This page assembles the principal primary sources, standard works, scholarly literature, press sources, and official websites pertaining to the Constantinian Order of Saint George and to the dynastic controversy concerning the office of Grand Master. The documents enumerated hereunder are made available for public download. All files are furnished in PDF format.
Downloads
Papal Acts Defining the Succession to the Grand Mastership (1706)
Papal acts defining the succession to the Grand Mastership of the Constantinian Order.
Papal Bulls — Foundation Documents (1718)
The Papal Bulls of the late seventeenth century whereby the legal foundation of the Order was established.
Tanucci Letters on the Cession of Primogeniture (1759)
Letters by Minister Tanucci regarding the cession of the position of legitimate primogeniture as Farnese heir.
Papal Monitor (1763)
Papal document of 1763 pertaining to the Constantinian Order of Saint George.
Statutes of the Order (1785)
The Statutes of the Religious and Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, as presently in force.
Decree on Separation (1796)
Decree of 1796 concerning the separation in connection with the dynastic history of the Order.
Escritura de Fundación (1896)
Foundation deed of the Order branch of 1896.
Letter from Cardinal Merry del Val (1910)
Letter from Cardinal Secretary of State Merry del Val.
Papal Brief (1916)
Papal brief of 1916 concerning the affairs of the Constantinian Order of Saint George.
Papal-Approved Divine Office and Ecclesiastical Calendar, Appendix V A (1922)
Papal-approved Divine Office and Ecclesiastical Calendar, Appendix V A.
Título de Jefe de la Casa real de Borbón dos Sicilias (1987)
Collection of official opinions regarding the title of Head of the Royal House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies and the Grand Mastership of the Constantinian Order of Saint George.
Paenitentiaria Apostolica – Apostolic Penitentiary (2003)
Document of the Apostolic Penitentiary.
Paenitentiaria Apostolica – Renewal (2012)
Renewal of the declaration by the Apostolic Penitentiary.
Acta de Conciliación – Deed of Reconciliation, Part 1 (2014)
Deed of Reconciliation of 2014, first part.
Acta de Conciliación – Deed of Reconciliation, Part 2 (2014)
Deed of Reconciliation of 2014, second part.
Comunicado del Duque de Castro – Communiqué of the Duke of Castro (2014)
Communiqué issued by the Duke of Castro in 2014.
Comunicado del Duque de Noto – Communiqué of the Duke of Noto (2014)
Communiqué issued by the Duke of Noto in 2014.
Comunicato Stampa – Press Release (2014)
Press release issued in 2014.
Constantinian Order – Statement of the Spanish Crown (2014)
Statement by the Spanish Crown regarding the Constantinian Order, 2014.
Cuadernillo – Orden Circular 4 – Booklet, Circular Order No. 4 (2014)
Booklet on Circular Order No. 4 of the Spanish Foreign Ministry.
Orden Circular 4-2014 – Instructions on the Use of Foreign Decorations by Spanish Citizens (2014)
Spanish Circular Order No. 4/2014 on the use of foreign decorations.
Instructions on the Use of Foreign Decorations, English Version (2014)
Instructions on the use of foreign decorations, English version.
Ordre Constantinien – Position of the Spanish Crown, French Version (2014)
Position of the Spanish Crown regarding the Constantinian Order, French version.
Comunicado del Duque de Calabria – Communiqué of the Duke of Calabria (2016)
Communiqué issued by the Duke of Calabria in 2016.
Signed Communiqué, English Version (2016)
Signed communiqué, English version.
Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte – BOE (2017)
Publication of the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport in the BOE.
Escritura de Constitución y Fundación (2021)
Deed of constitution and foundation of the Constantinian Order of Saint George of 2021.
Certificado de Registro de Fundaciones (2022)
Registration certificate of the foundation of 2022.
Certificado Acta de Modificación de Estatutos (2024)
Certificate of the amendment of the statutes of 2024.
Ministerio de Defensa – BOE-A-2025-691 (2025)
Publication of the Spanish Ministry of Defence in the BOE, No. A-2025-691.
Gregor Gatscher-Riedl: Scholarly Study on the History of the Order
Scholarly study on the history and significance of the Constantinian Order of Saint George.
Guy Stair Sainty: The Constantinian Order of Saint George
The authoritative scholarly work upon the history and constitution of the Order.
Sources and Literature
1. Primary Sources
a) Papal Documents and Ecclesiastical Sources
- Pope Julius III, Bull Quod alias (1551) — Archivio Apostolico Vaticano
- Pope Sixtus V, Brief Cum sicut accepimus (1585) — Archivio Apostolico Vaticano
- Pope Innocent XII — Papal Confirmations of the Order (late seventeenth century) — Archivio Apostolico Vaticano
- Pope Clement XI — Papal Bull confirming the Order (1718) — Archivio Apostolico Vaticano
- Bullarium Romanum, various editions — archive.org
- Archivio Apostolico Vaticano — Holdings on chivalric orders and papal privileges
b) Historical and State Documents
- Edict of Milan (313) — historical antecedent of the Constantinian tradition — Wikipedia: Edict of Milan
- Law No. 178 of 3rd March 1951 (Italy) — normattiva.it
2. Standard Works and Scholarly Monographs
Guy Stair Sainty
- Guy Stair Sainty – The Constantinian Order of Saint George, Madrid — WorldCat
- Guy Stair Sainty — Studies in the history of the Constantinian tradition — chivalricorders.org
- Guy Stair Sainty – Research on the history of European orders of chivalry — WorldCat
Gregor Gatscher-Riedl
- Gregor Gatscher-Riedl – Der Constantinische Orden — WorldCat
- Gregor Gatscher-Riedl – Die Orden und Ehrenzeichen Europas — WorldCat
- Gregor Gatscher-Riedl – Studies on the history of orders — WorldCat
Works Relating to the Constantinian Order
- Alberto Lembo – Il Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio — WorldCat
- Antonio Benedetto Spada – Studies on the history of the Constantinian Order — WorldCat
General Literature on Orders of Chivalry and Dynastic History
- Acton, Harold. The Bourbons of Naples. London: Methuen, 1956. — archive.org
- Algrant, James J. The Orders of Saint George. Madrid, 1997. — WorldCat
- Bander van Duren, Peter. Orders of Knighthood and Merit. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe, 1995. — WorldCat
- Cardini, Franco. Europa e la cavalleria. Bologna: Il Mulino, 1998. — WorldCat
- Norwich, John Julius. The Kingdom in the Sun. London: Longman, 1970. — archive.org
- Pastor, Ludwig von. Geschichte der Päpste seit dem Ausgang des Mittelalters — archive.org
- Sainty, Guy Stair. The Orders of Chivalry and Merit. London: Burke’s Peerage, 2006. — WorldCat
3. Sources Relating to the Dynastic Controversy
- House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies — general overview and summary of the dynastic question
- Official account of the succession as maintained by the Calabrian line — borbone-due-sicilie.org
- Calabrian documentary record concerning the Infante’s Decree of 1994 — borbone-due-sicilie.org
- Official website of the Castro branch — smocsg.org
- Biographical notice of Cardinal Mario Francesco Pompedda
- UK Parliament, Early Day Motion 1823 “Visit of Cardinal Pompedda”, 28 October 2003 — edm.parliament.uk
- Summary notices concerning the partial reconciliation of 2014: ordenconstantiniana.org, ordinecostantinianoitalia.org
4. Official Websites of the Order
- Sacro Militare Ordine Costantiniano di San Giorgio — ordinecostantiniano.org
- Castro Branch: smocsg.org
5. International Press
- BBC — Background reports on European dynasties and historic Orders of Chivalry — bbc.com
- The Guardian — Articles on modern aristocratic institutions — theguardian.com
- The Daily Telegraph — Reportage on European noble families — telegraph.co.uk
- Le Monde — Coverage of European dynasties — lemonde.fr
- Le Figaro — Analyses of European aristocratic families — lefigaro.fr
- El País — Reports on Spanish and European dynasties — elpais.com
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung — Reports on historic Orders of Chivalry — faz.net
- Neue Zürcher Zeitung — Analyses of European dynasties — nzz.ch
6. Encyclopaedic Articles
- German — de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantinorden
- English — en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacred_Military_Constantinian_Order_of_Saint_George
- French — fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordre_constantinien_de_Saint-Georges
- Spanish — es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orden_constantiniana_de_San_Jorge
7. Orders and Research Databases
- International Commission for Orders of Chivalry — icocregister.com
- Burke’s Peerage — burkespeerage.com
- Annuario Pontificio — the official Vatican publication concerning ecclesiastical institutions — vatican.va
- Chivalric Orders Research — chivalricorders.org
8. Further Relevant Institutions
- Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación (Madrid) — rajyle.com
- Instituto Salazar y Castro (Madrid) — Real Academia de la Historia