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Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus

Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood

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The order is estimated to include about 4,000 members worldwide, with approximately 200 in the United States. The Order also holds roster consultative status with the United Nations, as part of the ECOSOC.

History

The order's military and noble nature is combined with a Roman Catholic character. The Holy See recognizes the Savoyard institution as the sole legitimate heir to the historical and spiritual heritage of the Lazarites.

The undisputed continuation of the Order of St. Lazarus is in the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus, which continues under the pretenders to the Italian Crown.

— Michael Foster

Order of Saint Lazarus (1119)

The Order of Saint Lazarus, founded c. 1119, originated from a hospital for leprosy in Jerusalem established around 1100 by "Brothers of Saint Lazarus." These knights protected Christian pilgrims and specialized in the relief of leprosy; many members were themselves lepers who had been knights in other orders.

Following the Fall of Acre in 1291, the knights settled in France and later Naples (1311). In the 16th century, the order declined in wealth and credibility. During medieval times, the order maintained hospitals in several cities, including Capua. Until, with papal support, the Duke of Savoy became Grand Master in 1572.

Order of Saint Maurice (1434)

The Order of Saint Maurice was established in 1434 by Amedeo VIII of Savoy during his stay in the Ripaglia hermitage. It was a military order from its inception. Though it declined, it was reestablished in 1572 by Pope Pius V at the instigation of the then-Duke of Savoy.

Amalgamation (1572)

In 1572, Pope Gregory XIII united the Order of Saint Lazarus in perpetuity with the Crown of Savoy. Duke Emmanuel Philibert merged it with the Order of Saint Maurice, making the Grand Mastership hereditary in the House of Savoy. The Pope granted the Duke authority over vacant commanderies globally, with the exception of those in the states of the King of Spain (the Kingdoms of Naples, Sicily, Sardinia, and the Duchy of Milan). In England and Germany, these commanderies were suppressed by the Protestant Reformation.

The new organization was charged to defend the Holy See and Italian shores. Notably, the order’s war galleys fought against the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Lepanto and the Barbary pirates alongside the United States Marine Corps. In 1773, a hospital was founded in Aosta to combat a new outbreak of leprosy.

Napoleonic Wars and the 19th Century

During the Napoleonic Wars, the order lost its estates in Piedmont. It accepted many officers of the Royal Sardinian Army and Navy, who in 1815 were bestowed with the Military Order of Savoy. In 1831, under Charles Albert of Sardinia, the order was opened specifically to members of the upcoming bourgeoisie.

King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy brought the order back into favor, conferring it sparingly for distinguished service as an exclusive award compared to the more common Order of the Crown of Italy. It consisted of five classes: Knight Grand Cross, Knight Grand Officer, Knight Commander, Knight Officer, and Knight. He bestowed the order on recipients eminent in the public service, science, art, letters, trade, and charitable works.

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