The little-known Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell, UK, tells the remarkable story of the Knights Hospitaller and includes exhibits from the time the Order spent in Malta.

The museum is to benefit from an earmarked Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £1,533,000 and approved development funding of £128,800 that will open up its remarkable collections to the public.

Surviving on the site of the once great 12th century Priory of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, the museum tells the remarkable story of the Knights Hospitaller, or the Knights of Malta, who fashioned a distinctive blend of religion, military might and the care of the sick.

Today the order is best known through the work of their beneficiaries, the St John Ambulance. The collections are extremely varied, covering all aspects of the history of the Order founded in the 11th century and operating in most European countries.

There are archaeological finds, architectural fragments and social history material relating to the Priory site; seals and numismatics, including an important collection of crusader coins; arms and armour, mainly European plated armour but also an example of Turkish Ottoman mail; drug jars, mortars and weights from the Hospitallers’ pharmacy in Malta; decorative arts (portrait medals, ceramics, glass, silver, furniture, jewellery, insignia, textiles, ecclesiastical vestments) reflecting the tastes of the European aristocratic families who joined the Order and became significant patrons of the arts.

The painting collection includes religious art, particularly images of the patron saint of the Order, St John the Baptist, portraits of Grand Masters, knights and clergy, landscapes and seascapes depicting naval battles, and views of Malta; prints and drawings include topographical views and maps showing the famous fortifications on their island homes, as well as prints of the English Priory and the surrounding area of Clerkenwell.