Page:A History of the Knights of Malta, or the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.djvu/341

Rh “The style of architecture throughout the street is an interesting modification of the modern Gothic. The escutcheons are generally set in a richly-sculptured ogee arch. Most of the windows are square-headed, with labels and upright mullions, while the pointed arch is constantly employed in the doorways. In the rich and fantastic ornaments we recognize the Flamboyant style so generally prevalent in Europe in the fifteenth century, but these ornaments are but sparingly introduced, so as not to disturb the noble simplicity of the general design. In all the edifices built by the knights at Rhodes we see the same tendency to temper the stern and naked ruggedness of military masonry, as far as possible, with rich ornaments, such as we generally find associated with ecclesiastical architecture. No fitter symbol could have been adopted than this mixed style, to express the character of an Order at once military and religious. The last building on the south side of the street is the hospital of the knights. This is a large square edifice, with a very simple external façade. The entrance is under a kind of vestibule facing the east. The original doors, which were of Cyprus wood, richly carved, were given to the prince de Joinville on the occasion of his visit to Rhodes. On either side are large vaults, now used as warehouses. The inside is a quadrangle, supported on vaults, above which are open arcades, formed of round arches resting on pillars. Adjoining the arcades are four long rooms, corresponding with the four sides of the quadrangle. These saloons and the open galleries are covered with a roof of Cyprus wood, in very fine condition. The four rooms were evidently for the sick, and the open galleries for the convalescent to walk in. In one of the vaulted magazines in the basement the chain which served to close the entrance to the harbour was formerly kept, and was seen by Ross in his visit in 1843. He describes it as 750 feet in length, each link being 1 foot long. Since his visit it has been removed to Constantinople. The hospital was commenced by Villeneuve, and completed by the Grand-Master Fluvian, and seems to have been well planned for its purpose.”

Such were the leading features of the Castello, so far as they can be judged from what still exists. We will now