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Blog by Marcello Mammi http://narrare-dimammi.blogspot .com/2009/10/primo-ottobre-1561-il-sacro-militare.html

October 1561 First

The Sacred Military Order of St. Stephen

viene istituito da Cosimo I dei Medici Granduca di Toscana.

Lo scopo principale era costituire una flotta navale e da sbarco, per la difesa delle coste e dei territori toscani ed in generale italici, dai pirati barbareschi, turchi, mori e quindi dall’Islam.
“..ad Dei laudem et gloriam ac fidei Catholicae defensionem marisque Mediterranei ab infedelibus custodiam et tuitionem…” .
Il papa Pio IV con la solenne Bolla "His, quae Pro Religionis Propagatione" del 1 febbraio 1562 ne decretò la costituzione " perpetuo erigimus ac instituimus " e ne approvò status " statuimus ac ordinamus .
The Order was later consecrated March 15, 1562 in the Primate of Pisa, by the Apostolic Nuncio Monsignor Cornaro.Inizialmente the seat had to be in Cosmopolis, the current Portoferraio Island of Elba. For logistical reasons was the favorite port of Livorno and Pisa for the fleet.

The order was dedicated to St. Stephen Pope and Martyr (254-257 AD) and was placed under the Benedictine rule, the choice of this saint is due to the fact that, on August 2, the anniversary of his party, Cosimo I scored two important victories in Montemurlo in 1537 ( against Strozzi) and Scannagallo in 1554 against Siena.
The main charges were of the order and the Grand Master, who was the Grand Duke, the twelve knights of the Supreme Council, the Commander more, alter ego of the duke, who commanded the most questionable landing troops and assaults, Admiral general who was commander of the galleys of the fleet and led into battle, the great hospitality and the prior convent. The order included three kinds of riders: the soldiers, clergy and serventi.L 'access order was highly selective and elitist, it was necessary to send a "petition" to the Grand Master and overcome a process of nobility, with much acting as notary and riders witnesses. The supplicant, that the aspiring knight, to document the birth of parents united in lawful marriage, and in places known as a noble city, have more than 17 years, the membership of all four of the ancestors to the noble class, have a significant heritage not be sentenced to prison terms and have always had, including avi, exemplary conduct. Valid as on the positions of honor and public, and his own family.
Once you have passed the trial proceeded with the habit of neocavaliere, the dignitary responsible for choosing the order went into the church for the ceremony, "struck the other a shoulder" and handed the sign, another knight offered his sword and two spurs gold to symbolize the military dress was to be his forever, until the funeral, then was cut by two knights. The riders had to profess vows: love, marital fidelity and obedience to superiors. Were required to undergo a strict discipline and hard training, as it should have led to values \u200b\u200bat the cost of sacrificing their own lives.

The campaigns saw the Order fighting alongside the English against the Ottomans, with the defense of Malta (1565).
participated with the Holy League at the Battle of Lepanto (1571) with twelve galleys under the papal insignia.
aid decision-Bona in Algeria, and after the recognition of military capabilities, the Order was employed against the Turks and Barbary pirates along the coasts of the Mediterranean.
date from this period a series of raids on the islands of the Aegean Sea, held by the Turkish campaigns in Dalmatia and Negroponte and the war in Corfu.

Following Ferdinand III of Lorraine rearrange the order giving the prevalence of diplomacy and trade agreements, rather than military action, they were limited to coastal defense. It dates back, however, this time to aid the Venetians against the Ottomans.
In 1809 l’Ordine fu soppresso dal governo napoleonico e ripristinato nel 1817.
Fu nuovamente soppresso nel 1859 da Bettino Ricasoli, presidente del consiglio dei ministri del regno d’Italia.
Tuttavia questa soppressione non fu accettata dalla dinastia dei Lorena in quanto, trattandosi di un ordine religioso consacrato dal papato, solo il papa poteva scioglierlo.

Oggi esiste ancora e l’attuale Gran Maestro è S.A.I. Sigismondo d’Asburgo Lorena, arciduca d’Austria, granduca titolare di Toscana dal 1993.

Piazza dei Cavalieri a Pisa


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