Ordine costantiniano di San Giorgio (Napoli)

The Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George is a religious order of chivalry conferred by, most recently, the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.

Legend has it that the Order was founded by Emperor Constantine, who established it after his victory over Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, a success achieved through divine favor, manifested by the appearance in the sky of a cross accompanied by the inscription “In hoc signo vinces.” The Order’s actual origins, however, are linked to the Angelos Flavius family, a Catholic dynasty in the Balkans in the 16th century.

The Order aims to glorify the cross, spread the Catholic faith and defend the Roman Apostolic Church, to which it is closely linked. Indeed, a necessary condition for becoming a member of the Order is professing the Roman Catholic faith. The Order also aims to make its greatest contribution through action and activity to the two major works of a distinctly social nature: hospital care and charitable assistance.

Since 1960, following the death of Ferdinand Pius of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, the Order has been disputed, as has the role of head of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies.