Fra' Marc'Antonio Zondadari (26 November 1658 − 16 June 1722), from

Siena Siena ( , ; traditionally spelled Sienna in English; ) is a city in Tuscany, in central Italy, and the capital of the province of Siena. It is the twelfth most populated city in the region by number of inhabitants, with a population of 52,991 ...

, was the 65th

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

and Grand Master of the

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, and commonly known as the Order of Malta or the Knights of Malta, is a Catholic Church, Cathol ...

(known also as the Gerosolimitani), from 1720, after the death of the Aragonese Fra Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, till his own death in 1722. Zondadari was born in Siena; his mother was of aristocratic Chigi surname, and he studied in a college at Parma. From 1702 onwards Zondadari lived in Palazzo Carniero in

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

, which later became known as Auberge de Bavière. Although his reign only lasted for two years, he was popular with the Maltese. During his reign

Carnival Carnival (known as Shrovetide in certain localities) is a festive season that occurs at the close of the Christian pre-Lenten period, consisting of Quinquagesima or Shrove Sunday, Shrove Monday, and Shrove Tuesday or Mardi Gras. Carnival typi ...

traditions were strengthened with the establishment of the Kukkanja. His body is buried in a magnificent monument by

Massimiliano Soldani Benzi Massimiliano Soldani or Massimiliano Soldani Benzi (15 July 1656 – 23 February 1740) was an Italian baroque sculptor and medallist, mainly active in Florence. Born at Montevarchi, the son of a Tuscan cavalry captain, Soldani was employed by th ...

in the St. John's Co-Cathedral while his heart was buried in his native

, much to the dismay of the Maltese. This monument is baroque work of art in bronze and marble which shows the Grand Master reclining. This is the only monument found in nave of the church because it did not fit in the chapel of the langue of Italy.

Gallery

Malta - Valletta - Triq San Bastjan - Auberge de Baviere 02 ies.jpg, Palazzo Carniero, where Zondadari lived from 1702 to 1722 Palazzo della Città, Valletta.jpeg, The Banca Giuratale, which was reconstructed by Zondadari in 1721 StJohnsCoCathedralMalta2010DOB055.JPG, Funerary monument of Zondadari in the nave of St. John's Co-Cathedral

References

External links

Coins of Grandmaster Marcantonio Zondadari
Grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller People from Siena 18th-century Italian people 1658 births 1722 deaths Burials at Saint John's Co-Cathedral {{Italy-noble-stub