The flag and coat of arms of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, or the Jerusalem flag, display a white

cross A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two intersecting lines or bars, usually perpendicular to each other. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally. A cross of oblique lines, in the shape of the Latin letter X, is termed a s ...

on a red field (blazon ''gules a cross argent''), ultimately derived from the design worn by the

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headq ...

during the

Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were ...

. The flag represents the

Sovereign Military Order of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

as a sovereign institution. The state flag bears a

Latin cross A Latin cross or ''crux immissa'' is a type of cross in which the vertical beam sticks above the crossbeam, with the three upper arms either equally long or with the vertical topmost arm shorter than the two horizontal arms, and always with a mu ...

that extends to the edges of the flag. The Flag of the Order's Works represents its humanitarian and medical activities, and it bears a white

Maltese cross The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four " V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically. It is a heraldic cross variant which develope ...

on a red field. Both flags together represent the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Its constitution states: "The flag of the Order bears either the white latin cross on a red field or the white eight-pointed cross (cross of Malta) on a red field."

History

The banner of the

was introduced in 1130, on the order of

Pope Innocent III Pope Innocent III ( la, Innocentius III; 1160 or 1161 – 16 July 1216), born Lotario dei Conti di Segni (anglicized as Lothar of Segni), was the head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1198 to his death in 16 ...

, for disambiguation from the

Templars , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

who used the reversed colours. The "eight-pointed cross" is also said to originate in the 12th century, under

Raymond du Puy Raymond du Puy (1083–1160) was a knight from Dauphiné in France and the second Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, from around 1121 until 1160. Officially, he succeeded Blessed Gerard, t ...

(this was at first a ''cross fourchée'' or ''cross ancrée'', and developed into the fully articulated

only around or after 1500). A papal bull of Alexander IV in 1259 made the white cross the design to be put on the

mantling In heraldry, mantling or "lambrequin" (its name in French) is drapery tied to the helmet above the shield. In paper heraldry it is a depiction of the protective cloth covering (often of linen) worn by knights from their helmets to stave off the ...

of the knights. After that, the emblem was adopted as a general symbol for the Order. In the time after the Hospitallers moved to

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

in 1291, the banner of a white cross in a red field was flown from ships in their navy. File:Hospitalerskavlajka.jpg, Banner of the Hospitallers (''vexillum hospitalorum'') as depicted in the '' Chronica Maiora'' by

Matthew Paris Matthew Paris, also known as Matthew of Paris ( la, Matthæus Parisiensis, lit=Matthew the Parisian; c. 1200 – 1259), was an English Benedictine monk, chronicler, artist in illuminated manuscripts and cartographer, based at St Albans Abbey ...

, c. 1250. File:CoA lintel Ippoton Rhodes.jpg, A lintel in Ippoton street in Rhodes, featuring the coat of arms of the Knights of Rhodes (in the center), flanked by the coats of arms of Grand Masters Hélion de Villeneuve (r. 1319–1346) and Dieudonné de Gozon (r. 1346–1353), again flanked by the coats of arms of

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

and of king

Edward III of England Edward III (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377), also known as Edward of Windsor before his accession, was King of England and Lord of Ireland from January 1327 until his death in 1377. He is noted for his military success and for restoring ...

, c. 1350. File:Coat of arms of Philibert de Naillac.jpg, Coat of arms of Philibert de Naillac as Grand Master (r. 1396–1421), from his tower in the harbour of Rhodes (early 15th century). File:Alter Zuerichkrieg Vermittlung Johannes Loesel.jpg, Johann Loesel, grand prior of the langue of Germany, displaying a flag with an eight-pointed cross on a black field in his role as mediator in the

Old Zürich War The Old Zurich War (german: Alter Zürichkrieg), 1440–46, was a conflict between the canton of Zurich and the other seven cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy over the succession to the Count of Toggenburg. In 1436, Count Friedrich VII of T ...

in February 1446 (illustration of Gerold Edlibach's chronicle, c. 1500) File:Johanneskyrkan sigill.jpg, The eight-pointed cross (cross fourchée) on the seal of the provost of St John's church, Stockholm, dated 1526. File:Wappen 1594 BSB cod icon 326 029 crop1.jpg, Coat of arms of Grand Master Philip Riedesel zu Camberg, dated 1594. File:Coat of Arms of the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes - Coronelli Vincenzo Maria (padri) & Parissoti Antonio - 1695.jpg, Coat of Arms of the Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes, ''gules a cross argent'' shown quartered (1,4) for the Grand Master, and in chief for commanders and ordinary members (1695). File:San Giovannino dei Cavalieri stemma Cavalieri di Malta.JPG, Emblem of the Military Order of Malta on the facade of

San Giovannino dei Cavalieri San Giovannino dei Cavalieri (''Young St. John the Baptist of the Knights'') previously named Church of San Giovanni Decollato (Decapitated St. John), is a parish church situated in Via San Gallo in central Florence, Italy. Initially the site held ...

, Florence (1699).

Flag variants

Embassy of Sovereign Military Order of Malta in Prague

The Flag of Malta and the Flag of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Fort St

Today the flag flies from the SMOM's headquarters at Palazzo Malta in Rome and from other official residences and embassies. Together with the flag of Malta, it is also flown from Fort St Angelo in

Birgu Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It goes with the Grand Master and members of the Sovereign Council when they make official visits. The Flag of the Order's Works, featuring a Maltese cross, is flown by the SMOM's Grand Priories, Subpriories, and National Associations. As a symbol of its humanitarian works, the Order flies it at its hospitals and medical facilities. It is sometimes described as the "Grand Master's flag," but it is not used as a personal standard. The Grand Master's personal flag is red with a white Maltese cross surrounded by the

collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

of the order and surmounted by a crown. It flies over the SMOM's magistral seats when the Grand Master is present.

Coat of arms

"The armorial bearings of the Order display a white latin cross on a red oval field, surrounded by a

rosary The Rosary (; la, , in the sense of "crown of roses" or "garland of roses"), also known as the Dominican Rosary, or simply the Rosary, refers to a set of prayers used primarily in the Catholic Church, and to the physical string of knots or ...

, all superimposed on a white eight-pointed cross and displayed under a princely

mantle A mantle is a piece of clothing, a type of cloak. Several other meanings are derived from that. Mantle may refer to: *Mantle (clothing), a cloak-like garment worn mainly by women as fashionable outerwear **Mantle (vesture), an Eastern Orthodox ve ...

surmounted by a

crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, partic ...

" as defined in article 6 of the Constitutional Charter.

References

External links

* * {{Sovereign Military Order of Malta 1130 establishments Sovereign Military Order of Malta Flags of organizations

Coats of arms

History

Flag variants

Coat of arms

See also

References

External links