This morning, the Order of Malta’s Grand Master, Fra’ John Dunlap, participated in the presentation of the new edition of “De Europa” by Enea Silvio Piccolomini, the 210th head of the Catholic Church with the name of Pope Pius II, living in the first half of the 15th century.

The event, organized by the Order of Malta’s Ambassador to the Holy See, Antonio Zanardi Landi, took place at Casa Litta – Palazzo Orsini, the Embassy’s seat. Also present were the Grand Chancellor, Riccardo Paternò di Montecupo, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, and Giuliano Amato, former Italian Prime Minister.

Europe – understood as a Christian continent, as a human and historical and not only geographical entity – is the idea on which Piccolomini, considered one of the most important humanists of his time, based all his works. In this context, the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, now of Malta, was for many centuries an integral and not secondary part of that Europe taking shape under the eyes of Enea Silvio Piccolomini.