Rhodes Across Time
21st Century Castle
… 13th Century Castle
May 30, 2025
Rhodes, strategically positioned between East and West is steeped in history offering glances into countless eras. Whether your interests lie in the Minoan, Mycenaean, Bronze or Iron Ages, the Classical period, Pax Romana, early Christianity, the Silk Road, the Middle Ages or even the World Wars, Rhodes promises an inspiring journey through time for historians and casual travelers alike,
Our “must see” was the mid-evil city built by the Knights of St. John. How could we miss this link to the Knights after our visit to Malta!
We opted to stay in the Rhodes Marina for a few days allowing us to easily access the Mid-evil City
Historical sites along the way to the Grand Master Palace.
A Brief history of the Knights Hospitaller
Jerusalem to Cyprus, to Rhodes, to Malta, to Rome.
The founding of the religious community of the Hospitallers of St. John in the Holy Land began in 1048. Some merchants from the maritime republic of Amalfi obtained an authorization from the Caliph of Egypt to build in Jerusalem a church, convent and hospital named after St. John Baptist to assist pilgrims. In 1231 after the fall of St. John of Acre and the loss of the Holy Land, the Order of St John moved to Cyprus. With growing unrest the Knights moved to Rhodes in 1310. In 1523 after a fierce battle over six months with the army of Sultan Soliman the Magnificent, the Knights moved to Malta. King Carlos granted the island of Malta to the Order at a cost of one Maltese Falcon each year. https://orderofmalta.mt
The history of Rhodes under the Order of Saint John lasted from 1310 until 1522. The island of Rhodes was a sovereign territorial entity of the Knights Hospitaller who settled on the island from Kingdom of Jerusalem and from Cyprus. The first Grand Master in Rhodes was the Frenchman Foulques de Villaret (1305–1319). Hospitaller Rhodes - Wikipedia
Street of The Knights
As we strolled history down the Street of The Knights, we stumbled on a pleasant surprise. L’Auberge de France which housed the French Knights Order, (now The French Vice Consulate), was holding an art exhibit. Now this is no ordinary building. It was the most ornate of all the eight “Inns” on the Street of the Knights. Typically closed to the public we were in luck - a bit of culture in an impressive historical building.
Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Saint John
Entry into the Palace Courtyard
The Grand Master’s Palace was beautifully renovated by the Italians during their thirty-year occupation of Rhodes beginning in 1912. It was a controversial renovation as it expanded the footprint and design of the original Grandmaster Palace. Not to be surpassed by the Italian influences, and as a reminder Greek history encompasses all periods of history, Greece has filled the palace rooms with artifacts from its history.
It was a wonderful day of discovery.
The first floor of the Palace had stunning Greek artifacts from various times in Greek history.
