300th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF POPE CLEMENT XIV

The year 2005 will be the three hundredth anniversary of the birth of Pope Clement XIV (in the world Giovan Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli from Santarcangelo, 1705-1774). Member of the Friars Conventual of Saint Francis with the name of Lorenzo, he stood out as a preacher and for his solid philosophical and theological knowledge. In 1740 he became a consultant of the Holy Office and head of the Convent of San Bonaventura. He was appointed Cardinal by Clement XIII and became Pope after his death. He is remembered for his fight against rampant heresy, the abolition of the Society of Jesus, but also for the great humanistic and artistic works: the attempts to have back the property taken away from the Church; the beginning of the reclamation work of the Pontine swamps; the document for the defence of the Jews; the establishment of the Vatican Museum. On occasion of the three hundredth anniversary of his birth, two stamps have been designed to briefly summarise his religious life, with a focus on the places in the Romagna region, the Republic of San Marino. The € 0.80 stamp portrays the Pope in his Franciscan habit, to represent his religious origin, and then as a Cardinal. The background shows his native town Santarcangelo di Romagna and the Republic of San Marino. The € 1.00 stamp portrays him as a Pope while blessing. Next to him there is the image of the triumphal arc of Clement XIV (in Santarcangelo) designed by Cosimo Morelli. Clement XIV’s portrays are the result of a lengthy iconographic research on works by his contemporary artists - such as the sculptor Christopher Hewetson, the portrait made by D. Porta, the engravings by Tillard, paintings by anonymous authors and the famous sculpture portrait by Canova.

Issue date: 17 November 2005

Values: 2 values € 0.80 and € 1.00

Stamp size: 30x40 mm

Perforation: 13x13

Drawings: Irio Ottavio Fantini

Print run:120,000 complete series

Offset print by Cartor Security Printing