From the New York Times Travel section:
"Nicholas de Piro doesn’t look like a warrior monk. As the bespectacled
grandfather padded around his 16th-century palazzo, pointing out
curiosities like a gilded sedan chair and silver medical tools, he
appeared more likely to offer me a cup of tea than slay anyone in the
name of Christ. And yet that is the sort of thing Mr. de Piro’s order,
the Knights of Malta (officially the Sovereign Hospitaller Order of the
Knights of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta), were known
for in their heyday. Drawn from the most noble families of Europe, they
left their homelands, took vows of chastity and obedience and dedicated
themselves to fighting infidels. The order no longer wages war, focusing
instead on caring for the sick and poor. Until I arrived at Mr. de
Piro’s doorstep on the Mediterranean island-nation of Malta, though, I’d
had no idea that the Knights of Malta still existed.
The history of Malta — actually an archipelago that includes three
inhabited islands, just 50 miles south of Sicily — is peppered with
violence and disorder. Today, though, it is hard to find a corner of the
country that doesn’t feel peaceful and safe. Its crystal-clear,
intensely blue waters make for some of the best snorkeling and scuba
diving in Europe, while its beaches, rocky coves, arid hills and warm
weather have long attracted northern neighbors in search of cheap
sunshine. And yet not even 2 percent of visitors come from the United
States. If you have seen it recently, it was probably in its role as a
Hollywood stand-in for places like Athens (“Munich”) and Jerusalem
(“World War Z”)"
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