One of the many heraldic symbols decorating the city walls of Rhodes. This one is located on the Gate of Saint Athanasios; the Order of St. John for the knights of the Province of England was responsible for defending this section of the walls.
The bas-relief depicts the coat of arms of Pierre d'Aubusson (of House Damas), 40th Grand Master of the Knights of Saint John in the years 1476-1503. D'Aubusson successfully commanded the defense of Rhodes during the Great Siege in 1480 (visit link) .
"The Gate of St Athanasios was built between 1441 and 1442. It is also known to locals as Saint Francis Gate since the church of Saint Francis of Assisi, built by the Italians, is just outside the gate. The round tower of Saint Mary that controlled the entrance to the gate was built in 1441 by the Grand Master Jean de Lastic
According to the Turkish tradition the troops of the conqueror Suleiman the Magnificent entered Rhodes through this gate. The gate was closed by the sultan who wished to avoid that any other conqueror could pass after him. Probably the door was closed by the Hospitallers for security reasons. It was re-opened by the Italians in 1922 during the 400th anniversary of the conquest of Rhodes by the Ottomans."
SOURCE - (visit link)
"Pierre d'Aubusson (1423 – 3 July 1503) was a Grand Master of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, and a zealous opponent of the Ottoman Empire.
Pierre probably joined the Knights of Saint John in 1444 or 1445, and then left for Rhodes.
Pierre d'Aubusson was born in the castle of Le Monteil (today: Le Monteil-au-Vicomte, in the French department of Creuse), the fifth son of Jean d'Aubusson. His older brother Antoine had a brilliant career serving Charles VII and Louis XI, and the other three brothers became bishops.
The alleged story of his youth to 1444, which has appeared in print since the 17th century, is unreliable. It derives from the fertile imagination of R.P. Dominique Bouhours, a Jesuit who published a biography of Pierre d'Aubusson (Paris, Mabre-Cramoisy, 1677) at the behest of Marshall d'Aubusson-La Feuillade.
Pierre d'Aubusson was elected "Grand Prior" of the "Langue d'Auvergne" in early 1476. In June 1476, he was elected Grand Master of the Order, having been a very close associate of a previous Grand Master, Raymond Zacosta, and responsible for the repair and modernization of the fortifications of the city of Rhodes, the other castles of the Order on the islands of the Dodecanese, and the Château Saint Pierre (formerly Halicarnasse, today Bodrum, Turkey).
Siege of Rhodes -
Sultan Mehmed II began to threaten Europe. In May 1480 a large Ottoman fleet appeared before Rhodes, carrying an invading army of some 100,000 men under the command of Mesih Pasha (originally a Greek by the name of Michael Palaiologos who had converted to Islam after the conquest of Constantinople by the Turks).
The Knights were reinforced from France by 500 knights and 2000 soldiers under d'Aubusson's brother Antoine. The siege lasted until August. After three unsuccessful attempts against the city, the Turkish force was compelled to withdraw, leaving behind them 9000 dead. The siege, in which d'Aubusson was wounded three times, enhanced his renown throughout Europe.
Sultan Mehmed was furious and would have attacked the island again but for his death in 1481. His succession was disputed between his sons Bayezid and Cem. The latter, after his defeat by Bayezid, sought refuge at Rhodes under a safe-conduct from the Grand Master and the General Convent of the Order.
Rhodes not being considered secure, Cem with his own consent was sent to Bourganeuf in France where he was kept under the guard of Guy de Blanchefort, Pierre d'Aubusson's nephew.
D'Aubusson accepted an annuity of 45,000 ducats from Bayezid II, in return for which he undertook to guard Cem in such a way as to prevent him from appealing to the Christian powers to aid him against his brother.
D'Aubusson's reward was a Cardinal's hat (1489) and the power to confer all benefices connected with the order without the sanction of the papacy. In addition, the Order of St. John received the assets of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, which was merged into the Order of St. John, and a number of Italian commandries of the Knights of St. Lazarus.
The remaining years of his life d'Aubusson spent attempting to restore discipline and zeal in his Order and to organize a grand crusade against the Turks. The age of the Renaissance, with Rodrigo Borgia on the throne of St. Peter, was, however, not favourable to such an enterprise.
The death of Cem in 1495 had removed the most formidable weapon available against the Sultan. And when in 1501 d'Aubusson led an expedition against Mytilene, dissension among his motley host rendered this enterprise wholly abortive. His last years were embittered by chagrin at his failure, which was hardly compensated by his success in extirpating Judaism in Rhodes, by expelling all adult Jews and forcibly baptizing their children."
SOURCE - (visit link)
Ref - (Visit Link) The Life of the Renowned Peter D'Aubusson, Grand Master of Rhodes - G. Wells, and S. Carr, 1679
Éna apó ta pollá eraldiká sýmvola pou diakosmoún ta teíchi tis pólis tis Ródou. Aftó vrísketai stin Pýli tou Agíou Athanasíou. to Tágma tou Agíou Ioánni gia tous ippótes tis eparchías tis Anglías ítan ypéfthyno gia tin yperáspisi aftoú tou tmímatos ton teichón.
To anáglyfo apeikonízei to oikósimo tou Pierre d'Aubusson (tou House Damas), 40ou Megálou Didaskálou ton Ippotón tou Agíou Ioánni sta chrónia 1476-1503. O D'Aubusson diétaxe me epitychía tin yperáspisi tis Ródou katá ti diárkeia tis Megális Poliorkías to 1480
"O Pier nt’ Ompisón (galliká: Pierre d'Aubusson, 1423 - 1503) ítan mégas mágistros ton Ioannitón Ippotón. Diakríthike kyríos gia tin epitychí yperáspisi tis Ródou katá tin poliorkía tou 1480 apó ta othomaniká stratévmata
Viografía -
Genníthike to 1423 sto Montéig o Vikónt tis kentrikís Gallías kai katagótan apó istorikí oikogéneia evgenón. Ítan to pémpto tékno tou Renó nt' Ompisón kai tis Margarítas de Rochechouart. Schetiká me tin paidikí tou ilikía den ypárchoun axiópistes anaforés. Féretai na eisílthe sto tágma ton Ioannitón gýro sto 1450 kai metá apó arketá chrónia ypiresías katá ta opoía anélave diáfores théseis, anakirýchtike stis 8 Iouníou tou 1476 os o tessarakostós mégas mágistros ton ippotón tis Ródou
Ton Máio tou 1480 igíthike tis ámynas tis Ródou katá ti diárkeia tis poliorkías apó ischyrés othomanikés dynámeis ypó tous pasádes Mesích kai Gedík Achmét. I poliorkía diírkise méchri ton Ávgousto tou ídiou étous kai vríke nikités tous Ioannítes, gegonós pou prosédose megáles timés ston nt' Ompisón, o opoíos málista travmatístike sovará katá ti diárkeia ton machón. Amésos metá tin apósyrsi ton othomanikón dynámeon, merímnise gia tin anoikodómisi tis pólis kai ton ochyróseon. To 1489 cheirotoníthike kardinálios exasfalízontas málista peraitéro pronómia gia to ippotikó tou tágma enó to 1495 anakirýchtike apó ton pápa Aléxandro ST' archistrátigos mias endechómenis ekstrateías enantíon tis Othomanikís Aftokratorías an kai oi Ioannítes ippótes vrískontan apó to 1482 ( chroniá pou o diekdikitís tou othomanikoú thrónou Tzem Soultán katéfyge sti Ródo metá tin ítta apó ton adelfó tou Vagiazít V?, o opoíos sti synécheia katévale sevastó chrimatikó posó gia na apotrapeí i epánodos tou adelfoú tou sta othomaniká edáfi ) se eiríni me tin Othomanikí Aftokratoría, i opoía ananeóthike to 1497 me apotélesma na min symmetáschoun anoiktá ston V' Venetotourkikó pólemo. Katá ti diárkeia tis thiteías tou, prochórise se ektetaménes dióxeis enantíon tis evraïkís koinótitas tis Ródou.
Péthane stis 3 Ioulíou tou 1503 sti Ródo kai tháftike se mafsoleío entós tou naoú tou Agíou Ioánni Vaptistí. O táfos tou nt' Ompisón katastráfike líga chrónia argótera, katá tin katáktisi tis Ródou apó tous Othomanoús"
PIGI - (Sýndesi epískepsis)