CONTENTS

* Vincenzo Fardella de Quernfort, trad. di Lucio Marson, British involvements in the Kingdom of Sicily
* Giuseppe Natoli Rivas, In viaggio verso il ... '48. Quattro passi nel Risorgimento
* Joseph Geraci, Posta del XIX secolo fra Sicilia e Stati Uniti
* Antonino Pecoraro, Per una catalogazione aggiornata degli annulli tondo riquadrati di Sicilia
* Antimo Puca e Alberto Stracuzzi, L'annullo tondo-riquadrato nella provincia di Messina
* Documenti per la storia postale di Sicilia
* Vincenzo Fardella de Quernfort, Forwarders: primo aggiornamento al catalogo dei bolli siciliani
* Antonino Pecoraro, Un altro bollo di Marsala di cento anni fa
* Cateno Nisi, È di Artemide Aretusea la "Siracusana", una connessione storico-filatelica
* La storia del "Val di Mazara" rievocata con l'esposizione storico-postale "Marsala 2000" - le manifestazioni

CONTENTS

LA STORIA
* La Repubblica italiana, introduzione storica di Ester Capuzzo
* L'Archivio centrale dello Stato e la costituzione della Repubblica italiana, di Paola Carucci
* 1943-1948 dalla guerra alla Repubblica, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Le Forze Armate italiane e la loro posta militare dopo l'8 settembre 1943, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Gli alleati nella campagna d'Italia, di Luciano Buzzetti, Emilio M.Zucchi
* La perdita di territori metropolitani, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* L'abbandono dell'impero, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Infine, la Repubblica, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* La Venezia Giulia e il Territorio Libero di Trieste, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* L'Amministrazione fiduciaria italiana della Somalia, di Riccardo Bodo

LA POSTA
* Le poste: ordinamento, servizi e tariffe, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi, Mario Pozzati
* Le tariffe postali come misura dell'inflazione, di Benito Carobene
* Gli altri servizi postali, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Le concessioni postali: il recapito autorizzato e il trasporto dei pacchi, di Aristide Donà
* La posta aerea della Repubblica, di Fernando Corsari
* Le tariffe di posta aerea, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* I francobolli italiani nello spazio, di Mario Villa
* Le Forze Armate italiane e la posta dal dopoguerra, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Le missioni militari di pace oggi, di Rolando Mosca Moschini
* La meccanizzazione postale, di Giorgio Chianetta
* I bolli postali, di Mario Pozzati, Alcide Sortino
* Catalogo dei bolli italiani dei servizi distaccati 1944-1950, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi

LA FILATELIA
* I francobolli della Repubblica dall'ideazione alla distribuzione, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Gli artisti dei francobolli, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* I francobolli della Repubblica: questioni tecniche, di Gianni Carraro, Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi, Marcello Manelli
* Le carte-valori ordinarie della Repubblica, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Storie di commemorativi, di Giovanni Micheli
* Sessant'anni di interi postali in Italia, di Carlo Sopracordevole
* Il Gronchi rosa, di Umberto D'Arrò
* Lo sport nella posta e nella filatelia della Repubblica, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* La filatelia celebra la posta e sé stessa, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi
* Storia del commercio filatelico nell'età repubblicana, di Benito Carobene

EPILOGO
* Dall'Italia all'Europa, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi, Michele Picardi
* Le monete greche di Siracusa con testa di Aretusa e quadriga al galoppo, di Silvana Balbi de Caro
* Note su fonti e bibliografia, di Bruno Crevato-Selvaggi

CONTENTS

Preface by Nino Aquila
Presentation by Francesco Lombardo
Why the Comparative Plates of Sicilian Postage Stamps
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Postage Stamps of Sicily - Types

1/2 grano - plate 1
1/2 grano - plate 2
1 grano - plate 1 - I state
1 grano - plate 1 - II state
1 grano - plate 2
1 grano - plate 3
2 grana - plate 1
2 grana - plate 2
2 grana - plate 3
5 grana - plate 1 - Naples
5 grana - plate 1 - Palermo
5 grana - plate 2
10 grana - single plate
20 grana - single plate
50 grana - single plate

Bibliography
The author

Why the Comparative Plates of Sicilian Postage Stamps

Shortly after the General Direction of the Post of the Kingdom of Sardinia started selling, as collectibles, the remaining Bourbon stamps seized in the offices of the Island, the study of these magnificent rectangles of coloured paper began. Since then, they have been considered among the best made in the world.
As a matter of fact, a brief comparison with the other stamps available on the philatelic market at the beginning of the 1860's makes the artistic mastery of these Sicilian stamps immediately evident.

In 1863 the first studies of these stamps were published, and they were more and more specialized until Emilio Diena, the Great Master of the Italian philately, marked a milestone when he gave the fruit of his studies to the press in London in 1904. Since then, very little or almost nothing very innovative has been written about postage stamps. Some works, even recent ones, have only slightly dealt with the study of them, but they have brought to light some interesting findings on postal history and postmarks. Emilio Diena dedicated little time to these latter issues, not because he lacked knowledge, but rather because his research was only dedicated to "The History of Sicilian Postage Stamps".
The original edition, published in English in 1904, is practically untraceable. Both the later versions of the book are also difficult to find, the re-print in English, printed in 1969 by Giulio Bolaffi Editore and the Italian translated edition with notes added by Enzo Diena "Emilio Diena - Una vita per la Filatelia" (A Life Dedicated to Philately). The latter was published by the Post and Telecommunications Administration in 1989 on the occasion of the issuing of a stamp dedicated to the Great Master.

Now, in 2009, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Sicilian stamps, a new work, however following in the footsteps of Emilio Diena. Included in a slip-case are the work in colour with the comparative plates which are in all colour and have been analysed in detail in order to present their distinctive elements, and the complete and full size plates.
As one may notice this work is completely new in the layout and printing method implemented as we have not used the traditional four-colour screen or digital printing. This as a consequence of our belief that these two "archaic systems" would damage the fine detailed print of the plates and their portions, which are necessary to better compare them with the originals. We have chosen to use the stochastic printing system, which is also utilized in the reproduction of illuminated manuscripts and works that must be as close to the original as possible, especially in the fine details.
In our specific case, even the tiniest detail must be made visible in order to give the collector the chance to make a thorough comparison of the original stamp with the 100 on the complete sheet. The plates in the volume have been divided into blocks of 25 in order to identify each individual stamp more easily. The main characteristics of each stamp are noted so that one may pinpoint the placement of it and single out its variations caused by the wearing or different inking of the printing plate.
The retouched stamps have been reproduced in an enlarged and colour version with detailed descriptions so that the plating of the stamps on the sheets may be easily identified.

The images of the plates have come from various sources. Those of the grano first plate, first and second state, are the only complete ones in existence and have kindly been loaned by the Diena family of Rome, to whom our sincere thanks are due. The majority of the remaining images belong to our archive, among which some photographs have been donated by the late Bruno Barbacovi (Lavarone 1906 - Dimaro 1987). In addition to studying B.L.P. stamps of the Kingdom of Italy, Barbacovi also dedicated much of his time to building up the plates of Sicily. Others also come from the original sheets or are the result of the rearrangement of large blocks.

It has been said that philatelic collecting has evolved over the years and now tends to focus primarily on postal history. Philatelic collecting has indeed evolved, yet this has occurred much less radically than others may think. There are two different ways to collect and research stamps, yet both have their own undeniable value. However, in recent years there has been a marked return to the antique. This has involved the studying of stamps, among which those from Sicily prevail for their characteristics as they are so varied.

The main reason to publish this work is certainly not to revolutionize what Emilio Diena wrote more than one hundred years ago, but rather it is to offer collectors a simple and updated instrument to study in more detail the wonderful stamps of Sicily, whose undeniable beauty will live on forever.

Paolo Vaccari took up the hobby of philately and postal history as a child by collecting postage stamps and participating in exhibitions, conferences and seminars. In 1977 he decided to put his wealth of experience and knowledge into practice when he turned his passion into a business to which he could dedicate all his time. The postal history and stamp business was enriched with the publishing activity in 1989, together with his daughters, which came to publish important volumes of philatelic literature, some of them written by Paolo Vaccari himself. From this date onward he has published about 100 catalogues and numerous treatises on postal history, among which the "Catalogo Vaccari - Francobolli e storia postale - Antichi Stati Italiani, Governi provvisori, Regno d'Italia - 1850-1900". The catalogue has reached its XIV edition, after 20 years of publication, and over the years has received prestigious recognition nationally and internationally. Furthermore, "Vaccari Magazine", whose editor is Paolo Vaccari, has also achieved excellent worldwide recognition and celebrated thirty years in 2018.

Paolo Vaccari received the Philatelic Oscar from the Italian Academy of Philately and Postal History for the numerous studies he has published.
For the volume "Sicilia 1859 - Comparative plates of stamps" he received the award of the Italian Philatelic Press Union.
He has received over one hundred awards of recognition worldwide for his written and published works.
He also received the "Regione Toscana" cup and the "Fiorino d'Oro" for displaying specialized collections centred on the Grand Duchy of Tuscany philately of the XIX century.
In 2008 he received the "Ragno d'Oro - UNICEF" award in the trade category, an award granted to people from Modena who have contributed to increasing the prestige of the city of Modena within the country and abroad.

He is a philatelic expert for the C.C.I.A.A. and the Court of Modena.
He has taken part in appraisals and provided expert analyses for Credit Institutions.
He is a member of the national register of journalists, special section, and of the "Unione Stampa Filatelica Italiana" (USFI).
He was a member of the "Club Elite de la Philatélie" of Monte Carlo, presided over by Prince Ranieri, a closed number club in which the 100 most important philatelic experts worldwide may take part, receiving the highest Monacan recognition each time, the Ranieri gold medal.
He is a member of the "Académie Européenne de Philatélie" with headquarters in Paris.
He was a member of the "Consulta per la filatelia del Ministero delle Comunicazioni".
He was named honorary partner of the prestigious "Associazione Italiana di Storia Postale" (A.I.S.P.) with headquarters in Milan, and of the "Accademia Italiana di Filatelia e Storia Postale" in 2009.
He is a member of the "Deputazione di Storia Patria per le Antiche Province Modenesi";
of numerous Italian and foreign philatelic associations;
of the "Accademia dello Scoltenna".
He is a member of the Philatelic Veterans Register since 1985.
Since 1993 he has been a Trade Master with 40 years of experience in the business at the time.

USFI (Italian Philatelic Press Union) AWARD for philatelic literature "Apollonio" 2010

LARGE GOLD + SPECIAL PRIZE - HUNFILA 2011
8-10 aprile 2011
(Balatonfüred - Ungheria)

LARGE GOLD - ROSSICA 2014
27-29 ottobre 2014
Mosca, Russia

GOLD - PARIS-PHILEX 2016
19-22 maggio 2016

GOLD - VIANNA 2014
5-9 novembre 2014
Viana do Castelo, Portogallo

GOLD - IPHLA 2012
Mainz, 2-4 novembre 2012

GOLD - APS STAMPSHOW 2011
Columbus, Ohio, USA
11-14 agosto 2011

GOLD - NEW ZEALAND LIT. EXHIB. 2011
19 marzo 2011
(Palmerston North - New Zealand)

GOLD - CHICAGOPEX 2010
19-21 novembre 2010
(Arlington Heights, IL, USA)

GOLD - NAPEX 2010
Washington, 4-6 giugno 2010

LARGE VERMEIL - BRASILIANA 2013
Rio de Janeiro
19-25 novembre 2013

LARGE VERMEIL - INDONESIA 2012
18-24 giugno 2012
(Jakarta, Indonesia)

LARGE VERMEIL - PHILANIPPON 2011
28 luglio - 2 agosto 2011
(Yokohama, Japan)

LARGE VERMEIL - JOBURG 2010
Johannesburg, South Africa
27-31 ottobre 2010

LARGE VERMEIL - PORTUGAL 2010
Lisbona, 1-10 ottobre 2010

LARGE VERMEIL - LONDON 2010 - Festival of Stamps
Londra, 8-15 maggio 2010

VERMEIL - ITALIA 2009
Roma, Palazzo dei Congressi
21-25 ottobre 2009

CONTENTS

* The political background
* The letters of the Viceroys in Sicily
* Chronology of the Maestri di Posta
* The regulations
* The postal routes
* The introduction of departure handstamps in the Palermo and Messia offices
* The Postal Office
* The control marks used by the Postal Administration
* Taxation marks (Group 8)
* The 'P' mark (Group 7)
* ROCM (Royal Office of Corriere Maggiore)
* The staffette
* The royal decree of 10 November 1819
* The risings of 1820 in Sicily
* The postal service during the 1820-21 Revolution
* Free-frankking
* Post office countersignatures for free-franking
* Post office countersignatures for free-franking
* The countersign stamps prepared by the post for use by governmental offices
* Countersignatures for freefranking and administration marks
* Real Servizio (Royal Service)
* Franca - postage prepaid
* Insured letters
* Letters wrongly rated - mal tassate
* Misdirected letters
* Letters where addressee had moved house
* Undelivered letters - lettere non distribuite
* Two-route letters - doppia corsa
* The cross routes
* The corriers for the lottery
* Article 14 of the postal regulation of 10 November 1819
* Letterbox - Buca
* The date-stamps of Palermo used on arrival from 1787 to 1819
* The date-stamps of Palermo from 1817 to 1858
* The date-stamps of Messina
* Postage on credit - Lettere a credito
* Communal offices - Cancellerie Comunali
* The Sicilian Revolution of 1848-49
* The postal service during the 1848-1849 Revolution
* The postal handstamps and the trinacria symbols used during the 1848-1849 Revolution
* Sea-Mail - Via di Mare
* The Butera courier
* Health
* The forwarding agent
* The telegraph service
* Handwritten place-names
* British troops in Sicily
* Worn-out or damaged handstamps
* Postal tariffs and rates levied
* The inks used in the offices to stamp letters
* Forged handstamps

* Annex
* Documents
* Catalogue
* Bibliography

CONTENTS

* Preface
* Foreword
* Introduction
* Colour Plates
* An outline of the history of Ethiopia from Lucy to 1850
* The Emperor Tewodros and the Napier expedition (1855-1868)
* The Emperors Johannes IV and Menelik II (1868-1894)
* The first Ethiopian stamps and the beginning of postal activities (1894-1899)
* The handstamp "ETHIOPIE" (1900-1902)
* The handstamp "BOSTA" (1902)
* The handstamp "MELIKT" (1903)
* The handstamp "MILIKIT" (1904)
* The numerals issue and the Harar provisionals (1905)
* The new post offices of Dire Daoua and the two issues handstamped "Menelik" (1906)
* The shutting down of the Ethiopian post and the transition period (1907)
* The organization period and the admission of Ethiopia to U.P.U. (1908)
* The definitive set and the new postal services (1909)
* The Dire Daoua provisionals (1911)
* The Coronation of Empress Zawditu and the three 1917 issues (1917)
* The definitive set "Animals and Rulers" (1919)
* The provisional surcharges of the years 1919-1928
* The new definitive set and the two handstamped issues
* The proclamation of Ras Tafari Negus (King) (1928)
* The arrival of the first Ethiopian aircraft to Addis Ababa (1929)
* The death of Empress Zawditu and the Coronation of Ras Tafari as Emperor with the name of Hailé Selassié (1930)
* The provisional low values and the new issue of definitives (1931)
* The inauguration of the first radio station (1935)
* The Italian occupation and end of the Ethiopian Empire (1936)
* The use of Ethiopian cancellers by Italians (1936)

APPENDIX
* Identification of faked covers and postal cards
* The cancellations
* Postmarks and registration labels (November 1908-May 1936)
* The postal rates (January 1895-May 1936)
* The period of validity of the various issues
* Sales of stamps and mail forwarded
* The evaluation of covers and postal cards
* The postal organization
* The Ethiopian calendar and the Amharic numerals

Bibliography

1929-2006. Born in Milan, after the war he took the Ph.D. in Industrial Chemistry and worked with Nobel laureate prof. G. Natta.
Afterwards, he worked in the pharmaceutical industry and for some years he was professor of organic chemistry at the University of Milan.
After retirement, he worked with many international companies in Europe and USA and with UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organization) contributing to the development of some less developed countries.
Since his youth, he was interested in stamps collecting, his main interests being stamps and postal history of Ethiopia, Romania and Bulgaria.
He obtained gold medals for his postal history pre UPU (1867-1908) collection of Ethiopia at London 2000, Madrid 2000, Bruxelles 2001 and Japan 2001 world exhibitions.
His postal history collection of the UPU period (1909-1936) was awarded with large gold and special prize, and with large gold and special prize for the most beautiful collection of the postal history section at the Italian National exhibitions of S. Colombano (2002) and Sestri Levante (2003).
His Bulgaria collections were awarded the large vermeil at Ravenna (2004) and gold medal at Villa Manin (2005).
Other interests include modern graphics, classic and jazz music and sailing, making cruises in the Mediterranean sea.

GOLD - NEW ZEALAND LITERATURE EXHIBITION
25 giugno 2005
(Palmerston North, New Zealand)

GOLD - BRIANZA 1999 (Cavenago)

LARGE VERMEIL - HAFNIA 2001
(Copenaghen, Denmark)

LARGE VERMEIL - GIFRA 2001 (Ravenna)
settembre
Nazionale italiana

LARGE VERMEIL - PHILANIPPON 2001 (Tokio)

LARGE VERMEIL - BELGICA 2001 (Bruxelles)

LARGE VERMEIL - ESPAÑA 2000 (Madrid)

LARGE VERMEIL - WIPA 2000 (Vienna)

LARGE VERMEIL - THE STAMP SHOW 2000
(Londra)

LARGE VERMEIL - C5NPLE 2000
(Ottawa, Canada)

LARGE VERMEIL - PHILEXFRANCE 1999 (Parigi)

VERMEIL - CYPRUS EUROPHILEX 2002 (Cipro)
22-29 ottobre 2002

VERMEIL - APS STAMPSHOW 2002
(Atlantic City, USA)

BRONZE-SILVER - ORAPEX 2002 (Ottawa, Canada)
4-5 maggio 2002

CONTENTS

* PIER PAOLO FRANCINI, News before art
* DIETMAR FIEDLER, Preface
* DANILO BOGONI, "Don't be afraid!" cry the stamps too
* Publisher's choices
* User's guide

STAMPS FOR THE POPE FROM THE EAST
* The Pilgrim Pope
* Drawings and photographs
* One icon for a variety of occasions
* With the philatelist in mind
* The Pope has come to visit us
* Miniature manifesto
* Focus on local circumstances
* Without forgetting the enthusiasts
* Two thousand years of Christianity
* 25th anniversary celebrations
* Birthday stamps
* The immediate elaboration of the mourning
* The mourning continues
* The tradition of the "Vacant See"
* The Italian case
* Italy as seen by the Vatican
* Notes

TRIPS ABROAD
* The first trip: overseas - 1 The Dominican Republic I, Mexico I and the Bahamas
* The first glance towards East - 2 Poland I
* "Pilgrimage for Peace" - 3 Ireland, the United Nations I and the United States of America I
* The meeting with Dimitrios I… repeated - 4 Turkey
* In Africa, "where hunger is lethal" - 5 Zaire I, the Congo Republic, Kenya I, Ghana, Haute-Volta (Burkina Faso I) and the Ivory Coast I
* Shadows and lights on the Church - 6 France I
* Catholics, immigration, and poverty - 7 Brazil I
* The double homage to Saint Albertus Magnus - 8 Germany I
* Many different worlds - 9 Pakistan, the Philippines I, the United States of America II and Japan
* Love, respect, esteem. And more - 10 Nigeria I, Benin I, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea
* In Fatima, a year after the attempt on his life - 11 Portugal I
* The Falklands-Malvinas war breaks out - 12 The United Kingdom
* Buenos Aires makes stamps warfare too - 13 Brazil II and Argentina I
* A homage to work - 14 Switzerland I
* All were there listening to him - 15 San Marino
* From the past Inquisition, from the future Europe - 16 Spain I
* From Nicaragua a …military set - 17 Portugal II, Costa Rica, Nicaragua I, Panama, El Salvador I, Guatemala I, Honduras, Belize and Haiti
* Jaruzelski and the appeal for peace - 18 Poland II
* From Lourdes an embrace to those suffering persecution - 19 France II
* The Ottomans and Europe - 20 Austria I
* The vitality of the Church wishing to renew itself - 21 The United States of America III, South Korea I, Papua New Guinea I, the Salomon Islands and Thailand
* The quest for unity at international level - 22 Switzerland II
* In the steps of Jacques Cartier - 23 Canada I
* The adventure of Christopher Columbus - 24 Spain II, the Dominican Republic II and Puerto Rico
* Solidarity and dialogue - 25 Venezuela I, Ecuador, Peru I, Trinidad and Tobago
* There's "a great need for unity" - 26 The Netherlands, Luxembourg and Belgium I
* Flourishing churches, solidarity and dignity - 27 Togo, the Ivory Coast II, Cameroon I, the Central African Republic, Zaire II, Kenya II and Morocco
* An important stop for collectors - 28 Switzerland III and Liechtenstein
* Why this trip? - 29 India I
* Guerrilla warfare and drugs - 30 Colombia and Saint Lucia
* At least for one day, let arms be laid down - 31 France III
* Seek the truth, even among differences - 32 Bangladesh, Singapore, the Fiji islands, New Zealand, Australia I and the Seychelles
* Behind the scenes of the diplomatic controversy - 33 Uruguay I, Chile and Argentina II
* Do not forget the past - 34 Germany II
* The shadow of the president - 35 Poland III
* "May God bless America" - 36 The United States of America IV and Canada II
* The initial outcome - 37 Uruguay II, Bolivia, Peru II and Paraguay
* Speech in Mauthausen - 38 Austria II
* The condemnation of Apartheid, despite the unexpected event - 39 Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland and Mozambique
* From Strasbourg to Europe - 40 France IV
* Focus on marital loyalty - 41 Madagascar, Réunion Island, Zambia and Malawi
* In the land of Luther - 42 Norway, Iceland, Finland, Denmark and Sweden
* With youths at the millennium end - 43 Spain III
* USSR, North Korea, China, Timor - 44 South Korea II, Indonesia and Mauritius
* A challenge for solidarity from Sahel - 45 Cape Verde, Bissau Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso II and Chad
* Freedom rediscovered - 46 Czechoslovakia I
* The ice has melted - 47 Mexico II and the Dutch Antilles
* Peace talks - 48 Malta I
* The ills of Africa, progress defeated - 49 Malta II, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and the Ivory Coast III
* Back to Fatima, with a different perspective - 50 Portugal III
* Concern for the future - 51 Poland IV
* The Pope and youth - 52 Poland IV and Hungary I
* Democracy, the favelas and children - 53 Brazil III
* Thirteen million slaves - 54 Senegal, Gambia and Guinea
* Half a millennium of Evangelisation - 55 Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe
* Following the tracks of Christopher Columbus - 56 The Dominican Republic III
* The most difficult leg of the journey - 57 Benin II, Uganda and Sudan
* The Country of the eagles and of escape - 58 Albania
* As in 1982, more than in 1982 - 59 Spain IV
* The youth of the US - 60 Jamaica, Mexico III and the United States of America V
* A kind of home-coming - 61 Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
* In Zagabria, thinking of Sarajevo - 62 Croatia I
* The youth and devout from the East - 63 The Philippines II, Papua New Guinea II, Australia II and Sri Lanka
* "I beg for the forgiveness of Non Catholics" - 64 The Czech Republic II and Poland V
* Stop wars! - 65 Belgium II
* Condemnation of nationalism - 66 Slovakia II
* South African apartheid is behind us - 67 Cameroon II, South Africa and Kenya III
* The UN fifty years on - 68 The United Nations II and the United States of America VI
* Peace, war and the road to democracy - 69 Guatemala II, Nicaragua II, El Salvador II and Venezuela II
* The door to Islam - 70 Tunisia
* In the independent Country - 71 Slovenia I
* To Germany, reunited - 72 Germany III
* Celebrations for the millenarian monastery - 73 Hungary II
* A purely Pastoral visit - 74 France V
* Finally in Sarajevo - 75 Bosnia and Herzegovina I
* The relevance of Saint Adalbert today - 76 The Czech Republic III
* No to external interference - 77 Lebanon
* Ten busy days - 78 Poland VI
* The young, and the Huguenots too - 79 France VI
* The family and the suffering as protagonists - 80 Brazil IV
* Together with 2,700 foreign journalists - 81 Cuba
* The Trappist Monk and human rights - 82 Nigeria II
* Giving a Christian face back to Europe - 83 Austria III
* The controversy concerning the Beatification of Stepinac - 84 Croatia II
* Resisting the culture of death - 85 Mexico IV and the United States of America VII
* In Bucharest with the Orthodox - 86 Rumania
* From Danzig to Czestochowa. Then 2000 - 87 Poland VII
* Return to independent Slovenia - 88 Slovenia II
* The difficulties of the Asiatic journey - 89 India II and Georgia
* In the footsteps of Abraham - 90 Egypt
* In the Holy Land at last! - 91 Jordan, the Independent Palestinian Areas and Israel
* Fatima and the "Third Secret" - 92 Portugal IV
* Saint Paul's route - 93 Greece, Syria and Malta III
* A much awaited visit - 94 Ukraine
* After 11th September a choice between good and evil - 95 Kazakhstan and Armenia
* Between present and past - 96 Azerbaijan and Bulgaria
* Symbols and risks - 97 Canada III, Guatemala III and Mexico V
* Different assessments - 98 Poland VIII
* "Let peace be with you, Spain!" - 99 Spain V
* The various sides - 100 Croatia III
* Ivan Merz and the war - 101 Bosnia and Herzegovina II
* A tired Pope - 102 Slovakia III
* "I too was twenty once" - 103 Switzerland IV
* Sick among the sick - 104 France VII

* Travelling with... covers

* Bibliography
* The author
* Alphabetical list of the Countries

N.B.: the roman numerals indicate, according to the official list, the number of times the Pontiff returned to the Country specified

THE MAIN CHARACTERS: THE JOURNEYS
This work considers the 104 journeys that the Vicar of Christ undertook outside Italy throughout his Papacy, following the criteria put in place by the Holy See.
A chapter is dedicated to each journey in chronological order, presenting details of the postal issues distributed for the occasion, and ideally retracing the itinerary followed by the Pontiff. Both the issues produced by the countries that hosted the Pope over time and, at the end of each chapter, those issued by the Vatican in connection with the same itinerary are reproduced and described.
For the countries that received him, the research has involved the periods immediately before and after the visit up to approximately one year after the event: in fact, various realities, rather than announcing the experience, prefer to comment on it afterwards. In some cases, therefore, both focuses are highlighted.
The Vatican, on the other hand, has always upheld its own tradition: it waits a certain length of time - usually one or two years - and then it issues a commemorative series, generally dedicating a stamp to each itinerary. For example, the five projects completed in 1999 (Mexico and the United States together, Romania, Poland, Slovenia, India and Georgia) are celebrated with the same number of copies, which came out on the 1st September 2000. Sometimes more general subjects are added, as happened on the 3rd December 1981: alongside the places visited the previous year we have the papal coat of arms (50 lire) or His Holiness giving a blessing (900 lire).
To define the historical moment and provide further details in order to take both the journey and the circumstances in which it took place into consideration, a brief account of the visit is also given through the writings of journalists at the time or, subsequently, of the experts.

NOT JUST A PASTORAL VIEWPOINT
The creation of this collection aims to go further. Various visits were distinguished by one or more prominent themes, commemorated by special stamps issued around the time of the Pontiff's visit.
These include historical anniversaries, events, religious ceremonies that are worth noting: they are not strictly linked with the Pope's visit - although the Pope himself is involved - but they can help us fully understand its context.
His first stay in Argentina, from the 10th to the 13th June 1982, had one main motivation: to attempt mediation between Buenos Aires and London, divided by the bloody Falkland-Malvinas conflict. Of course, the South-American country highlights the presence of the Bishop of Rome on the 12th June, but the issues also help us understand the climate at the time, such as those from the 22nd April where the islands are shown as being Argentinean.
Another example: from the 6th to the 16th October 1989 the Pilgrim visited, in order, South Korea, Indonesia and Mauritius. Seoul did not issue any special stamps, but on the 4th October an 80 Won commemorates the 44th International Eucharistic Congress, organised in the Asian capital and attended by the Pontiff.

REFERENCES FOR COLLECTORS
This book considers all of the official stamps and souvenir sheets issued by a certain reality.
In order to facilitate research for collectors, with their kind permission, the corresponding numbering in the (in alphabetical order) Michel, Scott, Unificato and Yvert & Tellier catalogues has been included for each stamp presented.
Note that there are no valuations of the items described and/or reproduced in the book. You can refer to the aforementioned catalogues for this.

Fabio Bonacina, a journalist, mainly works in public communication, but he also writes about stamps and the post. The newspapers and magazines that have published his articles include "Cronaca filatelica", "L'arte del francobollo", "Vaccari magazine", "Esperienza", "Giornale di Brescia", and "Italia oggi". He is President of the Italian Philatelic Press Union since 2014, and editor of the daily web magazine of philately and postal information "Vaccari news" (www.vaccarinews.it) since 2003.
He has been awarded the prize by Usfi (Italian Philatelic Press Union) in 2010, he has obtained the award for journalism by the Town of Riccione in 2006, and the oscar for philately by Circolo filatelico numismatico reggiano in 2002.
For this publisher he has written the books "Propaganda con i denti - Il francobollo come mezzo di comunicazione nelle relazioni internazionali, il secondo dopoguerra"; "La salma nascosta - Mussolini a Cerro Maggiore dopo piazzale Loreto (1946-1957)", published in two editions; "Giovanni Paolo II - Viaggi di speranza - I francobolli del mondo testimoniano le visite di Papa Wojtyla", translated into English and German (English edition "John Paul II - Visits of hope - World stamps witness the travels of Pope Wojtyla"); "Campioni del mondo - I francobolli dei Paesi organizzatori e vincitori dei Mondiali di calcio 1930-2006"; "Buon Natale! Il libro-album per la raccolta dei francobolli italiani sul Natale 1970-2010"; "Habemus Papam. Tutti i Papi da Francesco a Pio XII. Il libro-album dei francobolli italiani"; "Campioni del mondo 2 - I francobolli dei Paesi organizzatori e vincitori dei Mondiali di calcio 2010-2014".

VERMEIL - IPHLA 2012
Mainz, 2-4 novembre 2012

VERMEIL - ROMAFIL 2007
Palazzo dei Congressi Roma EUR
12-14 ottobre 2007

SILVER - STAMPSHOW 2008
Pretoria, South Africa
23-25 ottobre 2008

SILVER - MONTENEGROFILA 2008
Montenegro
2-5 ottobre 2008

SILVER - EFIRO 2008
Bucharest, Romania
20-28 giugno 2008

SILVER - HUNFILA 2007 - International Stamp Exhibition
26-30 settembre 2007
Budapest

SILVER - APS STAMPSHOW 2007
Portland, Oregon, USA
9-12 agosto 2007

SILVER - ST. PETERSBURG 2007
General World Stamp Exhibition
St. Petersburg, 19-25 giugno 2007

SILVER - ALPE ADRIA 2007
1-3 giugno 2007
CAORLE (VE), Italy

SILVER - CHICAGOPEX 2006
17-19 novembre 2006
(Chicago, USA)

SILVER-BRONZE - CHINA 2009
Luoyang City, Henan Province, P.R. China
10-16 aprile 2009

SILVER-BRONZE - NEW ZEALAND 10TH NATION. PHILATELIC LITERATURE EXHIBITION
30 giugno 2007
(Palmerston North, New Zealand)

BRONZE- SILVER - IBRA 2009
Essen, Germany
6-10 maggio 2009

BRONZE- SILVER - WIPA08
Vienna
18-21 settembre 2008

BRONZE- SILVER - ESPAÑA 06
Exposición Mundial de Filatelia
Málaga 7-13 ottobre 2006

DIPLOMA - SINDELFINGEN 2006
24th International Stamp Fair
27-29 ottobre 2006

PHILATELIC SHOPS

- Philatelic Bibliopole, Leonard Hartmann (USA)
- Vera Trinder, London (UK)

- "Gabriel" Associations

ITALY
- Abafil (Milano)
- Ercole Gloria (Milano)
- Marini (Genova)
- Ungaro (Trentino - Veneto - Friuli)
- Riva Reno (Bologna)
- Sintoni (Forlì)
- Geoprogram (Roma)
- Interfinum (Roma)
- Philcap (Roma)


LIBRARIES DISTRIBUTION

- Casalini Libri
- Demea (Roma, Lazio, Abruzzo)
- LS (Italia)

CONTENTS

Preface by Nino Aquila
Presentation by Francesco Lombardo
Why the Comparative Plates of Sicilian Postage Stamps
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies
The Postage Stamps of Sicily - Types

1/2 grano - plate 1
1/2 grano - plate 2
1 grano - plate 1 - I state
1 grano - plate 1 - II state
1 grano - plate 2
1 grano - plate 3
2 grana - plate 1
2 grana - plate 2
2 grana - plate 3
5 grana - plate 1 - Naples
5 grana - plate 1 - Palermo
5 grana - plate 2
10 grana - single plate
20 grana - single plate
50 grana - single plate

Bibliography
The author

Why the Comparative Plates of Sicilian Postage Stamps

Shortly after the General Direction of the Post of the Kingdom of Sardinia started selling, as collectibles, the remaining Bourbon stamps seized in the offices of the Island, the study of these magnificent rectangles of coloured paper began. Since then, they have been considered among the best made in the world.
As a matter of fact, a brief comparison with the other stamps available on the philatelic market at the beginning of the 1860's makes the artistic mastery of these Sicilian stamps immediately evident.
In 1863 the first studies of these stamps were published, and they were more and more specialized until Emilio Diena, the Great Master of the Italian philately, marked a milestone when he gave the fruit of his studies to the press in London in 1904. Since then, very little or almost nothing very innovative has been written about postage stamps. Some works, even recent ones, have only slightly dealt with the study of them, but they have brought to light some interesting findings on postal history and postmarks. Emilio Diena dedicated little time to these latter issues, not because he lacked knowledge, but rather because his research was only dedicated to "The History of Sicilian Postage Stamps".
The original edition, published in English in 1904, is practically untraceable. Both the later versions of the book are also difficult to find, the re-print in English, printed in 1969 by Giulio Bolaffi Editore and the Italian translated edition with notes added by Enzo Diena, "Emilio Diena - Una vita per la Filatelia". The latter was published by the Post and Telecommunications Administration in 1989 on the occasion of the issuing of a stamp dedicated to the Great Master.

Now, in 2009, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Sicilian stamps, a new work, however following in the footsteps of Emilio Diena. Included in a slip-case are the work with the comparative plates which are in all colour and have been analysed in detail in order to present their distinctive elements, and the 15 complete and full size plates in a special holder, in two separate editions in Italian and English.
As one may notice this work is completely new in the layout and printing method implemented as we have not used the traditional four-colour screen or digital printing. This as a consequence of our belief that these two "archaic systems" would damage the fine detailed print of the plates and their portions, which are necessary to better compare them with the originals. We have chosen to use the stochastic printing system, which is also utilized in the reproduction of illuminated manuscripts and works that must be as close to the original as possible, especially in the fine details.
In our specific case, even the tiniest detail must be made visible in order to give the collector the chance to make a thorough comparison of the original stamp with the 100 on the complete sheet. The plates in the volume have been divided into blocks of 25 in order to identify each individual stamp more easily. The main characteristics of each stamp are noted so that one may pinpoint the placement of it and single out its variations caused by the wearing or different inking of the printing plate. The retouched stamps have been reproduced in an enlarged and colour version with detailed descriptions so that their plating on the sheets may be easily identified.
We must be thankful for Giuseppe La Barbera and Francesco Lao for how they were able to execute their work, that I personally believe was brilliant, when taking into consideration the technology they had available to them long ago in 1858-1859. Not even today, despite all the technology we have available to us, would we be able to convey the charm that only these one-of-a-kind Sicilian stamps are able to exude. They reward us with the feeling of relaxation that we all seek to achieve by closing ourselves off from daily life for awhile.
I humbly dedicate my new work to these intrepid printers and to the great engraver of the steel matrix, Tommaso Aloysio Juvara.

The images of the plates have come from various sources. Those of the grano first plate, first and second state, are the only complete ones in existence and have kindly been loaned by the Diena family of Rome, to whom our sincere thanks are due. The majority of the remaining images belong to our archive, among which some photographs have been donated by the late Bruno Barbacovi (Lavarone 1906 - Dimaro 1987). In addition to studying B.L.P. stamps of the Kingdom of Italy, Barbacovi also dedicated much of his time to building up the plates of Sicily. Others also come from the original sheets or are the result of the rearrangement of large blocks, which belong to collectors who decided to remain anonymous but made their material available to me, giving me the chance to make this research as thorough as possible.

It has been said that philatelic collecting has evolved over the years and now tends to focus primarily on postal history. Philatelic collecting has indeed evolved, yet this has occurred much less radically than others may think. There are two different ways to collect and research stamps, yet both have their own undeniable value. However, in recent years there has been a marked return to the antique. This has involved the studying of stamps, among which those from Sicily prevail for their characteristics as they are so varied.
The main reason to publish this work is certainly not to revolutionize what Emilio Diena wrote more than one hundred years ago, but rather it is to offer collectors a simple and updated instrument to study in more detail the wonderful stamps of Sicily, whose undeniable beauty will live on forever.

Paolo Vaccari took up the hobby of philately and postal history as a child by collecting postage stamps and participating in exhibitions, conferences and seminars. In 1977 he decided to put his wealth of experience and knowledge into practice when he turned his passion into a business to which he could dedicate all his time. The postal history and stamp business was enriched with the publishing activity in 1989, together with his daughters, which came to publish important volumes of philatelic literature, some of them written by Paolo Vaccari himself. From this date onward he has published about 100 catalogues and numerous treatises on postal history, among which the "Catalogo Vaccari - Francobolli e storia postale - Antichi Stati Italiani, Governi provvisori, Regno d'Italia - 1850-1900". The catalogue has reached its XIV edition, after 20 years of publication, and over the years has received prestigious recognition nationally and internationally. Furthermore, "Vaccari Magazine", whose editor is Paolo Vaccari, has also achieved excellent worldwide recognition and celebrated thirty years in 2018.

Paolo Vaccari received the Philatelic Oscar from the Italian Academy of Philately and Postal History for the numerous studies he has published.
For the volume "Sicilia 1859 - Comparative plates of stamps" he received the award of the Italian Philatelic Press Union.
He has received over one hundred awards of recognition worldwide for his written and published works.
He also received the "Regione Toscana" cup and the "Fiorino d'Oro" for displaying specialized collections centred on the Grand Duchy of Tuscany philately of the XIX century.
In 2008 he received the "Ragno d'Oro - UNICEF" award in the trade category, an award granted to people from Modena who have contributed to increasing the prestige of the city of Modena within the country and abroad.

He is a philatelic expert for the C.C.I.A.A. and the Court of Modena.
He has taken part in appraisals and provided expert analyses for Credit Institutions.
He is a member of the national register of journalists, special section, and of the "Unione Stampa Filatelica Italiana" (USFI).
He was a member of the "Club Elite de la Philatélie" of Monte Carlo, presided over by Prince Ranieri, a closed number club in which the 100 most important philatelic experts worldwide may take part, receiving the highest Monacan recognition each time, the Ranieri gold medal.
He is a member of the "Académie Européenne de Philatélie" with headquarters in Paris.
He was a member of the "Consulta per la filatelia del Ministero delle Comunicazioni".
He was named honorary partner of the prestigious "Associazione Italiana di Storia Postale" (A.I.S.P.) with headquarters in Milan, and of the "Accademia Italiana di Filatelia e Storia Postale" in 2009.
He is a member of the "Deputazione di Storia Patria per le Antiche Province Modenesi";
of numerous Italian and foreign philatelic associations;
of the "Accademia dello Scoltenna".
He is a member of the Philatelic Veterans Register since 1985.
Since 1993 he has been a Trade Master with 40 years of experience in the business at the time.

USFI (Italian Philatelic Press Union) AWARD for philatelic literature "Apollonio" 2010

LARGE GOLD + SPECIAL PRIZE - HUNFILA 2011
8-10 aprile 2011
(Balatonfüred - Ungheria)

LARGE GOLD - ROSSICA 2014
27-29 ottobre 2014
Mosca, Russia

GOLD - PARIS-PHILEX 2016
19-22 maggio 2016

GOLD - VIANNA 2014
5-9 novembre 2014
Viana do Castelo, Portogallo

GOLD - IPHLA 2012
Mainz, 2-4 novembre 2012

GOLD - APS STAMPSHOW 2011
Columbus, Ohio, USA
11-14 agosto 2011

GOLD - NEW ZEALAND LIT. EXHIB. 2011
19 marzo 2011
(Palmerston North - New Zealand)

GOLD - CHICAGOPEX 2010
19-21 novembre 2010
(Arlington Heights, IL, USA)

GOLD - NAPEX 2010
Washington, 4-6 giugno 2010

LARGE VERMEIL - BRASILIANA 2013
Rio de Janeiro
19-25 novembre 2013

LARGE VERMEIL - INDONESIA 2012
18-24 giugno 2012
(Jakarta, Indonesia)

LARGE VERMEIL - PHILANIPPON 2011
28 luglio - 2 agosto 2011
(Yokohama, Japan)

LARGE VERMEIL - JOBURG 2010
Johannesburg, South Africa
27-31 ottobre 2010

LARGE VERMEIL - PORTUGAL 2010
Lisbona, 1-10 ottobre 2010

LARGE VERMEIL - LONDON 2010 - Festival of Stamps
Londra, 8-15 maggio 2010

VERMEIL - ITALIA 2009
Roma, Palazzo dei Congressi
21-25 ottobre 2009

CONTENTS

Introduction, by Gaetano Greco e Mario Rosa
I. Political institutions, by Marcello Verga
II. Political culture, by Mario Rosa
III. Foreign Politics and diplomacy: roles, problems and apparatuses, by Daniela Frigo
IV. Local churches, by Gaetano Greco
V. Demographic processes, by Lorenzo Del Panta
VI. Economy, by Paolo Malanima
VII. Society, by Franco Angiolini
Bibliography

LARGE GOLD - BRNO CZ 2005 (Brno, Repubblica Ceca)
10-15 maggio 2005

LARGE GOLD - ESPAÑA 2004 (Valencia)
22-30 maggio 2004

LARGE GOLD - TEMEX 2003 (Buenos Aires)
8-13 dicembre 2003

LARGE GOLD - VASTOPHIL 2003 (Vasto)
30-31 maggio 2003
Nazionale italiana

LARGE GOLD - CYPRUS EUROPHILEX 2002 (Cipro)
22-29 ottobre 2002

GOLD - GIUBIASCOFIL 2005
29 aprile - 1 maggio 2005
(Giubiasco - Ticino, Svizzera)

GOLD - TICINO 2003 (Locarno)
18-22 giugno 2003

LARGE VERMEIL - WASHINGTON 2006 Washington, DC, USA
World Philatelic Exhibition
27 maggio - 3 giugno 2006

LARGE VERMEIL - PACIFIC EXPLORER 2005
21-24 aprile 2005 (Sydney)