The Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (abbreviated OSML) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood bestowed by the royal House of Savoy. It is the second-oldest order of knighthood in the world, tracing its lineage to AD 1119. It is one of the rare orders of knighthood recognized by papal bull, specifically by Pope Gregory XIII. Formally established in 1572 through the merger of two pre-existing institutions: the religious-military Order of Saint Maurice and the ancient Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. Currently, the institution is officially recognized by the Holy See as the sole legitimate heir to the historical and spiritual heritage of the Lazarites.
Pope Gregory XIII bestowed upon Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy and his Savoy successors the right to confer this knighthood in perpetuity. The current Grand Master is Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice, the grandson of the last King of Italy, Umberto II. However, his cousin twice removed, Prince Aimone, Duke of Aosta, claims to be the rightful grand master as his father claimed to be head of the house of Savoy.
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.
Contents
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.
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.
Modern status
After Italy became a republic in 1946, the order was effectively replaced for state purposes by the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Since 1951, it has not been officially recognized by the Italian Republic, but it remains recognized by most other jurisdictions, particularly those with extant royal houses.
The House of Savoy in exile continues to bestow the order on individuals eminent in public service, science, art, letters, trade, and charitable works. While the Italian government permits the wearing of decorations conferred prior to 1951, military regulations require that royal crowns on ribbons issued before 1946 be substituted with five-pointed stars on uniforms.
The related Maurician Medal for military merit (est. 1839) was not suppressed by the Republic and remains an official award for long-standing military careers.
Organisation
Historically, the knights were divided into:
Knights of Justice: Required to prove nobility of eight great-grandparents.
Knights of Grace: Not required to provide proof of nobility.
In 1851, Victor Emmanuel II abolished the category of Justice. Today, women can be appointed as Dames, and a new category of Knights and Dames of Devotion was introduced in 1988. The Grand Master may also appoint hereditary jus patronatus Commanders of Merit.
All knights were traditionally required to take three vows: obedience to the Grand Master; fidelity within marriage (castità almeno conjugale); and service to the sick and poor. In 1831, these vows became facultative.
Grades
Originally, the order was divided into Knights Petit Cross and Knights Grand Cross, the latter worn at the neck, the former on the chest. The Commendatori, who owned a commandery, weren't bestowed with a specific insignia. In 1831, Charles Albert of Sardinia divided the order into three classes:
Knight Grand Cross with the Grand Cordon
Knight Commander
Knight
Since 1855, the Order is divided into five classes for the Knights (male members):
Knight Grand Cordon, who wear a sash on the right shoulder to the left hip and the badge as well as star are worn on the left side;
Grand Officer, who wear a necklet plus the star on the left chest;
Commander, who wear a necklet;
Officer, who wear a medal in Gold on the left side of the chest;
Knight, who wear a smaller Medal in Silver on the left side of the chest.
For female members the Order is divided into in three classes:
Dame Grand Cordon, wearing a sash similar to that of their male counterparts
Dame Commander, who wear on a necklet. During daydress: wear a bow-formed necklet worn on the left side of the chest. During evening wear: bow formed necklet worn on the left side of the chest)
Dame, who wear a smaller necklet; During daydress and evening wear: bow formed medal worn on the left side of the chest
Insignia
The badge of the order is in gilt, consists of a white-enameled cross bottony of the Order of Saint Maurice, with a green-enameled Maltese Cross, the Cross of the Order of Saint Lazarus, placed in saltire between the arms of the cross botonny. The badge of each class except that of Knight and Dame is 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 "jus patronatus" Commander is identical to the badge, minus the crown.
The ribbon of the Order is apple green, with slight variations for the several classes:
Council
The council is responsible for running the order, the order focuses mainly on charitable acts.
Until 1831, it was composed of the First Secretary of the Grand Magistracy (not to be confused with the Secretary of the Council itself), the Auditor General and seven dignitaries (Grandati):
Grand Prior, a clergyman with episcopal rank as the
Grand Admiral, the commander of the order's navy
Grand Marshal, the commander of the order's land forces
Grand Hospitaller, administrator of the order's hospitals
Grand Conservator, administrator of the order's estates
Grand Chancellor, head of the order's chancery
Grand Treasurer
In 1831, the offices of Grand Admiral and Grand Marshal were abolished since the absence of an army. In 1851, the offices of Grand Conservator and Grand Chancellor where merged with the office of the First Secretary of the Grand Magistracy and the Grand Treasurer got renamed as Treasurer General, who also served as Vice Chairman of the council. The other nine members, among them an annual Chairman of the council, who replaced the Grand Prior, where chosen by the Grand master.
From 1861 to 1946, the council also served as the council of the Order of the Crown of Italy.
Today, some of the old offices are re-established.
Chairman: Vacant
Vice Chairman: Antonio d’Amelio
Junta
The Junta is responsible for voting in new Knight or Dame to the dynastic order on behalf of the grand master, Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice. There are always five members of the Junta to ensure that there is never an equal count in votes for and against a new possible new Knight or Dame.
H.S.H. Don Alessandro Jacopo Boncompagni Ludovisi Altemps – President
Don Paolo Thaon di Revel Vandini – Secretary
Don Enrico Sanjust dei Baroni di Teulada
Gualtiero Ventura
Federico Pizzi
List of Grand Masters
Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy (1572–1580)
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy (1580–1630)
Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (1630–1637)
Francis Hyacinth, Duke of Savoy (1637–1638)
Charles Emmanuel II, Duke of Savoy (1638–1675)
Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia (1675–1731)
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia (1732–1773)
Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia (1773–1796)
Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia (1796–1802)
Victor Emmanuel I of Sardinia (1802–1824)
Charles Felix of Sardinia (1824–1831)
Charles Albert of Sardinia (1831–1849)
Victor Emmanuel II of Italy (1849–1878)
Umberto I of Italy (1878–1900)
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy (1900–1946)
Umberto II of Italy (1946–1983)
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples (1983–2024)
Emanuele Filiberto, Prince of Venice (2024–present)
Notable recipients
Monarchs
Franz Josef I, Emperor of Austria
Wilhelm II, German Emperor
Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia
Gojong, Emperor of Korea
Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia
Zog I, King of the Albanians
George V, King of the United Kingdom
Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar, Shah of Persia
Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran
H.M.E.H. Servant of God Fra' Andrew Bertie, Prince and Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Maharaja Jagatjit Singh
Maharaja Juddha Shumsher Jang Bahadur Rana
Mihailo Obrenović of Serbia
Abbas I, Wāli of Egypt
Heads of State
Poglavnik Ante Pavelić Knight Grand Cross
Military
General of the Armies John Pershing
General of the Army George Marshall
Marshal Slavko Kvaternik Knight Grand Cross
Field Marshal Walther von Brauchitsch
Field Marshal Francisco Solano López
General Matthew Bunker Ridgway
Lieutenant General John C. H. Lee
General François d'Astier de La Vigerie
General Tasker H. Bliss
General Mark W. Clark
General Ira C. Eaker
General Peyton C. March
Admiral Ernesto Burzagli
Surgeon Rear-Admiral Arthur Skey
Major General Ulysses S. Grant III
Major General Mason Patrick
General Sebastiano Visconti Prasca
Rear Admiral Richard Byrd
Brigadier General Billy Mitchell
Naval Captain Emilio Faà di Bruno
Flight Commander Douglas Harries
SS-Obergruppenführer Hans Lammers
Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram
Politics
Antonio Profumo, 1st Baron Profumo (1788–1852)
Vilhelm Sixten Gregorius Aminoff (1838-1875), Swedish diplomat and courier
Diplomat Isaac Artom
Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, 1921
Enrico d’Arienzo, Prefect of Caltanisetta 1925
Henri Jaspar
Charles, 1st Count de Broqueville
Charles Rogier
Edmond, Baron de Sélys Longchamps
President Porfirio Díaz
Dr Hans Frank, 26 September 1936
Minister of foreign affairs Giustino Fortunato
Member of Parliament Cristiana Muscardini
Diplomat Jose Maria Quijano Wallis
Luigi, Count Cibrario
Oswald, Freiherr von Richthofen, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the German Empire - August 1902 - during the visit to Germany of King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
President of the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition and Former St. Louis Mayor David R. Francis
Mayor Rudolph Giuliani of New York City (2001) Cavaliere di Gran Croce (Motu Proprio)
Aldo Oviglio, Minister of Justice (1922–1925)
Culture
Architect Carlo Rainaldi
Architect Giovanni Battista Meduna and his brother, engineer Tommaso Meduna
Sculptor Christopher Ross
Tenor Andrea Bocelli
Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow rejected the honor
Painter Giuseppe Frascaroli
Priests
Pietro Tacchi Venturi
Agostino Cardinal Rivarola
Blessed Tommaso Reggio
Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan
Désiré-Félicien-François-Joseph Cardinal Mercier
Blessed Andrea Carlo Cardinal Ferrari
Sciences
Charles Combes
Giovanni Miani, explorer
Giuseppe Peano
Joseph Vallot
Philanthropy
Edoardo Gabardi
Thomas Hanbury
J. P. Morgan
Recipients (amongst others)
Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, Prince of Venice, Knight Grand Cross
Clotilde Courau, Princess of Venice
Princess Vittoria of Savoy, Princess of Carignano Marchioness of Ivrea
Princess Luisa of Savoy
Marina Doria, Princess of Naples and Duchess of Savoy
Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon-Parma
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy
Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy
Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia
Prince Michael of Yugoslavia
Prince Sergius of Yugoslavia
Princess Helen of Yugoslavia
Nicholas, Crown Prince of Montenegro
Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro
H.S.H. Mariano Hugo, Prince of Windisch-Graetz Knight Grand Cross
H.S.H. Don Alessandro Jacopo Boncompagni Ludovisi Altemps Knight Grand Cross
Don Paolo Thaon di Revel Vandini Knight Grand Cross
Don Enrico Sanjust dei Baroni di Teulada Knight Grand Cross
Prof. Alberto Bochicchio Knight Grand Cross