Philibert de Naillac

Philibert de Naillac was the 34ème large Master Hospitaliers of Midsummer's Day of Jerusalem of 1396 to its death, in 1421.

In a difficult context, Philibert de Naillac managed to reorganize the Order of the Hospital, weakened since 1352, and seriously tested by the consequences of the crisis of papacy, like by the policy of its predecessor to magistère, Juan Fernàndez de Heredia, large Master of 1377 to 1396.

Language of Auvergne to that of France

Philibert de Naillac was probably born, at an unknown date, the castle of Bridiers, located at the borders of the Poitou, Berry, Marche and the Limousin, or with that of the Blanc (current Indre). His/her father, Périchon de Naillac, were was indeed Viscount of Bridiers (one of the seven Viscounts of Poitou), lord of Naillac, the Blanc, and Gargilesse.

Admitted like knight in the Language of Auvergne, he will be successively commander of Paulhac (current Creuse), and baillif of Lureuil (current Indre) before 1374. Rather exceptional fact, the Hospital ones of the priory of Aquitaine will elect it at their head in 1390, and Naillac will thus leave the language of Auvergne for that of France, to which the province of Aquitaine belonged.

The disaster of Nicopolis (1396)

In 1396, Naillac, with many tops French lords and a troop of a few tens of Hospital, had joined the army of the king Sigismond of Hungary, it even reinforced by strong quotas of various European Christian nations (England, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, Bohemia, etc). On the whole between 90 and 100.000 men who go to the meeting of the Othoman army, strong it also of approximately 100.000 men, ordered by the Bajazet sultan. The two armies fight on September 25th around Nicopolis (today Nikopol, in Bulgaria), on banks of the the Danube. Initially, the weapons appear favorable to the Christians, who put out of combat nearly 30.000 Turks, but they end up running up, in the greatest disorder (the indiscipline of the French knights is not foreign there) with the army corps ordered by Bajazet in person, which secures soon the top. The army of Sigismond, its side, is taken with part by the Christian troops of the Serb body of the despot Etienne Lazarévitch, brother-in-law and combined of Bajazet. The Christian defeat is announced. It is transformed into rout by the desertion from the Wallachian and Transylvanian elements, which did not take share with the combat.

Bajazet, drunk of revenge because of the losses undergone by its army in the beginnings of the battle, will not make a district with overcome. Only the high lords will be saved whose Othomans will be able to draw a strong ransom.

Before the rout is not consumed, close entourage of Sigismond, among which Naillac and some Hospital, had convinced the king to flee. They will manage to gain the shores of the Black Sea, then Constantinople. It is there that Naillac will learn its election like large Master. He then joined Rhodos, which he reaches at the beginning of January 1397.

The resumption in hand of the Order

The new large Master must face a true crisis of the Order, which puts in danger its unit and even its future. He will get busy to find there remedies with much energy.

Contrary to its predecessor, who had taken the party of the popes of Avignon, Naillac will hold the Order with regard to the quarrels " great schism of Occident". It had been encouraged there by the general chapter, which had met, in its absence, to elect it with Rhodos, far from any Roman political influence or inhabitant of Avignon.

It starts by joining together a sum of 30.000 ducats gold to pay the ransoms of various prisoners of Nicopolis, reinforces defenses of the city of Rhodos and the islands of the archipelago, and continuous to engage the Order in what it regards as its essential mission: the fight against the " infidèles" Othomans. It contributes thus, at the sides of the marshal of Boucicaut, in 1399 to release Constantinople, besieged by Bajazet.

In 1402, Tamerlan is presented in minor Asia. Bajazet, supported by the Serb forces of Etienne Lazarévitch, goes to his meeting, but their troops undergo a disaster without precedent in the area of Ankara (July 20th, 1402). Tamerlan moves then towards the Mediterranean coast; it besieges and removes Smyrna, possession of the Hospital ones. When Tamerlan, at the conclusion of its raid meurtier in the west, is turned over in its steppes, the Hospital ones will occupy, on the southern part of minor Asia, the site of old the Halicarnasse, where they will build the Château Saint-Pierre

In 1403, Naillac accompanies, with a detachment the Hospital ones, the Boucicaut marshal, then governor of Genoa, in a forwarding against the Egyptian Mamelouks with Raising. The French army corps unloads on the coast, with Tripoli. Prevented by charitable Vénitiens, which thinks of their trade, the Mamelukes await them. They brought a powerful army, strong of 15.000 men of which about the half of riders, which will however be beaten with punts seams. Tripoli and Beirut is taken and plundered in August. The Christian troops give up attacking Saïda, defended by 30.000 Egyptians, and re-embarks. October 27th, 1403, Hospital and Mamelukes will sign a fragile peace treaty, which will however actually be broken only under magistère of Jean de Lastic in 1440. Among work which Naillac makes achieve at that time to improve the fortifications of Rhodos, the powerful tower appears bearing its name, which dominated the portOn very clearly sees it on the left part of engraving opposite Rhodos representative about 1490. The tower, dominating the port, is flanked of four turrets.

The diplomacy

In February 1409, Naillac leaves Rhodos for Europe, where it inlassablement will plead the cause of the Order and will negotiate between the courses of Rome and Avignon. It is in Aix-en-Provence that it joins together the general chapter of the Order, on April 19th, 1410. One tackles basic problems there: the rule, the discipline, finances (in the difficult context of the moment, the commanderies and priories sent nothing any more but irregularly to Rhodos their " responsions" or obligatory financial participations), as well as the relations of the Order with the papacy, of which the crisis, known under the name of " great schism of Occident" , reached its paroxysm then. Naillac will endeavor thereafter to convince the successive and rival popes of the need for not intervening more in the businesses of the Order by naming their faithful respective to the head of commanderies or priories. He undertakes then a long tour near the European monarchs to plead the cause of the Order. He makes his voyages profitable to visit to it quasi totality of the commanderies in Europe, exceptional and probably single step on behalf of a large Master. This long stay does not prevent it following the businesses of Rhodos and from giving its instructions by correspondence or via dignitaries operations managers.

July 9th, 1420, it finds Rhodos, where it will die the following year. It leaves a renovated Order, with a restored discipline, restored finances, defenses of the city and fortified towns of the archipelago reinforced. It is not any doubt, like it writes Delaville Roulx, that its magistère occupies " a place exceptionnelle" in the history of the Hospital ones: without this large Master, skilful diplomatic, courageous combatant, advised administrator and without weaknesses, it is probable that the Order would have sunk in the movements of the crisis of papacy.

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