Knights numbered ~700 at peak
At the Order's height, there were around 700 Knights of St John in Malta; by the time Napoleon arrived in 1798 that number had fallen to around 300.
Snapshot · Jon Mallia Podcast
IL-KAVALLIERI KELLHOM EGO KBIR | Tonio Mallia
Explore episode
Jul 6, 2026
Where this was said
Malta wara l-Kavallieri
At 1:11:00 · chapter starts 1:06:18
By 1798, the Order of St John was a shadow of its former self. Tonio explains that at the height of their power there were around 700 Knights in Malta; by the time Napoleon arrived, that number had fallen to roughly 300. [1] — Tonio Mallia "When Napoleon arrived in 1798, the Knights had about 300 members left — and roughly half were French. Fighting France meant fighting themse…" 1:10:00 Of those, approximately 150 were French nationals — meaning that asking them to fight France was asking them to fight themselves. The remaining defence consisted of about 200 Portuguese soldiers and the Maltese militia, which Tonio bluntly describes as good people but not warriors. The negotiations were swift. The Knights left Malta and dispersed across Europe, their Order continuing to exist but stripped of its territorial base. The question of what happened next — the English takeover, the Church's role, the Foundation's eventual creation — bridges into the next phase of the conversation. Tonio also touches on the darker side of the late Knights' period: internal instability, financial difficulties, and growing irrelevance even before Napoleon appeared on the horizon.
Why the Knights Couldn't Fight Napoleon
When Napoleon arrived in 1798, the Knights had about 300 members left — and roughly half were French. Fighting France meant fighting themselves. The Maltese militia was not an army. The Knights negotiated, and Malta fell in days.
150 of 300 Knights were French
When Napoleon arrived, roughly half the remaining Knights — about 150 out of 300 — were French, making resistance against France practically impossible.
Managing a 450-Year-Old Cathedral: Balancing Church, Museum, and Business
Running St John's Co-Cathedral means serving five masters at once: the Church, the Maltese government, a foundation council, the public, and history itself. Tonio Mallia describes the governance structure and how he navigates conflicting priorities.
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