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The 2025 Vatican “Europa” stamp series, themed “National Archaeological Discoveries,” pays tribute to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage preserved beneath the Vatican. Issued on May 27, 2025, the series features three stamps that highlight remarkable finds from two ancient Roman necropolises: the burial grounds beneath St. Peter’s Basilica and along the Via Triumphalis. The €0.10 and €0.15 stamps depict the Apostles Peter and Paul, sculpted on the 4th-century Sarcophagus of Jonah, discovered during the 1941 excavations beneath the Constantinian basilica. The €1.30 stamp showcases the funerary shrine of Tiberius Natronius Venustus, a child buried along the Via Triumphalis, whose marble portrait remains strikingly intact. Through these images, the Vatican not only honors its archaeological treasures but also invites reflection on the enduring connection between memory, faith, and daily life in ancient Rome.
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