X Republic of Monte Cristo

                    A Most Colorful History

The island of Montecristo (as it is spelled by the locals) lies only 40 miles off the Italian coast in the Tuscan National Archipelago Park, nearest Grosseto on the mainland.  The Archipelago, often called the "Seven Sisters", includes islands; Giglio, Giannutri, Capraia, Gorgona, Pianosa and the largest, Elba, in addition to Montecristo. The term derives from mythological fable. As Tyrrhenian Venus rose from the sea her diadem of pearls spilled out onto the waves, laying seed the formation of the seven legendary islands.

Monte Cristo was well known in ancient times, called Artemesia by the Greeks and Oglanda- Mons Jovis by the Romans. The Etruscans established vast mining industries on neighbor, Elba. By the 5th Century Anno Domini, repeated Vandal attacks in Southern Italy and Sicily sent Saint Mamiliano, Bishop of Palermo, along with some followers in search of safe refuge. He led them to safety and sanctuary on the island of Montecristo, as most Italians spell it, after failure in Sardinia.

Local mythology suggests that on the site where Saint Mamiliano encountered a dragon there now is a fresh water spring feeding life to native vegetation and wildlife. In thanks to God, the Saint and followers founded the Monestary of Monte Cristo, which then and forever lent name to the island, and the Republic. The Saint now rests in St. Matthew's Church of Pisa.

By the mid-1500s, while most of Europe was celebrating the Renaissance and the New World adventures of Cortez,  the island had become a refuge and base for Mediterranean pirates and pirate-knights (privateers). Repeatedly Italian nobles and the Church tried to restore order and military rule on the island. However, finally their efforts proved failure as the island became the home for two of the most famous pirates of the age; Red Beard and Dragut. Local legend still maintains that Dragut stashed a vast horde of hidden treasure in one of the islands secret grottos, where it still awaits some lucky fortune hunter.

Truely, Monte Cristo has had its own unique brand of founding fathers;

Red Beard: Born Aruj (often spelled Aroudj) in 1474, and nicknamed "Barborossa" meaning Red Beard, because of his firey locks and scruff, he was one of four Greek Albanian brothers who would turn boucanier, the French word for pirate, and from whence English derives the word buccaneer. Along with his younger brother, Keri-din, they were known as the Barbarossa Brothers, and founded the famed Corsair brotherhood of Barbary Coast pirates, operating in the western Mediterranean until the mid 19th Century. Preying mostly on Spanish shipping, he gradually incresed his fleet to 12 galleons and 1,000 men, sacking cities and towns from Morocco to the Adriatic. He even captured Pope Julius II private ship, returning it on ransom. It was Red Beard who spotted the potential of Monte Cristo as a safe haven for pirates, with its secret grottos and rugged coast. After being killed in battle, 1518, Keri-din took over the family business and was even appointed a privateer and Admiral to the Turkish Navy in 1530, with a fleet of 40 ships. Unlike his elder brother, he played safe by retiring with his six captured wives and loot, and dying peacefully in bed 1546.

Dragut: Serving as gunner, pilot and later second in command to the Barbarossa Brothers was a young strapping lad from the Cappadocia region of Anatolia, named Turgut Rais to the Corsairs, but to history simply as Dragut. As with the Barbarossa Brothers, he made Monte Cristo home. In 1538 he battled Genoan Admiral Andrea Doria off Corsica, eventually driving him back to Italy, achieving fame and control of the western seas. His raids would cover most of Sicily, Kingdom of Naples and North Africa. He scored major victories by capturing Capri, Castle Nuovo on the Dalmatian Coast (Croatia) in the Adriatic, and an Italian Galley, La Catarinetta, with 7,000 gold Scudi ! In Corsica he was later captured and spent 4 years as a prisoner before being freed by Keri-din Barbarossa, assuming sole command of the pirates in 1546 and capturing all of Tunisia. After losing a battle near Gerba, Dragut miraculouly escaped by dragging his ships overland across a small inlet on greased logs and eventually reached Constantinople. He rapidly returned west and captured the island of Gozo, and began a siege of sister island Malta, headquarters of the famous Christian Order, the Knights of St. John, which would prove unsuccessful. 

By 1558 he would capture Tripoli and extend his raids past the Straits of Gibralter, onto the open Atlantic, and even around the Spanish Canary Islands. The last major stronghold yet to fall to Dragut in the Mediterranean was still Malta. Dragut assured his men this attempt would be different, saying "I'll smoke out the nest of vipers".  His opposing number that hazy 18 May, 1865, from among the Knights was thier elderly Grand Master Jean de la Valette. To take Malta meant taking three key forts defending her approach; St Elmo, St Angelo and St Michael. Despite a month long defence, and the rain of Greek fire down upon attackers, St Elmo was captured. As Dragut was supervising the construction of siege weapons, a stray shot of artillery from St Angelo exploded nearby, knocking him unconsious. Malta would not fall. But, this is where legend and history part.  The legend is that Dragut's wounds were fatal, that he was covered with a blanket and carried from the scene by a Turkish General, Mustafa, and later died. The history, the true history, was that Dragut was taken in by Knights from the fortress. There in the mightly Malta that had frustrated his every attempt at capture, Dragut was nursed back to health by the Knights. By the time he left the island, a year later, Dragut had secretly become a Knight himself, uniting the brotherhoods. Please see our special section below on the History of the Knights of St John! He returned to his old headquarters, Monte Cristo, where it is said he stashed his lifetimes spoils, and lived out his days in quite solitude. The famed Monte Cristo flag, with red Cross, dates back to this period.

The Dutchmen & Ward: Two of the greatest Monte Cristo pirates were of Dutch origin; De Veenboer, commanding an entire fleet in 1617 and Jan Janszoom van Haarlem, his longtime collegue. Many a Monte Cristan has donned the orange in their memory. Both served for a time as privateers, a "royal commissioned" pirate, to the Turkish Sultan, but then became renegades, or "moriscos". It is believed that it was these fellows who gave rise to the English word "freebooter", which comes from the Dutch word "vrijbuiter". A giant fleet under Admiral Michiel de Ruyter failed to capture them. Likewise, eluding capture, would be a Monte Cristo pirate of English origin, known to most as Yussuf Rais, a name he adopted to hide out in North Africa for a time, but actually one John Ward, rising up through the ranks of His Majesty's Royal Navy. By 1605 however, he commanded a pirate fleet causing havoc with Venetian shipping in the Mediterranean. It is said of Ward that he was short, stocky, bald and never spoke - unless it was to swear. He is also the first of his profession to earn the description "swashbuckler" from a frustrated admirer in the Royal Navy. Could Errol Flynn have made such a splash in pirate movies if he was a five foot, bald, grumpy old man? Ward may have! Below is the original "Flying Dutchman" ship of De Veenboer.

With the defeat of the Corsair pirates by American Admiral Stephen Decatur at Tripoli, from whence derives the phrase in the Marine Corps anthem, "to the shores of Tripoli", at the beginning of the 19th Century, the age of the buccaneer drew to a close, and so did a great chapter in the history of Monte Cristo. For further reading on some of our founders, try; The Life of Barbarossa, Bradford Ernle 1968 or Corsairs of Malta, Earle Peter or Story of the Barbary Corsairs Lane-Poole Stanley 1896.

Actually, the island itself would be unkown to most of the world if not for attracting the attention of a young French novelist in 1842, who happened by on a private yacht. Its remoteness, isolation and untamed natural beauty, emitting the scents of wild oleander, thyme and resin enchanted Alexandre Dumas. He was treated to the fantastic lore and tales of the islands buccaneer history. It is not surprising that Dumas would encorporate elements of these tales in his Magnum Opus, "The Count of Monte Cristo".

Over the years there have been numerous film versions of the great tale and adventure of Edmond Dantes, the main character. Of late, popular versions have been made featuring French filmaker and star, Gerard Depardieau, and actor Guy Pearce (star of L.A. Confidential).

For much of the 14th to 19th Centuries the island would be little more than a hunting reserve for the King, thus assuring the prestine state of the islands environment today. In a little known event following his exile to our neighboring island of Elba in 1814, Napolean Bonaparte met with friends, brothers and families of the famed but long deceased pirates Red Beard and Dragut at his villa not far from modern Portoferraio. He agreed to decree the independence of Montecristo to the brotherhood should he return to power in France. He did of course, but war and the never ending tumult that is European politics, along with a rule of only a hundred days would prevent the establishment of a permanent government based on the Emperor's proclamation. This would change at the turn of the 20th Century.

In the late 1890s Greece was struggling to free itself from the shackles of Ottoman Turk rule. They would get assistance from an unlikely source. Living in exile from their native land, the decendents of pirate/privateers Red Beard and Dragut would reorganize to advance the brotherhood cause, not only for Monte Cristo, but also their Orthodox cousins on the Greek Isles. Meeting in a small cafe in the town of Fira, on Santorini, or Thera as the Greeks call it, the brotherhoods of East and West signed a pact that would culminate in Greek Independence only a few years later. Sadly, the struggle for Monte Cristo continues to this day.

Today Monte Cristo is an environmentally protected island, well tended by the Italian Government, and witnessing less than 1,000 visitors per year. While maintaining hopes of eventual recognition by Italy and other governments, the Provisional Revolutionary Government of Monte Cristo in-exile, composed of direct descendents of Red Beard and Dragut, fights to protect the environment of the long independent minded, unrecognised and essentially unpopulated island Republic.

Monte Cristos, as citizens are known, live around the world and can participate in their nation's government via this newly established website. We welcome you home!

XThe Knights of St John: Upon his conversion and admission to the Knights in 1565 at Malta, Dragut fused together two of the most famed brotherhoods in history, the Brotherhoods of the Coast, buccaneers all, and the religious military order of the Knights of St John (aka Knights Hospitaller of Rhodes and Malta and/or the Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem). This order, which still exists and even mints its own coins today, is known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. Did you ever see the Maltese Falcon with Bogie? Yep, that was about these guys, kind of. In 1999 I was treated to a long stay at their grand fortress on Rhodes, please say Rodos, the largest fortress in the eastern Mediterranean!

Founding: In 600 AD Abbott Probus was commissioned by Pope Gregory the Great to build a hostel in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims to the Holy Lands. In 800 AD Charlemagne expanded the hostel and added a library. However, in 1005 the Caliph El Hakim had it destroyed.  In 1023 Italian merchants were given permission by Caliph Haroun el Raschid of Egypt to rebuild at the site of St John the Baptist Monestary operated by Benedictine Brothers.

By a papal bull of Pope Paschal II in 1113, Frenchman Gerrard "the Blessed" was assigned the task of officially founding the monastic hospitaller order, quickly amassing a sizeable sum from the Kingdom of Jerusalem, including land. His successor, Raymond du Puy of Provence built an infirmary near Holy Sepulchre Church, and began to provide armed escort to pilgrims in addition to hospital care. This small escort would grow into the most formidable force of the period when they were combined with the Knights Templar around 1119. Eventually they would be divided into military and non-military branches. They answered only to the Pope himself! They came to own 140 estates and 7 great fortresses, the largest being Krak des Chevaliers and Margat near Tripoli. The order was divided into priories, bailiwicks and commanderies.

Knights at Rodos: After the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, the knights would eventually retreat to Tripoli, then to Cyprus by 1291. Concerned over involvement with local politics, the Grand Master, Guillaume de Villaret, decided to acquire a more secure home on Rodos. In 1309 Fulkes de Villaret captured the island for the knights. They also captured the island of Bodrum, a childhood home to Dragut himself. When Vatican politics led to the official dissolution of the Templars in 1312, much of their holdings passed to the Hospitallers. The mightly fortress at Rodos was divided into "8 Tongues" or communities of knights; Provence, Auvergne, French, Italian, German, Aragon, Castile and English. After capturing Constaninople in 1453 and killing Emperor Constantine, Turkish Sultan Mehment II made them his prime target. In 1522 his successor, Sultan Sulieman, captured the island with 200,000 men after a 6 month siege. The knights retreated to Sicily.

Knights at Malta: In 1530 the knights were granted a new home by a diplomatic agreement between Pope Clement VIII, Austrian Emperor Charles V and the King of Sicily. Their annual rent would be one Maltese Falcon, a live one, on All Souls Day, to the Viceroy of Sicily. When the Turkish Sultan decided to attack the knights in their new lobode, he would call on the services of the greatest pirate of the age, Dragut. After the wounding and capture of Dragut, the Turks retreated in disorder, losing 30,000 men. In the Grand Masters Palace one can see magnificent frescoes by Matteo Perez d'Aleccio about the famed and pivitol battle at Valletta, Malta. When the 1571 Battle of Lepanto saw Don Juan de Austria destroy the Turkish fleet, the knights were finally secure.

The rise of Protestantism on the Continent hurt the order. In 1540 their property in England was confiscated by the Crown. Many Scottish knights saught refuge with the French Langue of the order. In 1577 the Bailiwick of Brandenburg turned Lutheran, falling into the lap of the Prussian Crown in 1812. Surprisingly, the knights always had a strong presence in the Russian Imperial Navy and likewise in the French Navy, the order being given the island of St Kitts, under brother De Poincy in 1639. Before his death in 1660 he would add St Croix to the knights holdings. In 1798 while en route to Egypt, Napoleon Bonatparte stopped at Malta for resupply. After some discourse with the Grand Master, Ferdinand von Hompesch, he decided to boot the knights from their long-time home on Malta.

A sympathizer, and new de facto Grand Master of the Order, Tzar Paul I of Russia, offered the knights safe harbor at St Petersburg until his murder in 1801. Over 90% of the orders income was generated by the Russian Grand Priory by 1810. The weakened state of the order after the Tzar's murder resulted in no Grand Master being appointed by the Pope 1805-1879, but restored by Pope Leo XIII. The order moved to modest facilities in Rome 1834, where they remain to date. In 1888 Queen Victoria would grant a Royal Charter to the British branch of the knights, reforming as the Most Venerable Order of St John.

Sovereign Military Order of Malta: Today their full name is Sovrano Militaire Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme di Rodi e di Malta.  However, they are usually referred to as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM) and are indeed a sovereign entity recognized with observer status at the United Nations, and have two headquarters, one at Palazzo Malta in Via dei Condotti 68, where the Grand Master resides, and the Villa Malta on the Aventine, which hosts the Embassy of the Order to the Holy See and the Embassy of the Order to Italy. SMOM has formal diplomatic relations with 93 countries, and official recognition with 6, and the International Red Cross. They issue passports, license plates, stamps and coins. Until recently they used the Scudi, but appear moving to the Euro. Their head of state is the Grand Master, elected by the Council Complete of State. The legistative body is the Chapter General. The current Grand Master, elected 1988 is Andrew Bertie.

The Russian branch of the Knights became an Imperial Order by decree of Alexander I in 1810, similar to the German Johannine Order tradition, with hereditary commanders. In 1917 the knights fled into exile with the remnants of the White Government, establishing themselves at Paris from 1928 to 1977. Today they are based in New York City under Grand Prior Count Nicolas Bobrinskoy. Similar royal branches exist in Sweden, England and Holland.

    Count Bobrinskoy.  Bertie with food aid shipment.

Famous Grand Masters: The office of Grand Master comes with its own unique mystique, and was usually held by persons of great charisma, pinache and military skill. This came with the job requirements. The vast percentage of Grand Masters have been of French ancestry, but the list is still a very ecclectic one. Some of the more renound include; Gerrard the Blessed (1099-1120), Raymond du Puy de Provence (1120-1160), Fernandez de Heredia (1376-1396), Giovanni Orsini (1467-1476), Philippe de isle-Adam (1521-1534), Tzar Paul I of Russia (1798-1801) and Andrew Bertie (1888-present). Below is Grand Master and Knights with new Pope Benedict.