Fra Giovanni Francesco Ricasoli (died 26 July 1673) was a Florentine knight within the Langue of Italy[1] of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem. He held several commands within the Order's navy, and is mostly known for being the namesake of Fort Ricasoli.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/Fortification_and_lighthouse_of_Valletta_Malta_2014_1.jpg/220px-Fortification_and_lighthouse_of_Valletta_Malta_2014_1.jpg)
Ricasoli joined the Order of St. John in December 1618, as a page to Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. In December 1640, he was given command of a galley within the Order's navy, and he commanded a number of other ships over the course of his career. He was involved in naval battles against the Barbary pirates and the Ottoman Empire a number of times, including during the Fifth Ottoman–Venetian War. Ricasoli became a Knight Grand Cross in June 1661.[2]
In 1670, Ricasoli contributed 20,000 scudi for the construction of a fort near the entrance of Malta's Grand Harbour, which was named Fort Ricasoli in his honour. The fort was completed in 1698, and it cost over 100,000 scudi to build.[3]
Ricasoli died on 26 July 1673.[4] He is buried at St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta.[5]
References
edit- ^ Bonnici, Hermann (2004–2007). "Fort Ricasoli" (PDF). Arx – Online Journal of Military Architecture and Fortification (1–4): 33. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2015. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
- ^ Damiani, Roberto. "Ricasoli Giovanni Francesco". corsaridelmediterraneo.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 28 December 2015.
- ^ Castillo, Dennis Angelo (2006). The Maltese Cross: A Strategic History of Malta. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 85. ISBN 9780313323294.
- ^ Denaro, Victor F. (1958). "Houses in Merchants Street, Valletta" (PDF). Melita Historica. 2 (3): 165. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
- ^ "Tomb 16 in St Johns Co Cathedral". St. John's Co-Cathedral. Retrieved 28 December 2015.