This circular cancellation features left-facing portraits of Dante and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe surrounded by text: "39012 MERANO CENTRO-MERAN ZENTRUM (BZ)", "50oANNIVERSARIO FONDAZIONE ACCADEMIA DI STUDI ITALO-TEDESCHI" (50th anniversary of the foundation of the Academy of Italian-German Studies), "AKADEMIE DEUTSCH-ITALIENISCHER STUDIEN" (Academy of German-Italian Studies), and "Goethe / 9.5.2009 / Dante / Giorno di emissione" (day of issue).]]> This circular cancellation depicts a scene from the beginning of the Inferno in which Dante (accompanied by Virgil in this illustration but not in the text) is blocked by three beasts. The scene is taken from a miniature in Codex Urbinate Latino 365, a fifteenth-century manuscript in the Vatican Library. The design echoes the 2009 joint-issue Italy–San Marino–Vatican City postage stamp. Around the central design are "Italia / 2009 / DANTE ALIGHIERI", "Giorno di emissione" (day of issue), "ROMA EUR", and "FESTIVAL INTERNAZIONALE DELLA FILATELIA" (International Festival of Philately).]]> This circular cancellation depicts a scene from the beginning of the Inferno in which Dante (accompanied by Virgil in this illustration but not in the text) is blocked by three beasts. The scene is taken from a miniature in Codex Urbinate Latino 365, a fifteenth-century manuscript in the Vatican Library. The design echoes the 2009 joint-issue Italy–San Marino–Vatican City postage stamp. The text is as follows: "GIORNATA / DELLA / LINGUA ITALIANA" (Day of the Italian Language), "poste" (mail), and "san marino".]]> This circular cancellation features a right-facing portrait of Dante based on Sandro Botticelli's fifteenth-century portrait now in the Fondation Martin Bodmer in Cologny, Switzerland. The portrait on the cancellation is reversed from the original. The portrait is surrounded by text as follows: "POSTE VATICANE", "DIE EMISSIONIS" (day of issue), and "GIORNATA DELLA LINGUA ITALIANA" (Day of the Italian Language).]]> Inferno) and 34 members of the Centro italiano di filatelia tematica exhibited their collections of stamps illustrating each canto of the Inferno (part of the Progetto Dante). The exhibition was a collaboration of the local philatelic circle, Circolo culturale filatelico numismatico "Ennio Giunchi", and the national thematic organization, Centro italiano di filatelia tematica. The painting depicted on the card and on the cancellation shows Dante with the faces of souls in hell and is the work of Patrizio Virzì, an artist from Cesena, Italy. The painting is titled L'Inferno di Dante. The card is stamped with the 2009 Italian stamp from the Italy-San Marino-Vatican City joint issue.]]> Romagna Noi, October 24, 2011, http://www.romagnanoi.it/news/cultura-eventi/723331/L-inferno-diventa-un-francobollo.html (accessed August 18, 2013).]]> This postage stamp was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Accademia di studi italo-tedeschi/Akademie Deutsch-Italienischer Studien in Merano, Italy. The stamp shows the academy's logo consisting of overlapping profile portraits of Dante and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe within a circle. At the top of the stamp is text as follows: "ACCADEMIA DI STUDI ITALO-TEDESCHI / AKADEMIE DEUTSCH-ITALIENISCHER STUDIEN / 1959-2009 / MERANO MERAN" (Academy for Italian-German Studies, Merano). Along the bottom edge of the stamp is the abbreviated name of the printer: "I.P.Z.S. S.p.A. - ROMA - 2009" (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato) and the designer: "A.M. MARESCA" (Anna Maria Maresca).]]>
  • 70-cent stamp: at the top: "Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527); and at the bottom: "0,70€ / MONACO".
  • 85-cent stamp: at the top: "Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375); and at the bottom: "0,85€ / MONACO".
  • 1.30-euro stamp: at the top: "Francesco Petrarca (1304-1374); and at the bottom: "1,30€ / MONACO".
The names of the designer, printer, and engraver appear along the bottom edge of each stamp: "DE LA PATELLIERE" (Cyril de la Patelliere); "Phil@poste 2009"; and "BEAUJARD" (Yves Beaujard).]]>

The stamp depicts a scene from the beginning of Inferno in which Dante (accompanied by Virgil in this illustration but not in the text) is blocked by three beasts. The scene is taken from a miniature in Codex Urbinate Latino 365, a fifteenth-century manuscript in the Vatican Library. Each stamp is printed adjacent to a label with the third line from Inferno 1: "ché la / diritta / via / era / smarrita." (that the right way was lost). The first two lines of Inferno appear on the Vatican City and San Marino stamps, respectively. The stamp has text as follows: at the top: "€ 0,60"; at the bottom: "ITALIA"; and along the bottom, the abbreviated name of the printer: "I.P.Z.S. S.p.A. - ROMA - 2009" (Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato). The stamp was designed by Mauro Olivieri and Orlando Tomassi.]]>
This postage stamp was issued as part of a joint issue with Italy and Vatican City for the Giornata della Lingua Italiana (Celebration Day of the Italian Language) in 2009. It depicts a scene from the beginning of Inferno in which Dante (accompanied by Virgil in this illustration but not in the text) is blocked by three beasts. The scene is taken from a miniature in Codex Urbinate Latino 365, a fifteenth-century manuscript in the Vatican Library. Each stamp is printed adjacent to a label with the second line from Inferno 1: "mi / ritrovai / per una / selva / oscura," (I found myself in a dark wood). The first and third lines of Inferno appear on the Vatican City and Italy stamps, respectively. The stamp was designed by Mauro Olivieri and Orlando Tomassi and printed by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.]]> This postage stamp was issued as part of a joint issue with Italy and San Marino for the Giornata della Lingua Italiana (Celebration Day of the Italian Language) in 2009. It depicts a scene from the beginning of Inferno in which Dante (accompanied by Virgil in this illustration but not in the text) is blocked by three beasts. The scene is taken from a miniature in Codex Urbinate Latino 365, a fifteenth-century manuscript in the Vatican Library. Each stamp is printed adjacent to a label with the first line from Inferno 1: "Nel / mezzo / del cammin / di nostra / vita" (Midway in the journey of our life). The second and third lines of Inferno appear on the San Marino and Italy stamps, respectively. The stamp was designed by Mauro Olivieri and Orlando Tomassi and printed by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato.]]> These three first day covers were issued by the Monaco Office des Émissions de Timbres-Poste to accompany the three postage stamps issued to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of a branch of the Società Dante Alighieri in the principality. The cachets feature a globe showing Europe and northern Africa with the location of Monaco indicated in red. Above the globe is "PRINCIPAUTÉ DE MONACO OFFICE DES ÉMISSIONS DE TIMBRES-POSTE" and the coat of arms of Monaco. Below is "2009 PREMIER JOUR D'ÉMISSION - FIRST DAY COVER".]]> This first day cover's hand-painted cachet by Nino Masiello da Ercole depicts a scene from Paradiso 24 in which St. Peter interrogates Dante—accompanied by Beatrice—about the poet's faith. The scene is taken from a miniature by Giovanni di Paolo in Yates Thompson 36, a fifteenth-century manuscript in the British Library. Below the cachet is "Pezzo unico" (unique item) and the artist's signature "Nino Masiello 2009". In the upper left corner of the envelope is the artist's logo.]]> The hand-painted cachets by Nino Masiello da Ercole on these first day covers each reproduce a different common portrait of Dante: one is based on the Naples Bust and the other is based on Gustave Doré's portrait of the poet. Below both cachets is "Pezzo unico" (unique item) and the artist's signature "Nino Masiello 2009". In the upper left corner of the envelope is the artist's logo.]]> Disputation of the Holy Sacrament. Dante is depicted in the fresco in the lower right quarter (circled here in green). The miniature sheet has text as follows: at the bottom: "RAFFAELLO - LA DISPUTA DEL SACRAMENTO 1509 – 2009 / OeSD - 2009". The sheet's stamp has text as follows: in the upper right corner: "3,30"; at the bottom: "CITTÀ DEL VATICANO"; the Vatican coat of arms are in the upper left corner. The sheet was printed by Österreichische Staatsdruckerei, Vienna, Austria.]]>