The Palace of the Grand Master is the most popular monument in the island and the main attraction of the medieval city of Rhodes. It was built in the 14th century AD by the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta who occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1522. During the reign of the Ottoman Empire and more precisely in 1856 the palace was damaged severely by an ammunition explosion, however, was restored/rebuilt in its former glory by the Italians who occupied Rhodes in 1912. The Palace of the Grand Master is the most popular monument in the island and the main attraction of the medieval city of Rhodes.