The troubled years
1790 : Abolition of the order in Portugal (part of the Spanish Grand Priory
of Castile).
1792 : Abolition of the French Grand Priories of Auvergne, France and
Provence.
1793 : Abolition of the Grand Priory of Poland.
1798 : Conquest of the island of Malta by French revolutionary troops.
For 36 years, the order now had no permanent administrative
headquarters.
Deposition of Grand Master von Homesch by a group of knights having
taken refuge in Russia, Czar Pavel I being proclaimed in his place.
The Spanish Grand Priories of Aragon and Castile declared
their independence. In 1802 the Spanish king assumed the title of
Grand Master.
1801 : Abdication of Pavel I. The Order was ruled by a lieutenant
until 1803 when Giovanni Battista Tommasi became Grand Master.
1805 : Death of Grand Master Giovanni Battista Tommasi. For 74 years the
Order was now ruled by Lieutenants.
1806 : Abolition of the Grand Priory of Germany.
Abolition of the Italian Grand Priories of Firenze, Lombardia, Rome
and Venice.
1811 : Abolition of the Grand Priory of Napels and Sicily.
The years of recovery
1816 : The Grand Priory of Rome was restored.
1820 : Treaty of Verona : the Order is recognised as a sovereign state.
1834 : The headquarters of the Order were moved to the Palazzo di Malta in
Rome.
1839 : Restoration of the Italian Grand Priories of Lombardy-Venice and of
Napels and Sicily.
1859 : Establishment of the first of the National Associations, the Rheinisch
- Westfalische Association. Others were to follow.
1869 : The Palazzo di Malta and the Villa Malta received exraterritorial
rights, in this way becoming the only " sovereign" territorial
possessions of the Order.
1879 : Restoration of the dignity of Grand Master.
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