Nicolás Cotoner
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Nicolás Cotoner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Grand Master of the Order of Saint John | |
| In office 23 October 1663 – 29 April 1680 | |
| Monarchs | King Philip III King Charles II |
| Preceded by | Raphael Cotoner |
| Succeeded by | Gregorio Carafa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1608 Mallorca,Aragon(modernSpain) |
| Died | 29 April 1680 Malta |
| Resting place | St. John's Co-Cathedral |
| Alma mater | House of Cotoner |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Order of Saint John |
Fra'Nicolás Cotoner y de Oleza(Catalan:Nicolau Cotoner i d'Olesa;1608,Mallorca– 29 April 1680,Malta) was a Catalan knight of Crown of Aragon who served as the 61stPrinceandGrand Masterof theOrder of Malta,between 1663 and 1680. He was the son of Marc Antoni Cotoner i de Santmartí and brother of the previous Grandmaster,Rafael Cotoner.[1]
In 1669, after thefall of Candia,Nicolas Cotoner improved thefortifications of Maltadue to fears of an Ottoman attack. He funded the construction of theCottonera Lines,which were named in his honour. The lines could accommodate up to 40,000 people in case of an invasion.[2]Cotoner's reign also saw the construction ofFort Ricasoliand various modifications to theFloriana Lines.
A strategist and a diplomatic, he greatly increased the prestige of the order, mainly in France, Venice and England. In 1674 funded in Malta a school of Anatomy and Medicine as an annex of theSacra Infermeria.He drew up (in Italian) the constitutions and estatutes of the order (1674).
Nicolas Cotoner continued the work on the redecoration ofSt. John's Co-Cathedralcommenced by his brother, Rafael, and much of the splendour of the Cathedral occurred during his reign including the decoration of the vault painted by the Calabrian artistMattia Pretias well as much of the carving and gilding of most of the walls.
He died on 29 April 1680 and is buried in the Chapel of Aragon in the Co-Cathedral. He was succeeded by FraGregorio Carafa.
The sepulchral monument to Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner, located prominently to the right side of the main altar in the chapel of the langue of Aragon in St John's Co-Cathedral, was produced byDomenico Guidiand is one of the most prominent and beautiful monuments in the Cathedral. The remarkable Cotoner monument consists of a pyramidal distribution of figures with a central grouping of triumphal paraphernalia such as arms and trophies which surround the bronze gilded bust of the Grand Master. Above a cherub holds the Cotoner armorial shield whilst the allegory of Fame blows a trumpet in triumph. The sepulchral monument was assembled in the chapel in June 1686.[3]
References[edit]
- ^Richards, Brian (2008).Malta(5 ed.). New Holland Publishers. p. 65.ISBN978-1-84537-871-4.
- ^"Birgu's Fortifications".Birgu Local Council.Archived fromthe originalon 26 June 2015.Retrieved24 July2015.
- ^"The Nicolas Cotoner Monument".St. John's Co-Cathedral.Archived fromthe originalon 24 July 2015.Retrieved24 July2015.
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