The Order of Hospitallers of Saint James of Altopascio also called the Knights of the Tau, in Italian Ordine dei Frati Cavalieri Ospedalieri di San Giacomo d'Altopascio was a catholic monastic military order, perhaps the earliest Christian institution to combine protection and assistance of pilgrims, staffing of hospitals, property management as well as a military wing.
They drew visitors, both well and sick, including women in childbirth and infants. According to very early sources, the Order was founded around 1050 by twelve friars trying to resemble the 12 apostles of nearby Lucca, at Altopascio, a town on the Via Francigena, the earliest source is found in the Edificatus in locus et finibus ubi dicitur Teupascio “Built at location and finished in a place called Teupascio" reference, from 1084. The symbol the order chose to adopt was the letter Tau, the letter Tau in the Greek alphabet, corresponds to our T and it took a very powerful symbolic value as a representation of Christ and the cross since very early Christian times usually worn in white on a black field.
In time the Order was charged with safeguarding the roads and the bridges from bandits, robbers, and brigands. Additionally, they removed all tolls from roads under their control so that pilgrims might pass freely and each night, just before sundown, they rang a bell, so that weary wanderers and pilgrims might find evening lodging.
The Order was officially suppressed by the Papal bull Execrabilis issued by Pope Pius II in 1459, their property was transferred to the Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem, however, the suppression was never really carried out at all, finally, it was absorbed into the Order of Saint Lazarus in 1672, over 600 years after its foundation.
• Ceramic
• 11 oz mug dimensions: 3.85″ (9.8 cm) in height, 3.35″ (8.5 cm) in diameter
• 15 oz mug dimensions: 4.7″ (12 cm) in height, 3.35″ (8.5 cm) in diameter
• Dishwasher and microwave safe
They drew visitors, both well and sick, including women in childbirth and infants. According to very early sources, the Order was founded around 1050 by twelve friars trying to resemble the 12 apostles of nearby Lucca, at Altopascio, a town on the Via Francigena, the earliest source is found in the Edificatus in locus et finibus ubi dicitur Teupascio “Built at location and finished in a place called Teupascio" reference, from 1084. The symbol the order chose to adopt was the letter Tau, the letter Tau in the Greek alphabet, corresponds to our T and it took a very powerful symbolic value as a representation of Christ and the cross since very early Christian times usually worn in white on a black field.
In time the Order was charged with safeguarding the roads and the bridges from bandits, robbers, and brigands. Additionally, they removed all tolls from roads under their control so that pilgrims might pass freely and each night, just before sundown, they rang a bell, so that weary wanderers and pilgrims might find evening lodging.
The Order was officially suppressed by the Papal bull Execrabilis issued by Pope Pius II in 1459, their property was transferred to the Order of Our Lady of Bethlehem, however, the suppression was never really carried out at all, finally, it was absorbed into the Order of Saint Lazarus in 1672, over 600 years after its foundation.
• Ceramic
• 11 oz mug dimensions: 3.85″ (9.8 cm) in height, 3.35″ (8.5 cm) in diameter
• 15 oz mug dimensions: 4.7″ (12 cm) in height, 3.35″ (8.5 cm) in diameter
• Dishwasher and microwave safe