Rafael Cotoner y de Oleza (; 1601 – 20 October 1663) was a Spanish knight of Aragon who served as 60th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller or, as it is already known by that time, the Order of Malta, from 5 June 1660 to his death on 20 October 1663 following the brief reign of Annet de Clermont-Gessant. After his death, he was succeeded as Grand Master by his younger brother, Nicolas Cotoner. During Raphael Cotoner's reign, the Order of Malta sent troops to Candia, besieged by the Ottomans.

Reign as Grand Master

During his 3-year reign, the Order of Malta sent reinforcements to support Venetians besieged by the Ottomans in Candia (Candia eventually fell after a siege lasting more than two decades in September 1669, almost 6 years after Cotoner's death when his brother Nicolas was Grand Master). To show their gratitude and appreciation, the Republic of Venice passed a decree allowing members of the Order to appear armed within the Republic's dominions, something which had never been granted to the Republic's subjects themselves. It was during Raphael's tenure as Grand Master that the Italian

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

artist Mattia Preti started work in

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

's St. John's Co-Cathedral. He went on to decorate the cathedral's interior with paintings of John the Baptist.

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Coins of Grandmaster Rafael Cotoner
Raphael Grand masters of the Knights Hospitaller Knights of Malta People from Mallorca 1601 births 1663 deaths Burials at Saint John's Co-Cathedral {{Europe-noble-stub