The Order of Saint Agatha (Italian: Ordine Equestre di Sant'Agata) is a State order established on 5 June 1923 by the Grand and General Council of the Republic of San Marino. It is named after Saint Agatha, on whose feast day 5 February, Pope Clement XII reestablished the sovereignty of the republic in 1740.[2]

Order of Saint Agatha
Grand Officer grade of the Order.
TypeState order
Country San Marino
Awarded forCharitable work in the service of the Republic.
GrandmasterCaptains Regent
SecretarySecretary for Foreign Affairs
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of San Marino


The order is presented to foreign nationals who have positively contributed charitable and other services for the benefit of the republic deserving of recognition.

The award is conferred by the Grand and General Council on the proposal of the Most Excellent Regency of the Republic of San Marino. It has 5 ranks: Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Knight.[3]

The badge of the order is a golden cross enamelled in white. It is charged on one side with a round golden shield bearing the effigy of Saint Agatha and includes the inscription Sant'Agata Prottetrice (Saint Agatha Protector). On the other side is written the epigraph Bene Merenti (to a well-deserving person). The cross is hung on a ribbon with five stripes of white, crimson and yellow.[4]

The Order of San Marino is the next higher in order of precedence.

Grades

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The order is presented in five ranks:[2]

  1. Knight of Grand Cross (Cavaliere Gran Croce)
  2. Knight Grand Officer (Cavaliere Grande Ufficiale)
  3. Knight Major Officer or Commander (Cavaliere Ufficiale Maggiore o Commendatore)
  4. Knight Officer (Cavaliere Ufficiale)
  5. Knight (Cavaliere)
Ribbon bars of the Order of Saint Agatha
 
Knight
 
Officer
 
Commander
 
Grand Officer
 
Grand Cross

Recipients

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Order of St. Agatha Grand Cross badge.
 
Order of St. Agatha Grand Cross star.
 
Order of St. Agatha Grand Cross set.

Prominent people who have been awarded the Order of Saint Agatha[5]

Year of award Recipient
Prince Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel
  ItalyPietro Gasparri[6]
  ItalyDino Grandi[7]
  ItalyGiovanni Marinelli
  ItalyGiulio Onesti[8]
  BelgiumRobert Rothschild[9]
1925   United StatesEdgar Erskine Hume[10]
1932   Vatican CityPope Paul VI
1934   United KingdomEdward VII[11]
1934   United KingdomEdward VIII[12]
1935 Jagatjit Singh[13]
1937   United KingdomEdmund Vivian Gabriel[14]
1944   United StatesCharles Poletti[15]
1946   United StatesJuvenal P. Marchisio
1948   ItalyGiulio Andreotti
1937   FranceValery Larbaud
1956   United StatesAvery Brundage[16]
1956   United KingdomSir John Wilson, 2nd Baronet
1958   ItalyGiovanni Spadolini
1958   FranceVincent Delpuech
1958   BelgiumRoger Motz
1958   BelgiumLucien Cooremans[17]
2002   ItalyDario Fo[18]
2010   MonacoAlbert II, Prince of Monaco[19]
2012   ItalySophia Loren[20]
2013   South KoreaBan Ki-moon[21]
2019   RussiaSergey Lavrov[22]
2020   United KingdomTheresa May[23]
2020   United KingdomJeremy Hunt[23]
2021   United Kingdom/  LebanonNadey Hakim[24]
2021   United KingdomAndrew Rosindell[25]
2021   United KingdomGeorge Holmes[26]
2022   United KingdomLisa Cameron[27]
2023   United KingdomSheryll Murray[28]

Design

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The Orders design is made up of a white-enamelled cross backed by a green-enamelled wreath of oak and laurel leaves. The central disc bears a painted image of Saint Agatha, the Orders namesake, surrounded by a white-enamelled ring. The ring bears the words; "SANT AGATA PROTETTRICE" (Saint Agatha Protector), while the bottom has a gold laurel wreath. The reverse of the badge shows a gold representation of the Coat of Arms of San Marino, surrounded by the Orders motto: Bene Merenti.

The ribbon of the Order is actually the colours of the flag of San Marino, used between 1465 and 1797.[29] The ribbon is made up of the three colours, with a larger field of burgundy in the center, edged with smaller bands of white and orange on both sides.


References

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  1. ^ Robertson, Megan C. "San Marino: Order of St Agatha". Medals of the World. Retrieved 3 December 2012.
  2. ^ a b Hieronymussen, Paul (1967). Orders and Decorations of Europe in Color. New York: Macmillan. p. 233.
  3. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  4. ^ "Ordine Sant'Agata". Ordini Vaticani. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  5. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 28 February 2021.
  6. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  7. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  8. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  9. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  10. ^ Brockman, William Everett (1994). "Early American history : Hume and allied families". Internet Archive. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  11. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 21 February 2021.
  12. ^ "Edward VIII 1894-1972 (Duke of Windsor)". Encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  13. ^ "Jagatjit Singh". Panjpedia. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  14. ^ "Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria". DNW. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
  15. ^ "Charles W. Poletti papers, 1920-1991 bulk 1923-1970". Columbia University Libraries. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  16. ^ "Avery Brundage Collection" (PDF). University Library, University of Illinois. Retrieved 11 January 2021.
  17. ^ "The Equestrian Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  18. ^ "13 ottobre 2016: un anno senza Dario Fo". RTV San Marino (in Italian). 12 October 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Visit by Prince Albert II to San Marino". Palais Princier de Monaco. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  20. ^ "Sophia Loren Cavaliere Grand'Ufficiale dell'Ordine Equestre di Sant'Agata. Coi Reggenti". Libertas (in Italian). 9 December 2012. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  21. ^ "Top UN official visits San Marino at start of five-nation European tour". UN News. 31 March 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  22. ^ {https://tass.ru/politika/6243737?
  23. ^ a b "San Marino awards the Order of Saint Agatha to two UK prominent persons". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
  24. ^ Hakim, Nadey (14 October 2021). "Cavaliere Professor Nadey Hakim receives the Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of San Marino. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  25. ^ Rosindell, Andrew. "Cavaliere Andrew Rosindell MP receives the Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of San Marino. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  26. ^ Holmes, George (14 October 2021). "Cavaliere Commendatore Professor George Holmes DL receives the Order of Saint Agatha". Consulate of San Marino. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  27. ^ "San Marino celebrates a new Knight of the Order of St Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. 24 October 2022. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  28. ^ "Congratulations to the newest Knights of the Order of St Agatha". Consulate of the Republic of San Marino to the UK. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  29. ^ "San Marino - Historical Flags". www.fotw.info. Retrieved 2022-02-26.
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