Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus
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The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is an order of chivalry awarded by the House of Savoy. It was from this family that the Kings of Italy came before the country became a republic, and the family still makes awards in this capacity.
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[edit] History of the order
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is a combination of two ancient foundations. The more ancient, St Lazarus, was established as a military and religious community at the time of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem around 1090. From its inception, the order was concerned with the relief of leprosy, and many of its members were lepers who had been knights in other orders. It became very rich, its practices dubious, and its funds much abused. With the fall of Acre in 1291 the knights of St Lazarus fled the Holy Land and Egypt and settled in France and, in 1311, in Naples.
In the sixteenth century, the order again declined in credit and wealth, and the Duke of Savoy took over as Grand Master in 1572. Two years later, Pope Gregory XIII merged the Italian foundation of the order with that of St Maurice, and the new community was charged to defend the Holy See as well as continue to assist lepers. The war galleys of the order fought against the Turks and the Barbary pirates and when leprosy again broke out the order founded, in 1773, a hospital in Aosta.
The order of St Maurice dates from 1434 and was founded by Amadeus VIII, Duke of Savoy, who became Antipope Felix V. The order declined, but in 1572 was reestablished by Pope Pius V at the instigation on the then Duke of Savoy. As noted above, the order merged in 1573 with the Order of Saint Lazarus. After the Italian unification, the Order became a de facto Italian state award for civilian and military merit, consisted of five classes: Knight of the Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight.
After Italy became a republic in 1946 the Order was effectively replaced by the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. The House of Savoy in exile continues to confer the Order, and is granted in the tweny-first century to persons eminent in the public service, science, art, letters, trade, and charitable works.
The Grand Master of the order is Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, the current head of the house of Savoy. The present Grand Chancellor is Count Gherardo Balbo di Vinadio, who succeeded Count Franco Antamoro, Patrizio Romano coscritto, in 1993. The Treasurer-General and Vice-President of the Council is Don Piero dei Duchi Caffarelli, while the Grand Prior is Monsignor Giuseppe Muller. However, Vittorio new policies as Grand Master has generated controversy. All three of his sisters have resigned from their positions as dames of the order. Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy said he and his son had instituted "the payment of membership fees [and] activities such as the sale of objects with the Savoy coat of arms and credit cards of the order"[1]
[edit] Grades
The Order currently has six classes for gentlemen:
- Knight of the Grand Cross, which wears the badge on a sash on the right shoulder, plus the star on the left chest;
- Grand Officer, which wears the badge on a necklet, plus the star on the left chest;
- Commander "jus patronato", which wears the badge on a necklet, plus the breast cross on the left chest;
- Commander, which wears the badge on a necklet;
- Officer, which wears the badge on a ribbon on the left chest;
- Knight, which wears the badge without crown on a ribbon on the left chest;
as well as three classes for ladies:
- Dame Grand Cross, which wears the badge on a bow with golden embroidery on the left shoulder;
- Dame Commander, which wears the badge on a bow on the left shoulder;
- Dame, which wears the badge without crown on a bow on the left shoulder.
[edit] Insignia
- The badge of the Order is in gilt, consists of a white-enameled cross botonny (the Cross of St. Maurice), with a green-enameled Maltese Cross (the Cross of St. Lazarus) placed in saltire between the arms of the cross botonny. The badge for all classes except Knight and Dame are topped by a gilt crown.
- The star of the Order is a silver faceted star, with eight points for Grand Cross and four points for Grand Officer, and with the badge (minus the crown) superimposed upon it.
- The breast cross for the Commander "jus patronato" class is identical to the badge, minus the crown.
- The ribbon of the Order is apple green.
[edit] Notable members of the order
- Tasker H. Bliss
- Luigi, Count Cibrario
- Ira Clarence Eaker
- Ulysses S. Grant III
- Hunter Liggett
- Peyton C. March
- George Marshall
- John Pershing
- Tommaso Squitti, Baron of Palermiti and Guarna
[edit] See also
[edit] Note
The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus is in no way connected or associated with the self-styled Order of Saint Lazarus. There is no historical or modern linkage between the two. [1]
