The reign of the Knights Hospitaller in Malta ended with the arrival of Napoleon in 1798. As a consequence, the order was left without territory, the Knights of Malta dispersed throughout Europe. The order was restored in 1834 under the new name the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. They established headquarters in Rome, Italy, where the Order still owns two buildings, Palazzo Malta and Villa Malta, which were granted extraterritoriality by the Italian government. This means that these buildings are not governed by Italian law, but the Order’s laws apply.
Palazzo Malta in the center of Rome is the residence of the Order's Grand Master. Villa Malta on the Aventine Hill is the seat of the government of the Sovereign Order of Malta and the Order's embassy to Italy. These places cannot be visited, but nevertheless the square at Villa Malta, Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta, attracts tourists. Curious, we also went there to look "through the keyhole". After 45 minutes wait time, our turn came. Looking through a small opening in the gate, you could see a path lined with trimmed cypresses. At the end of the path, we saw the dome of Saint Peter's Basilica in the distance.
