Join the Museum of the Order of St John for a lively discussion to celebrate the publication of Marcus Bull’s major new account of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.
Join the Museum of the Order of St John for a lively discussion to celebrate the publication of Marcus Bull’s major new account of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.
Wednesday, April 30 · 6:30 – 8pm, £5
Even in an age when war and violence were commonplace, the siege was understood by all those caught up in it as an event of epic proportions. Whilst it is sometimes cast as a climactic struggle between the civilizations of East and West, this is to over-simplify what was at stake. Professor Bull, in conversation with Professor William Purkis, will explore the key players’ global aspirations, the perspective of the Maltese and what the event can tell us about the Knights of St John. While the Maltese make only fitful appearances in the surviving evidence, the Knights loom large. The siege is, as a result, a wonderful opportunity to place them under the microscope. What can it tell us about their strengths and weaknesses, their contradictions, their propensity for violence, their aristocratic culture and their sense of mission?
This talk takes place at St John’s Gate, once the ceremonial entrance to the Knights’ English headquarters. Now home to the Museum of the Order of St John, the collection includes artefacts, maps and publications from the Great Siege. Following the talk there will be a special opportunity to view some of these items up close with the curator.
Doors open at 6.30pm. Signed copies of the book will be available to purchase.
Marcus Bull is Andrew W Mellon Distinguished Professor of Medieval and Early Modern Studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A medievalist by training, in recent years his interests have shifted to the sixteenth century: one result of this reorientation is a new book on the Great Siege of Malta published by Penguin/Allen Lane in January 2025.
William Purkis is Professor of Medieval History at the University of Birmingham and Librarian for the Order of St John’s Priory of England and the Islands. He is a specialist in the history of crusading and of Latin Christian traditions of pilgrimage and monasticism.
The talk will take place in Chapter Hall (no step-free access) and a hearing loop is available. For further access information or help planning your visit please call the museum on 020 7324 4005 (Weds–Sat, 9.30am–5pm).
Museum of the Order of St John, St John’s Gate 26 St John’s Lane, London, EC1M 4DA
Tickets here.
