The Order of St John, or Knights of Malta, was founded in Jerusalem in the 1070s as a hospice for pilgrims. During the Crusades it developed a military and subsequently a political role, and in succeeding centuries influenced and interfered considerably in the diplomatic and religious history of Europe. It sill survives today, in a somewhat mysterious form. However, there is no complete history of the Order, in any language, nor has any attention been paid to the Order's considerable artistic legacy.