——Preface·]—
Stroll down Via Condogdi in Rome, Italy, and you'll be amazed to find a striking edifice.
In all likelihood, the security guard at the gate will stop you and ask for your passport if you want to go in and visit.
And you must not have guessed that this is a country that exists independently within Italy, very different from Italy.
Its size is only 120,000 square meters, only one building.
However, this amazing country has not only been recognized by the United Nations, but has also established diplomatic relations with 104 countries.
So the question is, which country is this amazing country? Why is it recognized?
History of the Knights of Malta
This amazing country is simply known as the Knights of Malta, whose full name is "Jerusalem, Rhodes and the Sovereign Military Hospitallers of St. John of Malta".
When I heard the name of this country, I was a little surprised.
The Knights of Malta do not actually own land, only sovereignty. It can be illustrated by an analogy, it is like a groom who is about to enter the palace of marriage but has not yet fully taken the steps.
The Order of Malta also has its own separate flag, anthem and laws, in addition to having special stamps and passports.
Hospital logo of the Order.
The Knights of Malta are not much different from other countries, except for the lack of land. What's even more amazing is that the country has a rich history of over 900 years!
The Catholic pope repeatedly and publicly stated in 1095 that Catholic believers would be promised a good reward whenever they fought to rid them of infidels, and this was for the eradication of infidels.
Inspired by the pope, many believers joined the crusaders and went into battle, a war that lasted for more than two centuries.
During the war, many people were trapped because they were injured and displaced. In this context, the "Knights Hospitaller of St. John of Jerusalem" came into being, the founder of which was a man from France.
In the midst of war, such an organization was invaluable, and in order to support them, many Catholics also donated materials to the Order, which also contributed to the growth of the Order.
The prestige of the Order grew with its economic power, making it a symbol of Jerusalem and a strong backing for it.
As the team grew, they decided to train people in other fields than doctors.
Gradually, some members of the Order have ceased to consider healing and saving people as their first choice, and have decided to take part in the war themselves. Their performance on the battlefield is also very remarkable.
The Order was at the mercy of the Pope, and the doctors even abandoned scalpels in favor of spears and cannons.
The addition of the Knights significantly strengthened the fighting power of the Crusaders, however, the situation on the battlefield changed rapidly.
In 1187, a fierce battle between Islam and the Christians in Palestine finally declared the end of this conflict, and the Knights became victims of this war.
Despite the defeat of the Order as a whole, some survived, and they returned to Jerusalem to prepare for a comeback.
Regaining their strength was not an easy task, but they always held the faith and admirable perseverance of the Order. Making a comeback is no easy task.
After more than 200 years of wandering, warfare and migration, the Knights finally settled on the island of Malta in 1530.
Rent a house to build a state
After much trouble, they finally found a place to stay. Just when they thought they were about to settle down, the Islamic Sultan Suleiman I began to wage war against them, and the Knights became involved in the defense of Malta.
In this war, the Grand Master of the Order turned the tide with his wits and successfully repelled the surrounding enemy forces. Since then, the Order has earned the reputation of the "European Shield".
They became famous for the battle, and the members of the Order made their home on the island of Malta, where they spent 200 years of happiness.
The happy life of the members of the Order was destroyed by the appearance of Napoleon.
Napoleon is known to have been very powerful and conquered many countries through a series of expeditions. At that time, he developed a keen interest in the island of Malta.
Because Napoleon had won many battles at that time, the members of the Order decided to leave Malta on their own initiative after discussion.
After leaving the island of Malta, the members of the Order embarked on a new wandering journey, and they decided to turn to Russia at that time in order to find a new place to live as soon as possible.
Finally, in 1834, with the support of the Russian Empire, the Knights of Malta finally returned to Rome. However, with no extra land to use, they ended up renting two buildings in Italy as temporary stationing points.
Until now, the Order of Malta has not had its own territory, and even its residence and offices have been leased from Italy. However, it doesn't matter to them, as long as they have a stable place to live.
How should such a small country, which does not even have land, develop in the future? What can they rely on?
Current status of the Order of Malta
In fact, the Order of Malta has set up a number of church schools and hospitals around the world, and these places bring them a considerable income every year.
The Knights also have a very interesting way to make money, which is to sell honorary titles publicly. In addition, the Order has a very interesting way to make money, which is to sell honorary titles publicly.
This action can be said to have completely controlled those nouveau riche and rich people, after all, they only need to pay tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of euros to get the title of a knight or duke, so that they can suddenly become "nobles", who wouldn't be tempted by such a **?
Especially in Europe, although there are still royal families in many countries, royal family members do not have easy access to knighthoods, in which case they can choose to buy titles for money to highlight their status.
It is reported that thousands of new members join the Order of Malta every year. In addition, the number of knighthoods** varies from year to year.
Assuming a knighthood sells for €100,000 and there are 1,000 titles per year**, then the knighthood alone can generate €100 million for the Order of Malta!
Among some of the organizations operated by the Order of Malta, the most famous is the São Paulo Hospital in Brazil, which is considered one of the largest private hospitals worldwide. Every year this hospital generates a significant income for the Knights of Malta.
At the International School of Malta, this institution in Rome was loved by the aristocracy. Most of the students who attended the school belonged to the aristocratic class, so the school also received a considerable financial income.
The Order of Malta has also officially launched a wide variety of stamps, each with its own characteristics, and as a national stamp issue, it has been loved by many people since its launch.
Add together revenues such as knighthoods**, the operation of hospitals and schools, and the sale of stamps, and the total income for a year is very impressive! Earning such a good income every year, paying rent in Italy is nothing to the eye.
In addition to its economic strength, the international influence of the Order of Malta cannot be ignored, as it is extremely important in other areas as well.
At the same time, it is also actively engaged in medical assistance work, which has led to the establishment of diplomatic relations with many countries.
After the Knights of Malta had a full treasury, they also began to focus on the development of philanthropy.
In 2020, the Order of Malta raised more than €200 million worldwide, with only a small portion set aside for its own operations and the vast majority of the funds going to charity.
At present, the Order of Malta has transformed from a military organization into a religious charity, and these changes are based on dependence on Italy.
Despite the rhetoric, the Order of Malta has been recognized by 104 countries and is listed as a permanent observer state of the United Nations, a status that brings it closer to a full-fledged state, despite having no territory.
In fact, most of the 104 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Order of Malta have close ties with the Holy See.
Other small countries, thanks to the knighthood of the Order of Malta by some of their most influential figures, recognized the sovereign status of the Order and established diplomatic relations with it.
In any case, the Order of Malta is recognized by 104 countries. Why is the Order of Malta known as a permanent observer state of the United Nations?
The Order of Malta has repeatedly applied to join the United Nations as a sovereign state, since the establishment of the United Nations.
However, due to the limited influence of the Knights at that time, in other words, they had little effect on changing the world pattern, so they never joined the United Nations.
As the world landscape evolved, and 104 countries recognized the Order of Malta, the United Nations finally accepted the Order of Malta as an observer state in 1994.
This is exactly why people say that the Knights of Malta are a "quasi-state".
Thirty years have passed, but the Order of Malta is still an observer state of the United Nations, and they have their own seat at every United Nations meeting.
——Conclusion·]—
Today, the diversity and change of the world has led to an increasing number of small and micro countries, such as the Vatican, Palau and Andorra, the country with the largest WeChat registration population.
Despite their small territorial size, they have all joined the United Nations as sovereign States.
Of course, there are also "semi-nationals", such as the Knights of Malta mentioned in this article, as well as Niue and the Cook Islands on the ocean.
The Order of Malta has an illustrious history, and in any case, it has had its own glory, and it is very rare that this influence continues to this day.
Although it is unclear whether the two Italian buildings in the concession will become the territory of the Order of Malta, we are confident that as a religious charity, the Order of Malta will continue to contribute to the world, no matter what changes may lie in the future.