Bernard Rottiers (1771-1857) was a Flemish army official. He was born in Antwerp and joined the Russian army during the occupation of Flanders by Napoleon (1808). He was entrusted with military missions to Georgia against the Persian and Ottoman armies (1811).

In 1818 Rottiers returned to the Netherlands by way of the Black Sea, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and England. While in Athens, he met French consul L. Fauvel and Austrian consul G. Gropius, both of whom were involved in trading antiquities. Rottiers financed an excavation on the outskirts of Athens (Aixone), organized thanks to the influence of the two consuls. The three men shared the findings and Rottiers returned to his country with some classical funerary steles of excellent quality, which made up the first collection of Greek antiquities (although declared to be “of unknown origin”) and were sold to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) of Leiden in 1820.

In 1824 Rottiers acquired funding from the Ministery of Interior of his country to organize a two-year expedition in Greece in order to collect antiquities for the National Museum of Leiden. The project could not be realized due to the ongoing Greek Revolution and thus Rottiers changed destination and stayed in Rhodes for six months. He worked on an edition which describes and depicts the medieval monuments of the islands, and devoted little effort to the collection of antiquities. Nevertheless, after short excavations in Milos, Rottiers managed to obtain a Roman mosaic, an altar, a late Hellenistic bust, a kouros statue from Thera and several Cycladic vases.
To date, the present edition remains an invaluable source for the study of Rhodes' medieval monuments.

Written by ioli Vingopoulou

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  Coats of armds and bas-reliefs from the walls of the city of Rhodes. Bas-relief of Saint Peter, Saint Catherine and Saint John the Baptist. Inscription commemorating the construction of the Sea Gate under Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson.

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  The fortifications of the city of Rhodes and the Muslim cemetery seen from the southeast.

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  Interior of the church of Saint John in Rhodes.The author being shown the location.

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  The interior of the Church of Panagia of Filerimos, seen from the west.

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  Relief from the medieval town of Rhodes. Ancient coins from Rhodes. Coins of the Knights Hospitaller era.

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  Interior of Byzantine church of Saint Stephen on Agios Stefanos or Monte Smith hill, Rhodes.

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  The building called Admiralty or Nauarcheion in the medieval town of Rhodes. The author being shown the location.

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  Church of Panagia Filerimos, Rhodes.

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  Frescoes from the church of Agios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes. Scenes from the life of Virgin Mary. Members of the Knights Hospitaller order with their patron saints.

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  Frescoes from the Church of Agios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes. The Passion of Christ. Saint John the Baptist with the Lamb. Pilgrim with his patron saint. Saint Michael kills the demon as the latter is trying to tip over the scales with the good and bad actions of a young knight who is kneeling before Saint Michael. A fountain with a snake and two pigeons, probably an allegory of “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” (Matthew 10:16).

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  Facade of the Knights' Hospital in Rhodes (current Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).

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  Entrance to the Knights' Hospital in Rhodes (current Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).

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  Side entrance to the Knights' Hospital in Rhodes (current Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).

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  The Refectory of the Knights' Hospital in Rhodes (current Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).

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  The Colossus of Rhodes (reconstruction).

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  The gate of Saint Catherine in the inn of St. Catherine in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  Observatory of the Knights Hospitaller on Agios Stefanos or Monte Smith hill. The author being shown the location.

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  Coats of arms of Philip of Burgundy, who built the fortress of Saint Nicholas, of Grand Master Piero Raimondo Zacosta (Pere Ramon Sacosta) and his engineer, from the fortress of Saint Nicholas. Relief of saint Nicholas from the same fortress. Inscription from the garden of Auvergne: “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers” (Psalms 1:1). Ancient statues at the entrance to the garden of Auvergne.

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  Map of Rhodes.

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  Rhodes seen from the sea.

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  Rhodes seen from the sea.

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  The city of Rhodes seen from the sea.

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  Bernard Eugène Antoine Rottiers' ship anchored at the port of Rhodes.

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  View of the city of Rhodes to the left of the port.

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  View of the city of Rhodes with the suburbs, to the left of the port.

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  View of the interior of D'Amboise Gate in the medieval city of Rhodes.

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  The fortifications of the city of Rhodes with the Muslim cemetery seen from the northwest. Turkish women pray and give offerings to a tomb.

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  The fortifications of the city of Rhodes and the Muslim cemetery seen from the west. The author being shown the location.

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  The fortifications of the city of Rhodes and the Muslim cemetery seen from the southwest.

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  The fortifications of the city of Rhodes and the Muslim cemetery seen from the east.

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  View of the interior of the Grand Master's Palace in the Medieval City of Rhodes.

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  View of Rhodes, from the Grand Master's Palace to Naillac tower.

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  Relief of angel and coat of arms of Grand Master Émery d'Amboise, from D'Amboise Gate. Ottoman inscription from the same gate (“There is no god but God, Muhammad is the messenger of God."). Relief of Virgin with infant and coat of arms of Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson, discovered in the Jewish quarter and kept at the Franciscan monastery in Rhodes. Coat of arms of the Knights Hospitaller from the medieval town. Latin inscription «In convertendo inimicum meum retrorsum infirmabuntur et peribunt a facie tua» (Psalms 9:3 “When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence”), referring to the siege of Rhodes by the Ottomans.

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  Fortress of Saint Nicholas at Mandraki, Rhodes.

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  The garden of Auvergne in Rhodes. The author being shown the location.

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  Gate of Saint John in Rhodes.

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  Reconstruction of the Roman aqueduct of Rhodes at Rodini.

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  Castellania building, medieval town of Rhodes.

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  Castellania building, medieval town of Rhodes.

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  View of the Street of the Knights in Rhodes.

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  Fresco of young knight Dieudonné de Gozon, later Grand Master of Knights Hospitaller. The knight kills the dragon with the aid of his two dogs. Rottiers claims to have seen the fresco in an Ottoman house in the medieval city of Rhodes.

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  The tomb of Grand Master Robert de Julliac in the Franciscan church which was converted into a mosque, adjacent to the public baths of Rhodes (Yeni Hamam). Muslim people preparing to pray at the mosque.

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  Colonnade of the Knights' Hospital in Rhodes (current Archaeological Museum of Rhodes).

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  Interior of the church of Saint Catherine in Rhodes.

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  Relief of Saint John from the Gate of Saint John. Rose windows from the church of Saint Catherine in the medieval city of Rhodes. Lances of the Knights Hospitallers taken as trophies by the Ottomans, from the Gate of Saint John. Cenotaph of Marie de Baux from the Church of Saint Catherine.

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  Lodge of Saint John in the medieval town of Rhodes. The author being shown the location.

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  Reconstruction of Saint John's lodge in the medieval town of Rhodes. Knight Louis de Graon announces to Grand Master Pierre d'Aubusson the approach of the Ottoman fleet under Mehmed II (1480).

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  Facade and tower of the church of Saint John in Rhodes.

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  The tomb of Grand Master Fabrice Caretti in the Church of Saint John in Rhodes.

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  Side wall of the church of Saint John in Rhodes.

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  Architectural features from Castellania in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  The Auberge of the Langue of France in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  The Auberge of the Langue of Spain and Portugal in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  The Auberge of the Langue of Italy in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  The Auberge of the Langue of England in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  The residence of the Orthodox bishop in Rhodes.

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  Byzantine church of Saint Stephen on Agios Stefanos or Monte Smith hill, Rhodes. The author being shown the location.

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  Side wall of the Byzantine church of Saint Stephen on Agios Stefanos or Monte Smith hill, Rhodes.

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  From Agios Stefanos or Monte Smith hill: Coats of arms of Grand Masters Pierre d'Aubusson and Émery d'Amboise, decorative features from several buildings, inscriptions and a gargoyle.

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  The ruined church of Saint Mark in the Jewish quarter of Rhodes.

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  Remains of the church of the Virgin of the Victory (Panagia tis Nikis) in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  Chapel of Panagia Filerimos, Rhodes. The author being shown the location.

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  Interior of the Church of Panagia Filerimos, Rhodes.

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  Frescoes from the church of Agios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes. Two women saints intercede in favour of Grand Master Hélion de Villeneuve. Saint Michael kills the dragon. Cross of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller. Saint George kills the dragon.

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  Frescoes from the church of Agios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes.Scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary. Members of the Knights Hospitaller order and children praying.

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  Frescoes from the Church of Agios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes. The Passion of Christ. Sculls in armour and coats of arms of the Knights Hospitaller. Death prevails over a knight.

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  Frescoes from the Church of Agios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes. Resurrection of the Dead.

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  Military quarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes.

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  Military quarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes.

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  Dressing room in the Baths of Suleiman in Rhodes.

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  Coats of arms from the medieval town of Rhodes. The band which separates the upper from the lower frescoes in the church of Hagios Georgios Chostos in Filerimos, Rhodes. Niches from the church of Saint John in the medieval town of Rhodes, which housed the statues of the Apostles, according to the author.

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  Coats of arms from the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  Reliefs from ancient Ialyssos. Funerary steles from the area of the Roman aqueduct at Rodini, Rhodes.

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  The gate of Saint Catherine at the hospice of Saint Catherine in the medieval town of Rhodes.

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  Peristyle of the military quarters of the Knights Hospitaller in Rhodes, which, according to the author served as a stable for the order's horses.

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  Portrait of Bernard Eugène Antoine Rottiers.

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  Title page.

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  Title page.