Giovanni Paolo Lascaris
| Giovanni Paolo Lascaris | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Grand Master of the Order of Saint John | |
|
In office 16 June 1636 – 14 August 1657 |
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| Monarch | King Philip III |
| Preceded by | Antoine de Paule |
| Succeeded by | Martin de Redin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 June 1560 |
| Died |
14 August 1657 (aged 97) Malta |
| Resting place | St. John's Co-Cathedral |
| Profession | Grandmaster of the Knights of St. John |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Order of Saint John
|
Giovanni Paolo Lascaris di Ventimiglia e Castellar (28 June 1560 – 14 August 1657) was an Italian nobleman and Grand Master of the Knights of Malta.
Lascaris was born on 28 June 1560, the second son of Giannetto Lascaris and his wife Franceschetta di Agostino Lascaris of the ancient family of the Counts of Ventimiglia, related to the Lascaris who were emperors of the Byzantine Nicaean Empire.
In 1584, he entered the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. As a member of the order he lived for over thirty years in a priory and was responsible for a range of monastic functions. He was put in charge of the order's grain supplies and later, in 1615, the order's furnaces across the island. He comported himself well and was promoted to master of the "St Anthony" prison.
In 1632 he was sent as ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain.
On the death of Grand Master Antoine de Paule, there were three candidates for election as Grand Master; Lascaris, Signorino Gattinara (about whom little is known) and Martin de Redin. Inquisitor Fabio Chigi (later Pope Alexander VII) attended as representative of Pope Urban VIII. Failing to secure enough votes for his own election, de Redin encouraged his supporters to instead side with Lascaris. On 16 June 1636, Lascaris was elected Grand Master of the Order of Malta, a position he held until his death.
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