During the rule of the Order of Saint John in Malta from 1530 to 1798, books and learning occupied an important place within Hospitaller life. The Knights included educated noblemen from across Europe, many of whom assembled collections devoted to medicine, science, theology, history and military engineering. Together, these works reflected the Order’s position not only as a religious and military institution, but also as a centre of intellectual and cultural life.

The origins of the National Library of Malta can be traced to Fra Louis Guérin de Tencin, a French Knight of the Order and an enthusiastic bibliophile. Before his death in 1766, he bequeathed his remarkable personal collection of approximately 9,700 books to the Order, on the condition that it should be made available for public use. At a time when access to books and libraries remained limited, this represented an important contribution to the advancement of public learning in Malta.

In 1776, under the rule of Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc, the collection was formally established as the Bibliotheca Publica, or Public Library. As its holdings continued to expand through further donations and acquisitions, the Order commissioned a purpose-built home for the growing collection. Designed by the Polish-born Italian architect Stefano Ittar, the elegant neoclassical building in Valletta was completed in 1796, just two years before the Order’s rule came to an end following the French invasion of Malta.

Today, the National Library of Malta preserves an extraordinary collection of material from the Hospitaller period. Its holdings include official records of the Order, rare manuscripts, historic maps and early printed books. These priceless collections provide an enduring record of Malta’s political, religious, cultural and intellectual development during nearly 270 years of rule by the Order of Saint John.

The library remains one of the most significant legacies of the Hospitaller era, preserving not only the written history of the Order, but also its enduring commitment to scholarship, knowledge and public learning.