The Military Order of the Collar (MOC), also known as Militare Ordine del Collare, is the family Order of the Royal House of Aragon, Majorca, and Sicily. The history of MOC before the year 1850 is unknown although strong evidence suggests that the order began as a dynastic order attached to the Paterno family.



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 ?Crusade and Colonisation? (ISBN 0-86078-266-2) 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 main source of the Order history is the book called ?L'Ordine del Collare, Patrimonio della Ser.ma Real Casa Patern??, which was published by 7th Duke of Carcaci in 1851. The historian found a diary in manuscript form written by his antecedent Don Ignazio Paterno II, Prince of Biscari, who revealed a unique manuscript about the array in a convent library and a modern painting that shows the dress and the badge of the knights, while he was visiting the Balearic Island at the end of the 16th century. Don Ignazio wrote these findings in his notes, which were then exposed by the Duke two centuries later. The publication of the book resulted in the revival of the Order.

The Protectress and Patron of the Order is Saint Agatha - Virgin and Martyr - who is known for her heroic defence of the Christian principles, and thus making her appropriate to be the Protectress of the Order. Her feast is celebrated on 5 February. Today, the Order aims to apply the tradition of chivalry as a way of life in the modern world ? the members strongly believe that the essence of chivalry is about honor and service to the needy, regardless of race, creed, or nationality. Good works are practiced through its Hospitaller Service.

The Order has several jurisdictions in Europe, North America and Australia. Each jurisdiction is responsible to arrange various activities for the knights and members of the Order in the country where it operates. The MOC membership consists of knights and dames, knights and dames with grand cross, knights and dames with grand cross with collar, knights and dames with grand cross with grand collar. The cross worn by the members was the ?Aragonese Cross? which was in enamel and gold. Knights who have sworn an ?oath of allegiance? to the Grand Master can also wear the Cross of Profession, which is a smaller specimen of the Aragonese Cross.