By Emanuel Magro Conti,
Liam Gauci and Gianluca Falzon

A concise naval history of the Order of St John at Malta, described in ten artefacts from the Malta Maritime Museum.

The oil painting of the Carrack Santa Maria

Upon their arrival in Malta in October 1530, the Order of St. John had two Carracks, the Santa Maria and the Sant` Anna, the envy of all European and North African navies. The painting at the Maritime Museum is an early 19th century copy after a lost original, presumed to depict the entry of the Santa Maria in Malta’s Grand Harbour on 26 October 1530.

The Santa Maria was originally the most feared of all Muslim naval units, the Mograbina (Queen of the Seas), built in the late 15th century. It was captured by the Order’s fleet under the command of Fra Limoges by a single volley of cannon shot, killing its Egyptian commanders. The Mograbina reached Rodos Harbour on 13 September 1507 and was eventually renamed the Santa Maria, becoming the Order’s flagship, and thus conveyed the new Grand Master to Rhodes. Her bows were higher than the mast of the largest galleys, with a massive mast requiring six men to embrace. Apart from her sailors, 2,000 soldiers defended the Santa Maria, which mounted around 100 guns.

The Santa Maria survived the Siege of Rhodes of 1522 and was used to evacuate the most precious and coveted of the Order’s treasures. On 1 January 1523, with Grand Master L`Isle Adam on board, the carrack, together with other vessels, left Rhodes and roamed the Mediterranean in search of a new home for the Order.

A new carrack, the Sant Anna, was meanwhile being built at Nice. It was launched at approximately the same time the Order lost Rhodes. Both carracks were able to carry most of the Order’s men, possessions and provisions to Malta in October 1530.

Armament was retained on the Santa Maria whilst moored next to Fort St. Angelo. It was also used as a store and slave prison. The Santa Maria met its end on 5 October 1531 when a slave boy playing with some black powder ignited a spark that spread towards the powder magazine on board. A tremendous explosion ensued, which physically lifted its upper deck. With the blazing heat, loaded cannons fired at random causing havoc. To eliminate further damage, it was decided to open fire on the Santa Maria. The Santa Maria sank slowly to the bottom of Galley Creek where she still lies.

When the Santa Maria sank, the Order still had one of the finest ships afloat in the world, the Sant` Anna. The vessel boasted a large chapel, comfortable knights’ quarters, stern galleries with small gardens of citrus trees and an on-board bakery, which provided the crew with fresh daily bread, something that no other vessel of the time could claim. When her sails were unfurled, Fort St. Angelo was hidden from vision.

Armed with 50 cannons, she could repel a 50-strong galley squadron. Her lead sheeted hull was never pierced by the enemy’s cannon and on firing her cannons, the earth trembled. At La Golletta in Tunis in July 1535, with just one broadside under the command of Fra Antonio de Grolée, La Goletta’s walls crumbled to the jubilation of the combined Christian fleet of the Papal States, Spain and the Order. This was one of many victories the Santa Anna achieved during her service.

Due to financial restrictions, in 1540, the Order’s Chapter General decided to decommission the carrack which was left to rot in Galley Creek. Eventually, the once most formidable carrack of her time was broken up for her wood with some components, such as sculpture and painted panels, salvaged as works of art.