About us
The Military Order of San Carlos was created on October 22, 1738
The Military Order of San Carlos is a dynastic-state Order of Chivalry of the ancient kingdom of Naples and Sicily, created on October 22, 1738 by the King of Naples and Sicily Carlos VII (future Carlos III of Spain) to reward services rendered to the Crown for the soldiers of the land and sea armies and for those who would lend themselves in the future.
The founder of the Order, as we have said before, was King Charles VII of Naples who instituted this Order after having conquered the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily in the years 1734-1735 from the Austrians and before that with the Treaty of Vienna (November 18, 1738) which put an end to the War of the Polish Succession.
Since its foundation, the Order has the objectives of: Defend the Catholic religion; Promote harmony among its members and defend, initially the Sovereign and currently the Prince-Grand Master, to whom they swear allegiance. Along with these principles, the knights had a series of precepts that they have to comply with. The Military Order of San Carlos predates the Distinguished Order of Carlos III.
In 1811 the Military Order of San Carlos passes into the hands of the Andújar Family, moving to Spain from where it is the backbone of all its humanitarian activity.
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Currently, the Military Order of San Carlos is focused on humanitarian aid in favor of the most disadvantaged in society, collaborating with Cáritas and other institutions of the same nature.
Prince Grand Master of the Order
D. Rafael Andújar y Vilches (VII Prince of San Bartolomeo), was born in Melilla on December 20, 1946 in a military family from the province of Jaén (Spain) First-born son of the marriage formed by D. Antonio Andújar Pizán and Mrs. Inés Vilches Guerrero. He studied at the College that the Jesuits had in North Africa, where he spent his childhood and adolescence.
At the end of his studies at the Jesuit College of North Africa, he moved to France where he studied Economic Sciences at the University of Paris, graduating in 1969. He later completed a Master's in Finance, obtaining a doctorate in Business Management and Administration from Kennedy Business School of the United States of America. He also completed a Master in Financial Management at the London Business University in 1985. He received a doctorate in International Trade from the National Institute of Business in Barcelona in 1988 and in 1991 he completed a Master in Economic Management.
He has participated in several continuing education courses at prestigious universities in the United States and Europe.
Mr. Rafael Andújar y Vilches was Patron of the Euroforum “Senior Managers Training Center” in El Escorial (Madrid-Spain) between 1995 and 2000. He was also a permanent member of the American Management Board; Member and Honorary Academician of the Norman Academy since 2010 and of the Academia Universitaria Roggero II Sicilia (Italy) since 2011.
His professional life was dedicated to research and business in the field of surgical medical products and implants at an international level as President and CEO of several American multinational companies such as CR Bard and Medtronic.