The Fall of Rhodes and the Flight to Crete

In 1522, after a grueling six-month siege, the Knights Hospitaller—a medieval Catholic military order—were forced to surrender their stronghold of Rhodes to the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. Under the leadership of Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L’Isle-Adam, the surviving knights and their wounded were granted safe passage. They first sought refuge in Candia (modern-day Heraklion), the capital of Venetian-controlled Crete.

The knights had managed to salvage much of their wealth and equipment, including their prized naval flagship, the Santa Maria—a massive carrack originally captured from the Mamluk Sultanate in 1507. Now, with the Mamluks gone and Rhodes lost, the Santa Maria became their floating headquarters as they searched for a new home.

A Divided Christendom and the Search for a New Base

The Europe the knights returned to was vastly different from the one they had left two centuries earlier. The Protestant Reformation, ignited by Martin Luther in 1517, had fractured Christendom. The knights, rooted in the Crusader ethos, found themselves out of step with the changing religious landscape. Their veneration of relics—such as the arm of St. John and fragments of the True Cross—now drew suspicion from reformers who saw such practices as superstitious.

Meanwhile, Europe’s Catholic powers were embroiled in the Habsburg-Valois Wars, pitting France against the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. L’Isle-Adam navigated this diplomatic minefield carefully, seeking support without alienating any major faction. The knights wandered from Messina to Civitavecchia, Viterbo, and Nice, living as refugees.

The Offer of Malta

In 1530, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V offered the knights the islands of Malta and Gozo, along with the North African outpost of Tripoli, in exchange for an annual tribute of a falcon. Though Malta was barren and lacked resources, its strategic harbors made it a valuable naval base. After much deliberation, the knights accepted.

On October 26, 1530, L’Isle-Adam arrived in Malta aboard the Santa Maria. The island’s 12,000 inhabitants pledged loyalty, and the knights, in turn, promised protection and prosperity. Yet Malta was a far cry from Rhodes—its rocky terrain, scarce water, and crumbling defenses presented immense challenges.

The Struggle for Survival

Under Grand Master Juan de Homedes (1536–1553), the knights fortified Malta, building strongholds like Fort St. Angelo and Fort St. Michael. But they faced relentless attacks from Ottoman corsairs, including the infamous Dragut, who sacked Gozo in 1551. The loss of Tripoli in 1551 further weakened their position.

The knights’ internal divisions—particularly between French and Spanish factions—also threatened their unity. Yet despite setbacks, they persevered, bolstered by occasional Spanish support and their own naval raids against Ottoman shipping.

The Great Siege of Malta (1565)

In 1565, Suleiman the Magnificent sent a massive invasion force to crush the knights once and for all. Led by Mustafa Pasha and Admiral Piali Pasha, the Ottomans besieged Malta with 40,000 troops against the knights’ 6,000 defenders.

The siege was brutal. The Ottomans first overran Fort St. Elmo after a month of fighting, but at great cost. The knights, under Grand Master Jean de Valette, held firm in Birgu and Senglea, repelling wave after wave of assaults. A critical turning point came when a small relief force from Sicily arrived, forcing the Ottomans into retreat.

By September, the exhausted invaders withdrew. Malta had been saved, and the knights emerged as heroes of Christendom.

Legacy: The Knights’ Enduring Influence

The victory at Malta secured the knights’ future on the island for over two centuries. Valette founded the city of Valletta, which became their new capital. Though the age of crusading had passed, the knights continued to play a key role in Mediterranean naval warfare.

Their resilience in exile—from Rhodes to Malta—stands as a testament to their adaptability and determination. Today, the Sovereign Military Order of Malta remains a sovereign entity, preserving the legacy of these warrior-monks who defied empires.

The siege of 1565 not only saved the knights but also halted Ottoman expansion into the western Mediterranean, shaping the course of European history. As defenders of the faith and guardians of the sea, the Knights Hospitaller left an indelible mark on the world.