576 pp. - 36 pages with colour plates - format cm 17x24 - softbound - printed 2011
series «Handies»
Italian text

ALSO AS FREE BOOK (class C)

POSTAL RELATIONS OF ITALY IN 1800s
ITALY - FRANCE
Postal conventions and rates
Annotated list of mail in the philatelic period

This is the second volume of a series devoted to postal relations between Italy and foreign countries during the XIX century, specifically from 1850 to 1875, a quarter of century from the introduction of postage stamps in Italy to the creation of the Universal Postal Union. It is a key period, as there was a great progress in communications and the many postal conventions signed led to the unitary rate of 1875.

The work considers the whole XIX century, because it is after Napoleon's fall and the position of Italy decided by the Congress of Vienna that the idea of a renewal of postal services arose. There were the first bilateral postal conventions intended to make the forwarding of mail between the states easier, safer, and cheaper for users.

Italian postal history has been progressing during last decades, above all the study of postal conventions and rates of Italian Ancient States, Kingdom and Republic. A bit less studied the relations with foreign countries which were based - as it is known - on bilateral conventions and agreements, and sometimes on implied consent or on usual temporary procedures.

The aim of this volume, of the previous one about relations between Italy and Switzerland, and of the following ones, is that of giving a uniform picture of known or never published details relevant to conventions and rates in postal communications between Italy and foreign countries in the XIX century.

Particular attention has been given to the annotated list of mail known in the philatelic period: information comes from auction catalogues, price lists, collections and different publications. This is not a comprehensive list; however, through the description of each item, accompanied by philatelic notes, routes, postmarks and rates, collectors can have all the details relevant to the mail under examination. Moreover, the list is very useful from a statistical point of view: it illustrates postal communications between each Italian state and foreign countries, in this specific volume between each Italian state and France.

Some particularly important letters and postal documents have been selected and reproduced in colour in the tables at the beginning of the book, in order to give a picture of mail under examination.