The ships of the Knights of St John

Summary

ABSTRACT. The author defines three distinct periods in the Hospitaller Order's naval history. During its settlement in the Holy Land, the Order rented ships in Catalonia, Provence, and Italy and used them principally for the transport of goods and men towards the Holy Land from Marseille (Treaty of 1306) even though one of their ships participated in the Fifth and Seventh Crusades. The establishment of the Order on Rhodes in 1306 resulted in the construction of ships, the naming of an admiral, and numerous participations in naval leagues against the Turks and Ottomans. In the 15^th century, the cost of maintenance was such that afterwards there remained only a ‘great carrack’ and a protective guard galley. After 1495, the Order undertook a great naval effort to fight the Ottomans and developed the corso against the Muslims.

RÉSUMÉ. L'auteur distingue trois périodes dans l'histoire navale des Hospitaliers. Pendant son établissement en Terre sainte, l'ordre loue des navires en Catalogne, Provence, Italie et les utilise surtout pour des transports de marchandises et d'hommes vers la Terre sainte, depuis Marseille (traité de 1234), bien qu'un de leurs navires participe aux V^e et VII^e croisades. L'établissement de l'ordre à Rhodes en 1306 a pour conséquences la construction de navires, la nomination d'un amiral, et de multiples participations aux ligues navales contre Turcs et Ottomans. Au XV^e siècle, le coût de l'entretien est tel que ne subsistent en permanence qu'une ‘grosse nef’ et une galère de garde. Après 1495, l'ordre fait un gros effort naval pour s'opposer aux Ottomans et développe le ‘corso’ contre les musulmans.

All three greater Military Orders of the Middle Ages, Templars, Hospitallers, and Teutonic Knights made intensive use of ships. The main reason for this was that their supplies, not only money, provisions, materials, and horses, but also replacements for the brethren fighting in the East, had to be transferred from southern Europe to the Holy Land.