SMOM

What is the world's smallest sovereign state?

What do you think? Is it the Vatican?

Not according to some.

Yesterday afternoon, while I waiting for dinner to cook, I watched part of a programme on television called Decoding Da Vinci. In this episode the presenter was investigating secret societies and after looking at the Knights Templar, who seem to be fairly convincingly 'gone', and before considering the Priory of Sion, an acknowledged hoax, he visited the sovereign state of the Knights of Malta.

"Founded during the eleventh century, the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta is the world's oldest order of chivalry and its oldest lay charitable organisation. It is also one of the oldest religious orders. Based in Rome, with observer status at the United Nations, and having accredited ambassadors to ninety two countries, this unique Catholic institution is administered by a sovereign government, which issues its own postage stamps, passports and coins, and makes its own foreign policy.

Having extraterritorial sovereignty over a few buildings in Italy, the Order of Malta is arguably the world's smallest state, though it is not usually considered a nation per se."

I am just amazed. The television presenter stood in the middle of a courtyard surrounded by a building and that was it: the whole of the sovereign state of the Knights of Malta. And they have representatives at the United Nations? And they raise millions of pounds for charity.

I have read through the website and I'm still confused. Steve's novel is dealing with some aspect of the history of the Knights; I'll look forward to finding out more!

P.S. I've just eaten four, yes 4, chocolate hobnobs. I am a little piggy.