The Teutonic Order in Italy: An Example of the Diplomatic Ability of the Military Orders

In the closing centuries of the Middle Ages, the military orders often found themselves in complex political situations, where they had to preserve their interests and remain on good terms with sovereigns who were at war with one another. To give just a few examples among many: the Templars and Hospitallers sought to maintain their presence and favoured position in both France andE England despite the frequent warfare between the two monarchies; ¹ the Templars managed to keep their possessions in the Genoese territories, even though they were allied to Venice in the war of St sabas (1256–5); ² tHospitallersers were the allies of the papacy and the Angevin dynasty during the crusade against Aragonese following the Sicilian Vespers of 1282, but they also supported Peter III of Aragon; ³ while in the Iberian Peninsula, it was not rare to find Hospitallers fighting on both sides in the wars between Aragon and Castile. ⁴ It is clear that the orders developed diplomatic skills that allowed them to be friends of opposing powers, even in very difficult situations.