Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim
Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, O.S.I. was the 71st Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, formally the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, by then better known as the Knights of Malta. He was the first German elected to the office. It was under his rule that the Order lost the island of Malta to France, after ruling there since 1530. This effectively marked the end of their sovereignty over an independent state, dating from the time of the Crusades.
Hompesch Gate in the city of Żabbar.
A 30 Tarì coin of Ferdinand, dated 1798.
Żabbar, also known as Città Hompesch, is a city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is the seventh largest city in the country, with an estimated population of 15,648 as of January 2021. Originally a part of Żejtun, Żabbar was granted the title of Città Hompesch by the last of the Grand Masters of the Order of St. John to reign in Malta, Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim.
Sanctuary Street, leading to the Żabbar Parish Church
Hompesch Gate
Cannonball still lodged in the façade of a house in Żabbar.
Parish Church of Our Lady of Grace, Żabbar