He was Grand Master of the Order of Malta: the Palais Lascaris dedicates its exhibition to the Castellarois... Jean-Paul de Lascaris

Nec me fulgura. Even lightning cannot strike me. Castellar has made this motto its own. But what is sometimes overlooked is that it was originally associated with the Lascaris family. One prominent member (born in the village) was Grand Master of the Order of Malta . On the occasion of the Biennale of Arts and the Ocean , organized in all the museums of Nice, the Palais Lascaris is dedicating an exhibition to him until November 3. Castellarois Jean-Paul Lascaris is becoming a common thread to address the link between Nice, Malta and the Mediterranean.

Order founded in the 11th century

The director of the Palais Lascaris, Elsa Puharré, has been working on this exhibition since her arrival in 2021. The goal is simple: to revisit the history and identity of the site. This is in line with the work on Malta conducted by Charles Astro in 2000. To achieve this, the heritage curator partnered with two academics: Anne Brogini, a professor of modern history specializing in chivalry, and Germain Butaud, a lecturer in medieval history and an expert in genealogy.

"The exhibition was planned for the summer of 2024. But when the biennial project was confirmed, it seemed logical to us to integrate it into the program. There is nothing more Mediterranean than this subject," she emphasizes. Aware that the Palais Lascaris proposal is the most historical of all. The challenge is to present the figure of Jean-Paul Lascaris, but also to explain what a Knight of Malta is.

A brief reminder. Formerly known as the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, the order was founded in the 11th century. The knights initially settled in Rhodes, from which they were later expelled. Charles V then gave them Malta. The order is particularly known for the Sacra Infermeria, a hospital ward built on the island in the 16th century. Each patient is separated by a curtain, with their own chamber pot and personal silverware. The kings of hygiene before their time...

"To become a knight, one had to demonstrate nobility. A (paid) investigation was therefore conducted to ensure this. The young men then had to choose between a maritime, administrative, religious, or hospital career." With a mandatory passage through the maritime hut, a sea "caravan" being obligatory for all. Jean-Paul Lascaris, for his part, married them all.

Extensive genealogical research undertaken as part of the exhibition has also shed light on the Lascaris family. The first mention of which dates back to the 11th century. "Over time, it split into five branches - several of which died out. The one that interests us, and to which Jean-Paul Lascaris belongs, is that of Ventimiglia." The latter gained power in the 13th century. This was notably thanks to Eudoxie de Lascaris, a Byzantine princess who married Count Guillaume Pierre de Ventimiglia, enabling a strategic alliance between two great houses. But, unusually, it is the woman's name that is preserved.

"Thanks to the Grand Master, the family coat of arms recovered a crown, a Maltese cross, as well as an eagle known in heraldry as a quartered eagle. It was the Duchy of Savoy that installed great families here. Lascaris-Vintimille was considered the most eminent of the Nice nobility by Charles Emmanuel III, Duke of Savoy," explains Elsa Puharré. "Jean-Paul placed his beloved nephew, Jean-Baptiste. It was he who began work on the Palais Lascaris, rue Droite, even though it would be finished by his son. But today, we can say that the building was largely financed by the Grand Master's money."

In office for 21 years

In office from 1636 to 1657, Jean-Paul Lascaris had one of the longest reigns among the Grand Masters. Helped by a late death... at the age of 94! Having become a Knight of Malta at the age of 20, he held various positions before reaching the firmament: grain commissioner (1615), galley captain (1625-1627), ambassador to the King of Spain (1633), bailiff of Manosque (1634). As Grand Master, he is known for having participated in the fortification of the island of Malta and Valletta. There is also a Lascaris Quay named in his honor. Very pious, he also worked to ensure that the Order welcomed the poor, the sick, and orphans, and helped them reintegrate into society by teaching them a trade.

Jean-Paul Lascaris is also remembered in the form of a Maltese expression: "wiċċ Laskri." Literally: the face of Lascaris, to speak of someone austere. And for good reason: he had notably limited the participation of women in the carnival... The superb copy of his portrait and his bronze bust exhibited at the Palais Lascaris leave little doubt about the great master's character, not given to jokes.

From room to room, visitors will discover a myriad of objects and works inviting them to delve into the history of this family. And into the great History in which they were a key player. Between the writings of the great master and a small reconstructed armory—including, in particular, articulated Ottoman gloves and a very rare breastplate—between maps of Malta and maritime scenes illustrating the battles against the Ottomans. Among them, a painting depicting the seventh galley—financed by Jean-Paul Lascaris, before disappearing in the 18th century.

Two rooms will remain

Visitors will also marvel at a naval chest and the sculpted prow of a ship. They will glimpse life on such ships thanks to a sextant, a compass, a spyglass, lamps, and pipes. They will examine a book listing the rules of chivalry, and another describing each grand master. They will imagine paying with coins bearing the image of Jean-Paul Lascaris. They will read the first mention of his surname in a manuscript. Not forgetting to admire his coat of arms on a slate lintel and a stone from Castellar. It should be noted that two rooms created for the exhibition are intended to become permanent. The Palace will thus have definitively reconnected with its origins.

Many loans

To mount this exhibition, a remarkable team effort was carried out internally, all with a shared ambition: to refine the identity of the Palais Lascaris. But this event is also the result of a wonderful history of exchanges between institutions and museums. Thanks to meetings with prominent Maltese figures, unique loans were made possible. This was thanks, among other things, to Heritage Malta, the organization that manages all the island's museums.

The Palais Lascaris was also able to count on some very fine loans from national museums: the Maritime Museum in Paris, the museums of Besançon and Épernay. But also from local ones: the Masséna and Fine Arts Museums in Nice, the Palais de Carnolès and the Prehistory Museum in Menton (in addition to the Drasm repository), the Castre Museum in Cannes, the town hall of Grasse, the archives of the Prince's Palace and the Naval Museum of Monaco... Books from the national library with a regional vocation are also presented. While one work even comes from the Louvre. For all these establishments, the opportunity was a great one to bring little-known works out of storage.