Answer: Orazio Zecca da Montefortino - This attribution brings renewed attention to Zecca’s devotional artistry, as his work forms the visual and spiritual foundation of the 2024 Vatican Christmas envelopes.
The 2024 Vatican Christmas commemorative envelopes draw their inspiration from a recently attributed masterpiece: The Adoration of the Shepherds by Orazio Zecca da Montefortino. This evocative painting, dating from the late 16th to early 17th century, is housed in the Sacristy of the Sistine Chapel in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. Zecca, a lesser-known but spiritually resonant painter, captures the humility and wonder of the Nativity with a composition that emphasizes divine light and human reverence.
The first envelope features the central Nativity scene, while the second highlights the angelic proclamation—angels bearing the scroll “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” a visual echo of the heavenly chorus that announced Christ’s birth.
Each envelope is affixed with a stamp from the Santo Natale MMXXIV series, issued on November 4, 2024. The PV/137A envelope bears a €1.25 stamp, while PV/137B carries a €1.30 denomination. These values reflect not only postal utility but also symbolic richness: the pairing of the Holy Family and the angelic host encapsulates the dual nature of the Nativity—earthly humility and celestial glory.
The stamps serve as miniature icons, inviting contemplation and reverence, and are a continuation of the Vatican’s tradition of using philately to celebrate sacred art and theology.
The accompanying circular postmark, 3.8 cm in diameter, is a graphic interpretation by Daniela Longo. It features the “Angel of Christmas” holding the “Gloria” scroll, a motif that harmonizes with the envelope artwork. The inscriptions “SANTO NATALE MMXXIV - 25 DICEMBRE 2024” and “POSTE VATICANE” frame the design, anchoring it in both liturgical time and postal tradition.
This postmark is more than a cancellation—it is a commemorative seal, transforming each envelope into a sacred relic of the season. It is a graphic illustration freely inspired by the original work of Daniela Longo, depicting the Christmas angel holding the “Gloria” scroll. The includes the inscriptions “SANTO NATALE MMXXIV - 25 DICEMBRE 2024” and “POSTE VATICANE”.
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