Brief Biography
Pierre de Corneillan had been Grand Prior of Saint-Gilles before his election as Master on Rhodes.
Sources: Order of Malta: The Grand Masters; Wikipedia: Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller. Further reading.
Life and service to the Order
In his brief tenure he resisted Pope Innocent VI's proposal to move the Order's headquarters closer to the Holy Land.
Rhodes provided the Order with a new island headquarters after its departure from the Holy Land. Its masters balanced hospitaller service, maritime defence and the government of a fortified Mediterranean state.
Historical context: Order of Malta, The Grand Masters; History of the Order.
Further images from the archive
