Fra' Giovanni Battista Ceschi a Santa Croce (22 February 1827, Venice[1] – 24 January 1905, Rome) was Lieutenant of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta from 1872 to 1879 and then Prince and Grand Master from 1879 until his death in 1905.

In 1895 his older brother Alois, an imperial privy councillor and chamberlain and a life member of the Austrian House of Lords was made a count.

[6] This commandery had formerly been held by Fra' Giovanni Battista Tommasi before he became Grand Master.

On 14 February 1872, Ceschi was elected Lieutenant of the Order in succession to Fra' Alessandro Borgia.

He initiated the creation of national associations of the Order in Spain, Great Britain, France, and Portugal made up of knights who would remain lay people and not take religious vows.