Living on the Aventine Hill, I’m always fascinated by the hundreds of people who come to the Piazza dei Cavalieri di Malta to peer through the keyhole to see three countries: the Sovereign State of the Order of Malta; the Italian Republic; and the Vatican City, crowned by Michelangelo’s majestic dome.
Few of them will know much about the work of the Order of Malta and its 13,000 members. Even fewer will know that the Grand Priory’s church lies hidden behind the walls, a small masterpiece designed by Piranesi.
