In Holy Land existed charities attending pilgrims long before the Crusades. The Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem since the beginning of conquer of Jerusalem in the year 1099, which was consequence of the First Crusade led by Godfrey de Bouillon, in this times monks of St. Lazarus, who until then were engaged in the care of leprous, begun  their services.

Lazaros hosting the knight of any other order that it entered into leprosy, as long as it is the Rule.
Knights of the Order fought in Saint Luis, along with the Templars, the Hospitallers and the Teutonic, in the disastrous battle of Mansourach in 1250 and also took part in the Crusades of St. Louis and the expeditions to Syria in 1250 to 1254.
The fortress of St. John of Acre, held by Christians from the First Crusade, was besieged by the soldiers of the Sultan of Cairo. The Masters of the Orders of the Temple and of St. Lazarus were in command of the defenders. Both leaders died in battle and after a heroic resistance, St. John of Acre was taken over by Muslims in 1291. With this fact was given the collapse of the entire Latin kingdom of Jerusalem. Before that happened, the Order of St. Lazarus recognized by several Popes, including Paulo Innocent IV and V, had many possessions in Palestine, but when Saladin took Jerusalem, gave a one-year period to the Hospitaller Order to leave the city.

King Louis VII of France who undertook penance for the Second Crusade to return to their country, in the year 1149 brought with him twelve brothers of St. Lazarus in 1154, donated the castle to the Order of Boigny, for this same establish, expand the Order for many cities in France. For its part, an English nobleman who admired the order, introduced in England to lazare, which fixed their domicile in the city of Burton.

In this way the order protected by kings became more powerful in Europe than it had been in Asia.

After the fall of St. John of Acre, lazare those who survived went to Cyprus for refuge. Others settled in Sicily, in Capua, where they were spread throughout Italy. The French branch of the Italian Boigny and Capua were the most important, but also founded priories and parcels separately from Burton, in Hungary, Flanders and other countries in Europe.

In 1490, Pope Innocent VIII decided to join the Order of St. Lazarus of the San Juan de Jerusalem, although the French continued to branch independently.
Pope Leo X ordered the unification annulled by his predecessor. For his part, King Henry IV of France, joined the Order of St. Lazarus of Caramel, since the latter was declined and with it a more powerful union.

In the seventeenth century the Order assembled a fleet to fight the corsairs and pirates, establishing their base of operations in the city of Saint Malo.

The Order came to collect up to ten frigates and defended the safety of the French coasts.

In the seventeenth century, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull which ordered by incorporating the Order of St. Lazarus of St. Mauritius, to form the Order was one of the most distinguished of Italy.

Among the great masters of the fifteenth century, are Francisco de Borbon, the marquis of Nerestang in Luvois in Dangeau, the Duke of Berry, Louis XVI and then after the Count of Provence, later King with the title of Louis XVIII. As Knights of the Order of St. Lazarus in other countries include the Russian Czars Paul I and Alexander I and the Archduke Leopold of Austria. King Louis XVIII of France Charles X and later, they declared protectors of this Order.

Passing the time of war, the Order of St. Lazarus, he stayed, not extinguish it as some others. Although it is now represented in France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and Spain.

On June 26, 1935 Order in Spain recorded their statutes. On May 9, 1940 was recognized as an official and declared of public utility in Spanish throughout.

The Order is governed by the Grand Master, it is for life and is authorized to appoint a coadjutor. There is also a Supreme Council that guides the Grand Master for matters in which their opinion is sought. Members, those who practice evidence of nobility are called as "noble merit" and exempt from them are considered only as "without merit." Both the first and the second may have the same degree as the members, but do not carry the cross embroidered. For these, the cross is called "Merit", divided into four categories, as well as medals, awarded for relevant services.