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The Cathedral of Santa Maria di Nardò was constructed on the foundations of a church which dates to ca. 1000. Sources describe the church as in a basilica form with Romanesque and Baroque design and with unique arches. Nardò is located in the southeastern tip of Italy in the province of Lace, extending into the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, territory known as the Salento. Likely first established as a Greek colony, the area has a long history associated with influence and/or control by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Lombard, Norman, and Aragonese rulers. The Duke of Acquaviva made Nardò a Renaissance cultural center, endowing buildings, an academy, and works of art. The Vatican produced a series of five stamps to celebrate the 6th century of the Cathedral of Santa Maria di Nardò. The stamps depict the frescoes dating from the thirteenth to fifteenth centuries that are located on the two side aisles of the cathedral. The frescoes include Bishop St. Augustine (€0,05), Our Lady of Health (€0,10), The Madonna del Giglio (€0,15), St. Nicholas of Myra (€0,25), and Christ Pantocrator (€0,45). The papal insignia and a Greek Cross are located in the bottom corners of each stamp, symbolizing Greek influence in Nardò and in the frescoes. The stamps were issued in sheets of 10. St Augustine's writings influenced the development of Western philosophy and Western Christianity. Our Lady of Health is one of many titles associated with the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Madonna del Giglio refers to the pinkish color of the fresco associated with the legend of the flower presented to the Blessed Mother by St. John and held by the Christ Child in the fresco. St. Nicholas of Myra was a 4th century Greek Bishop of Myra (Anatolia, modern Turkey), and the prototype of the modern St. Nicholas or Santa Claus. Christ Pantocrator refers to a specific depiction of Christ, with Pantocrator one of the names of God in Judaism and a word that appears on two occasions in the New Testament. Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1544 - 1548 Date Issued - 07 November 2013 Face Value - €0,05, €0,10, €0,15, €0,25, €0,45 Perforations - 13-1/4 x 13 Printing Process - Offset Printer - Cartor (France) Max Printed - 150,000 |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 62 Issue: 359 Page: 4-6) |
