The Order of St John and Female Monasteries in Malta

From its early years, the Order of St John has included women within its branches. While

separate from the military role of the hospitaller knights and relatively limited in number, the

female religious houses associated with the Order formed a valued part of its mission. They

existed across different regions of Europe, including in Spain, France and Italy in a variety of

forms. 

The Order established two religious houses for women in Malta in the late 1500s – St