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© Algirdas Stočkus
Blog & Stories
The Two Opposing
1 photo
March 29, 2024
Narva, a painting by Wilhelm Siegfried Stavenhagen, engraved by Gustav Lange in the 19th century. Ivangorod Fortress (on the left of the engraving) was built in the 15th century by Muscovite Russia,… ›
The Windmills
2 photos
February 27, 2024
The medieval windmills at Mandraki Harbor, Rhodes, Greece and Ta' Kola Windmill in Xagħra, Gozo, Malta. Most of windmills in Rhodes and Malta were built by the Order of St John as they were… ›
The Detail
2 photos
January 29, 2024
The painting Battle of Grunwald painted by Jan Matejko in 1878, Warsaw, Poland. It depicts the Battle of Grunwald fought allies – the Kingdom of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania against the… ›
Might of Colours
1 photo
December 27, 2023
Margat Castle in Syria, an illustration from Guillaume Rey's book Étude sur les monuments de l'architecture militaire des croisés en Syrie et dans l'île de Chypre (1871). The castle belonged to the… ›
Where the Stahlhelm Came From
1 photo
November 30, 2023
The detail of the reconstruction of the 15th century Teutonic Order Knight’s armour, Cesis Castle, Latvia. The design of the Stahlhelm or German military steel helmet, introduced in 1916, was based… ›
The King and the Grand Master
1 photo
October 19, 2023
The fragment of the portrait of Louis XIV of France painted by Hyacinthe Rigaud in 1701. The King wears French cavalry armour decorated with the fleurs de lis and the blue sash of the Order of the… ›
The Grand Master
1 photo
September 28, 2023
The bronze statue of Grand Master de Vilhena, Floriana, Malta. This statue was cast in the foundry of the Order of St John and was installed in Fort Manoel in 1736; later it was relocated a few times… ›
The Emperor and the Grand Master
1 photo
August 29, 2023
The fragment of the portrait of Emperor Paul I by Vladimir Borovikovsky, 1800. It shows him wearing the robes of the Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller and the collar of the Order. The reason of… ›
The Largest Survived
1 photo
July 30, 2023
Evangelical Lutheran Church In Šilutė. The largest, and the least ravaged of many churches in Lithuania Minor, lutheran church which survived during and after WW2. ›
The Green Cross
1 photo
June 29, 2023
The entrance of Castello Lanzun or Lanzun Tower, the 15th-century fortified farmhouse, Mensija, Malta. The tower is used as the headquarters of the Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of… ›
The Kastell Shape
1 photo
May 29, 2023
The Castello Maniace in Syracuse, Sicily, Italy. This castle was constructed between 1232 and 1240 by the Emperor Frederick II, a launcher of the Sixth Crusade (1228-1229), in the quadrangular … ›
But not Maltese One...
1 photo
April 30, 2023
The mosaic floor detail, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, Italy. The symbol of the Kingdom of Italy and, also, the coat of arms of the House of Savoy, based on a crusader flag, is visible there … ›
The Motifs
1 photo
March 28, 2023
The fresco by Giuseppe Rossi in the cupola of the Church of the Visitation in the monastery of Pažaislis, Kaunas, Lithuania. The monastery was founded in 1664 by the Pac family, one of the most… ›
One Day's Horse Ride
1 photo
January 31, 2023
The map of the medieval Teutonic castles in Poland. As is visible in the picture, the castles were built by the Order a maximum of about 30 km or one day’s horse ride apart, because the Teutonic… ›
St Morris
1 photo
December 30, 2022
The fortified Šiauliai Cathedral, Lithuania. A few interesting facts are related to Šiauliai: battle of Saule between the Livonian Brothers of the Sword and pagan Samogitians and Semigallians was… ›
Jehovah Solatium Meum
1 photo
November 30, 2022
Statue of King Charles IX of Sweden, Gothenburg, Sweden. The king’s, as the founder's of the Order of Jehova (Swedish dynastic order of knighthood), motto "Jehovah solatium meum" (God my comfort) is… ›
The Patron Saints
1 photo
November 04, 2022
Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey of the Order of St Benedict on the mountain Montserrat, Catalonia, Spain. The Abbey was founded in the 11th century and rebuilt later for enshrining the statue of the… ›
The Granary
1 photo
September 29, 2022
The granary in Piekary Street Toruń, Poland. It was constructed in the first half of the 18th century, but this type of multi storey building in Prussia originated from the first granaries which were… ›
The Stronghold
1 photo
August 30, 2022
The model of the Hospitaller or the Knights of St John Compound in Acre in the 13th century, Acre, Israel. The size and the fortification of the compound, which also served as the headquarters for… ›
Power in Bronze
1 photo
July 30, 2022
The main armoury of the Order of St John or The Palace Armoury at the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta, Malta. Bronze cannons, as could be seen in the picture, were lighter than cast or wright iron,… ›
The Resemblance
1 photo
June 28, 2022
The sign of Juodkrantė, Lithuania. In the 19th century, Juodkratė, as fishermen's village on the Curonian Spit which then was a part of the Kingdom of Prussia, was granted a sign with the black cross… ›
A Protective Disguise
1 photo
May 29, 2022
The detail of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt’s armour, Valletta, Malta. The armour suit was made at the beginning of the 17th century and was russeted, etched and gilded to be worn during parades… ›
One of the Three
1 photo
April 29, 2022
The early 12th-century icon of Our Lady of Damascus (the Damascene), Valletta, Malta. It was brought from Rhodes to Malta by the Knights of St John in 1530, together with the icon of Our Lady… ›
The Knightly Vestment
1 photo
March 29, 2022
The fragment of the anon. copy after Antoine Favray’s 18th century painting of Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, Rabat, Malta. The grandmaster is shown with a red, bearing a white cross, sopra… ›
The Blackheads
1 photo
February 27, 2022
The coat of arms of the Blackheads, Riga, Latvia. The Brotherhood of Blackheads represented an association of local merchants and foreigners initially created to defend cities from enemies. This… ›
The Black Cross
1 photo
January 30, 2022
The Black Cross of the Teutonic Knights in the stained-glass window, Cēsis St Johns’ Church, Latvia. From 1237 until 1561, this cross was used as the coat of arms of the Livonian Order. Also, it… ›
The Livonian Predecessor
1 photo
December 28, 2021
The Coat of Arms of The Sword Brothers, the predecessor to the Livonian Order, the Stained-Glass Window in St John's Church, Cēsis, Latvia. This red sword and cross emblem was ceased to use in 1237,… ›
The Knight on the Gate
1 photo
November 29, 2021
The 14th century coat of arms of Cēsis (German: Wenden), the fragment of the 19th century stained-glass window in St John’s Church, Cēsis, Latvia. Since the 13th century the church and the castle of… ›
The Distant Tombstone
1 photo
October 30, 2021
The wooden epitaph, Riga Cathedral, Latvia. It was a tradition of Livonian noblemen, which derived themselves from the Knights of the Livonian Order, to hang such wooden epitaphs with depicted coat… ›
The Rare Vault Decoration (Part 3)
1 photo
September 29, 2021
The fresco of the cross of the Roman Inquisition, which was active in Malta 1561-1798, the Inquisitor's Palace, Birgu, Malta. This palace is one of the very few survived buildings of such purpose in… ›
The Rare Vault Decoration (Part 2)
1 photo
August 30, 2021
The painted ceiling of the Our Lady of Victory Church, Valletta, Malta. The Coats of Arms of Grand Master Ramon Perellós i Rocafull, who commissioned Alessio Erardi to decorate the vault in 1716, are… ›
The Rare Vault Decoration (Part 1)
1 photo
July 29, 2021
The painted vault depicting the life of St John the Baptist by Mattia Preti, St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta. The painter was commissioned to this work by Grand Master of the Order of St John… ›
The Crosses
1 photo
June 28, 2021
The fragment of the Belém Tower or the Tower of Saint Vincent, the 16th century fortification, Lisbon, Portugal. The crosses of the Order of Christ, successor to the Knights Templar Order, are… ›
The Knightly Pursuit
1 photo
May 30, 2021
The fireplace in the 19th century Cesvaine Palace, Latvia. At least since the Middle Ages hunting was the prerogative of nobles in Europe. It was some kind of military training for knights, including… ›
Behind the Names
1 photo
April 30, 2021
The Curonian Spit and the Curonian Lagoon view from Vecekrug Dune, Lithuania. An interesting version of these Spit and Lagoon names origin exists. The Livonian Order by a preliminary agreement with… ›
The Medieval Shield
1 photo
March 29, 2021
The medieval Lithuanian shield reconstruction, Ryn Castle, Poland. The coat of arms of the Grand Master of the Teutonic Order is on the shield not by mistake. Because of the design with the convex… ›
The Silver Gate
1 photo
February 27, 2021
The Silver Gate of the Chapel of Our Lady of Philermos, the Saint John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta. This solid silver gate was not looted by Napoleon Bonaparte's French troops in the 1800ies only… ›
The Churches of St John
1 photo
January 29, 2021
The 15th-16th centuries Church of St John the Baptist in Tomar, Portugal. It is interesting, that churches dedicated to Saint John the Baptist are often located in the former or existing borderlands… ›
The Wooden Castles
1 photo
December 30, 2020
The fragment of the wooden castle reconstruction, Anykščiai, Lithuania. Castles played an important role in the defence of the Lithuania from the Teutonic Order and the Crusaders in the XII-XV… ›
The Rider
1 photo
November 28, 2020
The bas-relief of the mounted Grand Master of the Teutonic order over the Gate to the High Castle, Malbork, Poland. It was installed here during the restoration of Malbork Castle in 1882-1939. Many… ›
One of the Oldest Livonian Order Castles
1 photo
October 29, 2020
Ventspils Castle, Latvia. Probably, the first building in this place was the large, quadrangular tower (a keep, donjon or bergfried), visible in the centre of the picture, built by the Livonian Order… ›
The Gardjola
1 photo
September 30, 2020
The Gardjola (an interesting fortification feature – a watch turret or a small watch tower) of St James Counterguard, built by the Order of St. John in the 17th century, Valletta, Malta. ›
The Grand Masters' Palaces Chapels
1 photo
August 30, 2020
It is noteworthy to say that each knightly Order had the main Order church dedicated to the one of the patron saints of the Order (e.g. St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta or St Mary's church in… ›
The Largest Cannon
1 photo
July 31, 2020
The Armstrong 100-ton gun, the largest muzzle loading cannon in English history, with the range of 8 miles at Fort Rinella, Malta. Two guns of such type were delivered to Malta and two to Gibraltar… ›
The Rood Cross
1 photo
June 29, 2020
The interior of the 14th century Archcathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Andrew in Frombork, Poland. The rood cross (the crucifix) or the triumphal cross hanging… ›
The Renaissance Footprint
1 photo
May 29, 2020
Norviliškės Castle, built in the 16th century, also the former Franciscan Monastery, Lithuania. The castle, gate tower and other buildings once formed a defensive Renaissance complex with a yard in… ›
The Most Towering Building Once Was...
1 photo
April 27, 2020
The view of Tallinn’s Old Town, Estonia. St Olaf’s Church (in the centre of the photo) was built presumably in the 12th century. Supposedly it was the most towering building in the world in the 16th… ›
To Control and Defend
1 photo
March 28, 2020
The fragment of the Poland map with Ryn town in the centre. The town is located between Ryn and Ołów Lakes and accommodates Ryn Castle, the second biggest 14th century Teutonic Order’s castle (after… ›
A Medieval Toilet
1 photo
February 28, 2020
Dansker towers of Teutonic Order castles in Poland. A Dansker is a medieval toilet facility housed in a tower over a stream or river. It is interesting that danskers, built in the 13th century, have… ›
A Red Cross Resembling a Sword
1 photo, cross
January 29, 2020
The painting of Saint James the Greater and Saint Clare, National Palace of Sintra, Portugal. The Spanish Order’s of Santiago and the Portugese Order’s of St James of the Sword, which owe their names… ›
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