First Day Cover - Vatican City - 1965 - Venetia

Title

First Day Cover - Vatican City - 1965 - Venetia

Type

First Day Cover

Coverage

Vatican City

Date Issued

1965-05-18

Description

These first day covers were issued by Venetia (nos. 87-1/V and 87-2/V).

The cachet on 87-1/V features a modern interpretation of Raphael's portrait of Dante from the artist's fresco Disputation of the Holy Sacrament in the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, with text as follows: at the top: "VIIo CENT. DELLA NASCITA" (7th centenary of the birth); and at the bottom: "DIE EMISSIONIS" (day of issue).

The cachet on 87-2/V features a montage of two modern interpretations of illustrations by Sandro Botticelli of Dante and Beatrice; these are based on the artist's illustrations to the Divina commedia found in a manuscript volume in the Kupferstichkabinett in Berlin known as MS Hamilton 201 and a manuscript in the Vatican Library known as Cod. Reg. Lat. 1896. The cachet is surrounded by text as follows: at the top: "DIE EMISSIONIS" (day of issue); vertically, on the right: "DANTE"; and at the bottom: "VIIo CENT. DELLA NASCITA" (7th centenary of the birth).

Extent

92 × 165 mm (87-1/V)
92 × 165 mm (87-2/V)

Contributor

Raphael
Sandro Botticelli
Venetia (Modena, Italy)

Language

Italian
Latin