The Museum of the Order of St. John | SC Exhibitions
St John's Gate © Nathan Wilcock |
There's only a brief
soapbox this month, but I thought I'd take the opportunity to point readers to
one of London's little-known museum gems: The Museum of the Order of St. John.
In Jerusalem during the crusades, both men and women, known
as Knights Hospitallers and then as the Knights of the Order of St. John of
Jerusalem, cared for the sick, particularly pilgrims travelling to the Holy
Land. This small, but beautifully presented museum tells their story – from the
Order's founding in medieval times to their international work today through
the first aid charity St John Ambulance, and the St John of Jerusalem Eye
Hospital.
The exhibition – which was entirely revamped in 2009 – is
presented in chronological order. From Jerusalem, the knights moved to Cyprus,
then to Rhodes and Malta, and today have their main headquarters in Rome. The
exhibition reflects this movement, so that as you travel around its display
space – complete with informative videos and panels – you follow their journey.
Throughout, there are artefacts from these different phases, from suits of
armour, paintings, manuscripts and swords, to a full size cannon, and
models of Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre, brought back from the Holy
Land as souvenirs.
You can read the full article here: The Museum of the Order of St. John.