacra Infermeria since 1800 : a historical survey

Abstract

This article describes the historical aspect and the ordeals of the Sacra Infermeria as a hospital beginning from its construction in 1574 by the Knights of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, through the two-year French interlude between 1798 and 1980, the years under the British rule, and on until the end of World War II, when the building was taken over by the Education Department. This paper is a result of extensive historical research in European archives especially the Vatican Library for the period of the Knights, the Public Record Office in London for the post-1800 years and the National Archives for both periods.