Stone Carving of the Hospitaller Period in Rhodes: Displaced Pieces and Fragments

The work presents 230 stone carvings of the Hospitaller period in Rhodes (1309-1522), which for various reasons are no longer in their original setting. Most of them are cut in local stone or reused antique marble and belong to three broad groups: decorative architectural elements, funerary slabs and markers, and heraldry from secular and religious buildings and fortifications. Their architectural, artistic, inscriptional and social significance are discussed, providing insights into the way cultural influences from different parts of Western Europe were introduced, maintained and adapted in an Eastern Mediterranean context by the Knights of Saint John, other Westerners the presence of the Order encouraged to travel to Rhodes and even live there and, occasionally, by wealthy Greeks. The study includes a full catalogue and touches upon recent archaeological activity in the historic centre of the town of Rhodes.