Brief Biography
Foulques de Villaret succeeded his uncle Guillaume while the Order was based on Cyprus.
Sources: Order of Malta: The Grand Masters; Wikipedia: Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller.
Life and service to the Order
Under his leadership the Hospitallers established themselves on Rhodes, which became their headquarters in 1310; his mastership ended in 1319 amid conflict within the Order.
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
