Are Non State Orders of Chivalry valid in Italian Law?
The question of the validity of non-statutory Orders of chivalry such as those which are not State Orders (of either a monarchy or a republic, as the case may be) or of equal standing (such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta) is closely bound up with the question of sovereignty.The Italian Law of 1953 admits the existence of non-national Orders and distinguishes them from State Orders, as being conferred by other than private societies or associations. With the exception of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, we may broadly speaking identify two types and say that non-statutory Orders are none other than non-national Orders. Among the latter we may disregard the capitulary Orders which elect their own Grand Masters and we may concentrate upon those which have been founded by dynasties, which may not in fact be now reigning. According to the above-mentioned Law, such Orders are legitimately conferred and as such valid.
The question of the validity of non-statutory Orders of chivalry such as those which are not State Orders (of either a monarchy or a republic, as the case may be) or of equal standing (such as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta) is closely bound up with the question of sovereignty.The Italian Law of 1953 admits the existence of non-national Orders and distinguishes them from State Orders, as being conferred by other than private societies or associations. With the exception of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, we may broadly speaking identify two types and say that non-statutory Orders are none other than non-national Orders. Among the latter we may disregard the capitulary Orders which elect their own Grand Masters and we may concentrate upon those which have been founded by dynasties, which may not in fact be now reigning.
