The term Militare Ordine del Collare is associated with the Martyr Saint Agatha, and is known as the dynastic Order of the Royal House of Sicily, Majorca, and Aragon. In recent times, it has commenced charitable work. This organization has centers in a number of places in the world.



As a matter of fact, Saint Agatha who is a Martyr and virgin is known as the patron and Protectress of the Order of collar. Her feast is celebrated on 5th February. Saint Agatha's gallant act of defense of the Christian Principle suits her designation of a suitable protectress for the order. The main objective of the order is spreading the age old traditions of chivalry in the modern world. The seventh Duke of Carcaci published a history of this order in 1851.

Professor Elena Lourie in her article ?La colonizaci'n cristiana de Menorca durante el Reinado de Alfonso III ?El Liberal? , rey de Arag'n? in her book ?Crusade and Colonisation? has shown that after the conquest of Minorca by Alfonso III in 1288 a small number of prominent men were given the rank and dignity of knight by the King in exchange for settling in the fortress of Saint Agatha (situated in the region Saint Agatha), keeping horse and armour and when needed defending the island militarily. It seems this was not so much a Chivalric Order as a Knightly Association. According to the tradition of the Royal House, as documented by the 7th Duke of Carcaci, such a group of knights became known as ?the knights from St. Agatha?. The Balearics (Majorca, Minorca and Ibiza) was an independent kingdom 1276 - 1349 and, according to international law, the consequent dynastic rights, including those related to chivalric orders and knightly associations, continue through the hereditary office of the Head of the House even if no conferments in this regard are made for a period of time. It seems that over the centuries only sporadic conferments were made, until in the 18th century the association appears as the MOC and is more and more a dynastic Order, receiving formal Statutes in the middle of the 19th century, thereafter a hierarchical organisation with formal recognition from the reigning monarchs in the kingdom of the Two Sicilies.

The typical cloak of the Order of collar, which was meant for wearing in Churches exclusively was white, colored with a red collar and had an Aragonese Cross in the left side. The knights wore crosses having full colors while the dames used to wear a golden cross. The mantle also had a golden chain tied to the heads of two golden lions.

As of now, the Military Order of the Collar of Saint Agatha exists in various nations in Europe and Australia as well as USA. The knights and dames of the order wear the insignia appropriate to their rank. The cross used by the order is a typical Aragonese Cross in enamel and gold.