The Museum of the Order of St John in Clerkenwell is well worth a visit, and it’s just a stone’s throw from Luce e Limoni Italian restaurant.
The museum tells a remarkable story that spans nearly a thousand years, linking medieval chivalry with modern humanitarian work. The Order began in the eleventh century in Jerusalem, where members cared for sick and injured pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. At the Museum of the Order of St John, visitors can encounter objects ranging from arms and armour to medical equipment, alongside ceramics, textiles, paintings and illuminated manuscripts.
Clerkenwell became the English headquarters of the Order in the 1140s, but its fortunes changed dramatically during the reign of Henry VIII. Following the break with Rome, the Order was dissolved in England and its property confiscated, a brief restoration under Queen Mary ending with permanent suppression under Elizabeth I. In the centuries that followed, St John’s Gate and its surrounding buildings housed the office of the Master of the Revels, where many of Shakespeare’s plays were officially licensed, later becoming a coffee house run by the father of William Hogarth. The Gate also played a part in literary history as the workplace of a young Samuel Johnson and later as a popular tavern frequented by Charles Dickens.
In the late nineteenth century, responding to the urgent social needs of industrial Britain, the Order of St John helped pioneer organised first aid and ambulance services, and its charitable activities continue today through St John Ambulance and the St John Eye Hospital.
The Museum of the Order of St John has welcomed visitors for over a century and was extensively redeveloped in the early twenty-first century. Following a major restoration, it reopened with improved galleries, learning spaces and multimedia displays that reveal more of the historic Tudor building. Together with guided access to the Priory Church, its Norman crypt and the peaceful Cloister Garden, the museum offers a compelling insight into the enduring heritage of the Order of St John.
So, take in some fascinating history either before or after your meal at Luce e Limoni Italian restaurant!
