The Order of the Hospital
of Saint James in Andravida

The Order of the Hospital of Saint James in Andravida serves as the primary dynastic confraternity and chivalric institution of the House of Zaccaria de Damalà. It is an institution of the Christian faith dedicated to the historical memory of the Principality of Achaea and the alleviation of human suffering.

Historical Legitimacy

Established in the capital of the Principality of Achaea, the Order was granted solemn privileges by the Papal Legate, Cardinal Pelayo, in 1215, and confirmed by Pope Honorius III in 1218. It served for decades as the spiritual heart of the Frankish Morea and the burial place of the Villehardouin princes.

While its material assets were absorbed by the Templars in 1246, the secular Jus Patronatus (right of patronage) remained vested in the Princes of Achaea. This right has been transmitted by lawful succession to the House of Zaccaria de Damalà.

The Restoration

Exercising this inherited Jus Patronatus in conjunction with the dynastic Jus Honorum—derived directly from the 1325 Imperial Diploma's explicit grant of "honoribus" and "prerogativis, quae decent regalem" (honours and prerogatives which befit royalty)—Constantine II, 24th King and Despot of Asia Minor and Prince of Achaea, has formally revived the Order as a dynastic confraternity and chivalric institution operating strictly within the protective sphere of international private law. The Grand Mastership resides perpetually in the Head of the Royal and Princely House.

The restored insignia unites the Scallop of the Apostle with the Cross Moline of the House of Villehardouin, symbolising the continuity of the Achaean state.