Order of Saint Lazarus

A crusader order known for caring for lepers and sick knights during the Crusades. They maintained houses and influence in parts of Aragón and Catalonia.

The Order of Saint Lazarus was a unique military-religious order that combined the duties of caring for lepers with the martial obligations of a crusading order. Founded around 1119 in Jerusalem, the order initially operated a leper hospital outside the walls of the Holy City.

What set the Lazarites apart was their extraordinary tradition of accepting knights who had contracted leprosy — a disease that forced other orders to expel afflicted members. These knights, despite their illness, continued to fight in battle, earning a fearsome reputation for their utter disregard for death.

In Spain, the Order of Saint Lazarus maintained houses and hospices in Aragón and Catalonia, where they continued their mission of caring for lepers and the sick. While never as powerful as the Templars or Hospitallers, the Lazarites represented one of the most compassionate expressions of medieval chivalry, combining the martial valor of a military order with genuine humanitarian purpose.

Where the order was active

• aragon
• catalonia