The Knights Hospitaller, also known as the Order of St. John or Knights of Malta, were a medieval Catholic military order founded around 1048 in Jerusalem to care for pilgrims, evolving into a formidable military force during the Crusades, with key strongholds in Jerusalem, Rhodes, and Malta until 1798. Their iconic symbol, the eight-pointed Maltese cross, adorned their swords and shields, which were both practical and symbolic. Early Hospitaller swords, like the Type XI, were designed for mounted combat with simple, durable blades, while later examples from the 16th century, such as those used during the Great Siege of Malta (1565), featured intricate hilts and ceremonial designs, reflecting the order's prestige. Shields, often wooden with metal reinforcements, bore the Maltese cross or a silver cross on a red field, serving as both defensive tools and emblems of the order's identity across their storied history.