The Hospitaller Knights of St John of Jerusalem changed the story of Malta in 1530 after they had been ousted from Rhodes in 1522. A new era had been ushered in.

The outcome of the Siege of Malta against the Ottoman armada of Suleiman in 1565 also changed the history of Europe. It was a siege which modern historians describe as the ‘Stalingrad of the 20th century’. Malta had won a place on the map of Europe and had impeded the advance of the Ottoman Empire in the Mediterranean.

The knights found in Malta a Christian and European environment. The Maltese bravely fought with the knights against the common enemy.

The city of Valletta was built in a cosmopolitan atmosphere because of the knights, scions of noble families and maecenas of fine art. They brought with them their traditions and European culture. The defence of religion was the ideal which brought together the knights in spite of their various languages and nationalities.

After the laying of the foundation stone on March 28, 1566, the building of Valletta proceeded rapidly.

Grand Master Pietro del Monte (1568-1572) allotted a plot of land to the Carmelite friars in order to build their convent and church in the new city.

The contract by which Grand Master Pietro del Monte transferred a plot of land to the Carmelite friars in order to build their convent and church in Valletta.

The relative deed of transfer was received on July 27, 1570, in the records of notary Placido Habel (Abela).

The knights Cristofano Leboullens, Raimondo Fortuin and Giorgio Caccherano appeared on the deed on behalf of the Order, while Fr Ġwann Vella, vicar of the provincial of Sicily, appeared for the Carmelite friars. The Carmelite friars then formed part of the Order in Sicily.

Architect and engineer Girolamo Cassar was present at the signing of the deed and witnesses were knights Christofano de Sire, Filippo de Tuglieres and Gabriel de Magnes.

The plot was assigned to the Carmelite friars for 66 scudi, half of which was paid on the signing of the contract, while the remaining half was to be paid on the feast day of All Saints of that same year.

However, by decree dated April 3, 1571, the second part of the purchasing price, 33 scudi, was not paid as stipulated in the deed because the Grand Master gratuitously granted grace to the friars not to pay the balance due.

Moreover, by another decree of April 19, 1571, Grand Master Del Monte graciously authorised the restitution of the sum of 33 scudi which was originally paid by the friars on the contract. In other words, the plot of land on which the convent and the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel were built was given free to the Carmelite friars.

Besides the artistic heritage they bequeathed in Malta, the knights instituted legacies and pious foundations in several churches in Malta, including the Marian church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta.

One would mention Knight Girolamo de Fosses, who built at his expense the chapel of Our Lady of Pilar in the Carmelite church of Valletta.

Catalan Grand Master Nicolás Cotoner y de Oleza (1663-1680) received the habit of Knight Hospitaller on June 15, 1627, from Commendatore Baldassare de Marcella in this chapel of Our Lady of Pilar.

Grand Master Nicolás Cotoner y de Oleza

Comm. Fabrizio Cagliola (1604-1665), an erudite conventual chaplain of the clergy of the Jerusalemite Order, was interred in the Valletta Carmelite church where he had instituted a legacy for the celebration of the feast of the Annunciation. Comm. Bonaface Puget Chiastuel and Comm. Claudio Gaspare La Ricciadera (1675) instituted a legacy for the celebration of masses in the chapel of St Joseph.

Comm. Tiburzio Dolz (Spanish) donated a painting of Our Lady of Mercy (Della Mercede) (1705) to the Carmelites of Valletta. Grand Master Anton Manoel de Vilhena (1722-1736) bequeathed a legacy of 300 scudi in gold to the Madonna della Mercede.

Among other knights benefactors of the Carmelite church in Valletta, one would mention Giovanni Innocenzo Maria Caravita (1696), Grand Cross Prior of Lombardy, and bailiff Karl Herberstein (1707). Knight Ferdinand Rosselmini bequeathed by title of donation a tenement in Valletta to the friars (1753).

Grand Master Ferdinand Von Hompesch

The knights lived in communities in their respective auberge which offered accommodation, especially to the young knights, for reasons of formation and discipline. The high dignitaries of the Order enjoyed the prerogative of having their own palatial abodes − this explains the many baroque houses, which grace and embellish Valletta.

The Langues had their small churches for the daily devotions and mass. Often, these small churches were close to the auberge, except for the knights of the Langue of France who had their small church, Notre Dame de Liesse, close to the Valletta harbour quay.

As they did not have their own small church for their daily devotions − it may have been because they were few in number − the German knights patronised the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which was very near to their auberge.

It is recorded that Franz Sigismund Von Thun Hohenstein received the habit of knight hospitaller on June 19, 1661, from the Austro-Bohemian grand bailiff Adam Von Wratislao Mitrawitza in the church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In this same church was interred Count Von Golzen, knight of the Order.

During the Protestant Reform by Henry Tudor (1509-1547), the English Langue became dormant and consequently did not have its auberge and small church in Valletta.

After his election to the magistracy, which took place on July 11, 1797, Ferdinand Von Hompesch visited the Jerusalemite nuns in Valletta on July 20, when solemn mass was celebrated, followed by the chanting of Te Deum, the thanksgiving hymn.

On July 23, 1797, Hompesch attended mass at the Carmelite church when a Te Deum was intoned amid the pealing of bells of all the churches of Valletta.

The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta is being celebrated on Saturday, July 16.