Malta: Grand Masters of the Order: 1530-1601
The Grand Master (Magnus Magister) of the Order was elected for life. Upon his death, the statutes (stabilimenta) of the Order prescribed the election of a Lieutenant of the Vacant Magisterium (Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis), who served until the electoral assembly convened to elect a new Grand Master and chose a Praeceptor electionis to preside over the proceedings. Normally, following the proclamation of election, the Grand Master-elect would take the oath of office. If absent, however, the assembly elected a Lieutenant of the Absent Grand Master (Locumtenens absentis Magni Magistri) to serve until the arrival and swearing-in of the elected incumbent.
| Magnus Magister | |
| 13 Nov 1530 - 21 Aug 1534 | Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
election: 22 Jan 1521 (in Rhodes); landed in Malta (near the present city of Birgu): 26 Oct 1530; ceremony of enfeoffment of Malta (outside Mdina, also known as Città Notabile): 13 Nov 1530; end of tenure: 21 Aug 1534 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 24 Aug 1534 - 26 Aug 1534 | Jean de Boniface
election: 24 Aug 1534; end of tenure: 26 Aug 1534 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Locumtenens absentis Magni Magistri | |
| 27 Aug 1534 - 10 Nov 1534 | Jean de Boniface
election: 27 Aug 1534 (acting for the absent Grand Master del Ponte); end of tenure: 10 Nov 1534 (arrival and swearing-in of Grand Master del Ponte) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 10 Nov 1534 - 17 Nov 1535 | Pierino di Antonio Giovanni del Ponte
election: 26 Aug 1534 (in absentia); arrival and swearing-in: 10 Nov 1534; end of tenure: 17 Nov 1535 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 19 Nov 1535 - 22 Nov 1535 | Jacques de Pelloquin
election: 19 Nov 1535; end of tenure: 22 Nov 1535 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Locumtenens absentis Magni Magistri | |
| 23 Nov 1535 - 21 Jan 1538 | Jacques de Pelloquin
[1]
election: 23 Nov 1535 (acting for the absent Grand Master de Saint-Jaille); election: 21 Oct 1536 (acting for the absent Grand Master de Omedes); end of tenure: 21 Jan 1538 (arrival and swearing-in of Grand Master de Omedes) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 21 Jan 1538 - 6 Sep 1553 | Johan de Omedes i Coscón
election: 20 Oct 1536 (in absentia); arrival and swearing-in: 21 Jan 1538; end of tenure: 6 Sep 1553 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 7 Sep 1553 - 11 Sep 1553 | Claudi (Claude) de Gruel de la Bourelh
election: 7 Sep 1553; end of tenure: 11 Sep 1553 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Locumtenens absentis Magni Magistri | |
| 12 Sep 1553 - 2 Jan 1554 | Claudi (Claude) de Gruel de la Bourelh
election: 12 Sep 1553; end of tenure: 2 Jan 1554 (arrival and swearing-in of Grand Master de la Sengle) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 2 Jan 1554 - 18 Aug 1557 | Claude de la Sengle [2]
election: 11 Sep 1553 (in absentia); arrival: 1 Jan 1554; swearing-in: 2 Jan 1554; end of tenure: 18 Aug 1557 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 19 Aug 1557 - 21 Aug 1557 | Jean de Valetta, dit de Parisot
election: 19 Aug 1557; end of tenure: 21 Aug 1557 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 21 Aug 1557 - 21 Aug 1568 | Jean de Valetta, dit de Parisot
election and swearing-in: 21 Aug 1557; end of tenure: 21 Aug 1568 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 22 Aug 1568 - 23 Aug 1568 | Claude de Glandèves
election: 22 Aug 1568; end of tenure: 23 Aug 1568 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 23 Aug 1568 - 27 Jan 1572 | Pietro di Francesco di Monte [3]
original name: Pietro di Francesco Guidalotti Ciocchi; election and swearing-in: 23 Aug 1568; end of tenure: 27 Jan 1572 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 29 Jan 1572 - 30 Jan 1572 | François de Panisses
elected: 29 Jan 1572; end of tenure: 30 Jan 1572 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 30 Jan 1572 - 6 Jul 1581 | Jean Levesque de la Cassière [4]
election and swearing-in: 30 Jan 1572; end of tenure: 6 Jul 1581 (effectively deposed) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii | |
| 6 Jul 1581 - 11 Sep 1581 | Mathurin d'Aux-Lescout, dit de Romegas
election: 6 Jul 1581; end of tenure: 11 Sep 1581 (resigned) |
| Nuntius et Vicarius Apostolicus | |
| 11 Sep 1581 - 12 Jan 1582 | Gaspare Visconti [5]
appointed: 8 Aug 1581 (by a littera apostolica); commencement of tenure: 11 Sep 1581 (littera apostolica is presented to the Council of the Order in Malta); end of tenure: 12 Jan 1582 (election of Grand Master Loubenx) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 12 Jan 1582 - 4 May 1595 | Hugo de Loubenx de Verdala (Hugues de Loubens de Verdalle)
title: cardinal (from 18 Dec 1587); election and swearing-in: 12 Jan 1587; end of tenure: 4 May 1595 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 6 May 1595 - 8 May 1595 | Esteve (Esteban) Claramonte
election and swearing-in: 6 May 1595; end of tenure: 8 May 1595 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
| Magnus Magister | |
| 8 May 1595 - 7 Feb 1601 | Martín Garcés
election and swearing-in: 8 May 1595; end of tenure: 7 Feb 1601 (died) |
| Locumtenens Magisterii vacantis | |
| 9 Feb 1601 - 10 Feb 1601 | Jacques du Blot Viviers
election and swearing-in: 9 Feb 1601; end of tenure: 10 Feb 1601 (election of praeceptor electionis) |
- Acting for the absent Grand Masters: 1) Didier de Saint-Jaille, dit Tholon, who was elected in absentia on 22 Nov 1535, but never took office, dying in Montpellier, France, on 26 Sep 1536; 2) Johan de Omedes i Coscón, who was elected in absentia on 20 Oct 1536 and took office on 21 Jan 1538.
- Sengle arrived by ship at St. Paul's Bay on 1 Jan 1554, where he was received by the dignitaries of the Order. He proceeded to Birgu and took the oath of office on 2 Jan 1554.
- The record of Monte's death in the Liber Conciliorum is unusually brief and undated, but it appears immediately before the entry for the Council held on 28 Jan 1572, during which—following customary practice—the seals of the late Grand Master were destroyed. The timing of the Council convened for that purpose, along with details concerning Monte's death found in Pozzo's work, suggest that he died on 27 Jan 1572.
- Levesque was effectively deposed when the Council elected Romegas as Locum tenens on 6 Jul 1581 and subsequently ordered the Grand Master's detention on 8 Jul 1581. Levesque was imprisoned from 11 Jul 1581 to 11 Sep 1581, when he was released by order of the papal nuncio Visconti who, however, did not reinstate the Grand Master to office, instead arranging his travel to Rome for a papal audience. Levesque departed Malta on 25 Sep 1581 and remained in Rome until his death on 21 Dec 1581.
- Visconti was appointed by a papal littera apostolica issued by command of Gregorius XIII and authorized to investigate the deposition of Levesque, acting as envoy extraordinary with powers "to govern everything" ("il tutto gouerni").