My 30-day journey during April and May 2005.

Love that museum photo, CI....

Nothing to do with John the Baptist in that special room.

By the way, CI, the Knights of Malta have a piece of property at the top of the Aventine hill in Rome. I remember when I first learned about it, it was considered a separate state(possibly like San Marino?) but I haven't heard that particular description since.

I have to go back and look at your Special photo some more.

It's a toughie to be sure, but fun to figure out - if you can.

Okay, I'll start with the doorway. Is that special tile work?

osso, Close enough. It's really marble, but painted to look like wood. Pretty neat, heh?

Of course it is the door. And the next photo of the narrow street - both show your keen eye for architectural detail.

Officially, it's the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta (Order of Malta in USA

hmmm.

I think it was Piranesi who did the wall by the entrance to the place in Rome. I have a wonderful picture of a truly cruddy wall. The last time I was there it was fixed up...

http://www.igougo.com/planning/journalEntryActivity.asp?JournalID=33108&EntryID=37178&n=Knights+of+Malta+Keyhole

This is just the first link I ran across.

One of our neighbors' father was made a knight of Malta, back in Los Angeles. My own view at the time, well, never mind.

and here is a link that is pretty inflammatory, though I have seen wisps of the comments before and I know at least the long family history part is true. I don't know myself other than that what is true, one way or the other.
http://www.american-buddha.com/knightsmaltavox.htm

There might be a couple of orders, who call themselves 'Knights of Malta'. I was only referring to the internationally recognised, independent one.

Well, I am referring mostly to a place, the spot atop the Aventine hill. I am not sure that the order my neighbor's father was admitted to is related to that exact place, although I think so from a memory re some guide information when I first was there and commentary about it at the time). (My favorite hotel is on the Aventine hill, not a very large neighborhood.)

Your place, osso, seems to be "The Magistral Grand Prioy of The Holy Land (Notre Dame, Saint Mary of Magdalene" by the "Ordo Supremus Militaris Templis Hierosolymitami®", a UK registered international charity.

This is from the site I linked above, Walter, the one that I called inflammatory. I have read this before re that property, but almost twenty years ago, and I don't have the source from then at hand right now.

"The upper grades are fastidiously aristocratic and must be able to display a family coat-of-arms dating back at least 300 years in unbroken succession from father to son. The Grand Master of the order is recognized as a head of state, and his authority is ensured by his secular ranking as a Prince, and his ecclesiastical ranking as a Cardinal. Under international law this organization has independent Sovereign principality, which assures nationalistic loyalty from its members, above and beyond allegiance to their own country. They also have Permanent Observer status at the United Nations. "

I recognize they do charitable work. And all I personally know to be true re the group is that my neighbor's father had to supply info about centuries of family lineage.

Sounds more daunting than membership in the DAR, Osso.

Osso, intriguing link. It appears that they do charity work the way the mafia did charity work. Public relations.

It seems the feudal system is attractive on this side of the pond at least with this administration.

From what we heard in Malta, it was the Bishops that appointed the Knights of Malta. Could be wrong; my memory isn't all that reliable - never was.

"The Malteses" are second biggest (medical) help organisation in Germany (after the Red Cross), engaged in all crisis zones as well in as in 'normal' work.

Worldwide, there are 80,000 trained volunteers and 10,000 employees, most of whom are medical personnel, in this organisation.

Until now, I've never heard them to be 'Mafia-like'.