(June 8, 2017) Venice, a millennial republic, and the Order of Malta,an Order of Knights: two fates that have been intertwined for centuries and who together head towards an almost natural end - a definitive end for the republic of Venice, whereas for the Order, which had the strength to survive, it was only momentary – due to the evolution modern centralist states and the end of the Ancient Regime. This will be the topic in Cape Town during the presentation of the book "The Cross and the Lion" (La Croce e il Leone), about relations between the Republic of Venice and the Order of Malta, by historian Luigi Robuschi on June 26th at 17:30 at "St Mary's Cathedral Leslie Johnson Memorial Centre" on Bouquet Street. The conference was organised by the Italian Institute of Culture of Pretoria in collaboration with the Italian Consulate of Cape Town. Robuschi, a modern Venetian history scholar, is a lecturer at the Department of Italian Studies at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. (Red)

THE BOOK

In this volume, the secular and complex relationship between the Republic of Venice and the Order of Malta is analysed through documentation from the Archives of the Grand Priory of Lombardy and Venice of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. The study of these unpublished sources has allowed us to explore the different types of relations these two institutions instilled not only within the Mediterranean basin, but also in Veneto's mainland where commandries belonging to the Order were located. Long-term analysis has revealed a constant dialogue - including frequent rifts and misunderstandings - through which two of the major Mediterranean aristocratic republics developed military alliances, commercial and financial interests, finally achieving an understanding and recognition of each other.