News
Death of the Grand Master
With profound regret, the Grand Magistry announces the death of His Most Eminent Highness the Prince and 80th Grand Master Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto, which took place in Rome few minutes after midnight on 29 April, following an incurable disease diagnosed a few months ago. According to article 17 of the Constitution of the Sovereign Order of Malta, the Grand Commander Fra’ Ruy Gonçalo do Valle Peixoto de Villas Boas has assumed the functions of Lieutenant ad interim and will remain head of the Sovereign Order until the election of the new Grand Master.
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Profile of Fra' Giacomo Dalla Torre
Fra’ Giacomo was born 1944 in Rome. He graduated in Humanities from the University of Rome, specialising in Christian Archeology and History of Art. He took up academic posts at the Pontifical Urbaniana Institute, teaching classical Greek.
He was also Chief Librarian and Archivist for the Institute’s important collections and has published a range of essays and articles on aspects of medieval art history.
He became a member of the Sovereign Order in 1985 and took his Solemn Vows in 1993. From 1994-1999 he was Grand Prior of Lombardy and Venice and from 1999 to 2004, a member of the Sovereign Council.
At the Chapter General of 2004 he was elected Grand Commander of the Order and on the death of the 78th Grand Master, Fra’ Andrew Bertie, he became the Lieutenant ad interim. From 2008 to 2017 Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre held the post of Grand Prior of Rome. He was elected Lieutenant of the Grand Master by the Council Complete of State which took place on 29 April 2017, a position he kept until his election to Grand Master on 2nd May 2018.
A man of great spirituality and human warmth, Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto always personally assisted the disadvantaged, serving meals to rough sleepers in the Termini and Tiburtina railways stations in Rome. He participated in numerous Order of Malta international pilgrimages to Lourdes and national ones to Loreto and Assisi. He showed great joy in taking part in the Order’s international summer camps for young disabled people where he was greeted with great affection by the young volunteers and guests.
As Grand Master, Fra’ Giacomo Dalla Torre carried out numerous official and state journeys. Only last January he made a state visit to Benin and in July last to Cameroon. More recently, he travelled to Germany, Slovenia and Bulgaria for meetings with their respective authorities. During these journeys he always made a point of visiting the Order’s social-health facilities to greet personally both the staff and the patients.
A marked humanity and a profound dedication to charitable works have always inspired the 80th Grand Master of the Sovereign Order of Malta, who will be remembered by all who knew him for his human qualities and his cordial and affectionate manner.
