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Sovereign Military Order of Malta - Flag of Grandmaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca

Grandmaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca (1741-1773)

Last modified: 2013-06-29 by rob raeside
Keywords: sovereign and military order of malta | pinto de fonseca |
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image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 24 October 2008

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Description of flag

Flag of Grandmaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca (1741-1773) (square flag)
It is a quarterly divided square flag. The 1st and 4th quarter are showing the white Greek cross in a red field of the Order of St. John. The 2nd and 3rd quarter are showing the personal arms of the grandmaster. It is a silver (= white) containing five red lying crescents ordered two above one above two. The flags are set alternating with the orders colours on both sides of Pinto’s galley, each flag having estimated three meters height and width.
Source: Merian; no.42/1; p.107
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 26 October 2008

According to this webpage http://www.smom-za.org/smom/grandmasters/68.htm:

"Grand Master Manoel Pinto (1741-73) another Portuguese. He was not very popular and during his reign, he made many enemies. He created new titles of nobility which was greatly resented by the old nobles of the island and imposed unjust taxes on the people. He offended the clergy by the expulsion of the Jesuits from Malta and, incurred the hatred of the older Knights who had long waited for him to die and succeed him. However, he loved the city of Valletta. The Auberge de Castille, the stateliest and one of the most important buildings in the town, started during the rule of de la Cassiere in 1574, was finished under his Magistracy and his bust and arms adorn its facade. He enriched the Conventual Church and built a number of stores at the Marina which still bear his name. When Pinto died his body was laid in one of the most beautiful monuments of St John's which has a striking portrait in mosaic.
(...) Pinto was the first Grand Master to use the Imperial crown [on his arms]."
Santiago Dotor, 15 March 2006