Answer: The Battle of Lepanto
Background Information
To honor the 450th anniversary of Giorgio Vasari’s death, the Vatican issued a special philatelic series on November 4, 2024, consisting of four postcards and a commemorative postmark. Each postcard reproduces a significant work by Vasari from his Roman period, when he was commissioned by Pope Pius V to decorate various Vatican spaces.
The €1.30 postcard specifically features a detail from the fresco The Battle of Lepanto, located in the Sala Regia of the Apostolic Palace. This monumental work commemorates the 1571 naval victory of the Holy League over the Ottoman Empire and is a testament to Vasari’s ability to merge historical narrative with dramatic visual storytelling.
The accompanying special postmark, used at the “Arco delle Campane” post office on November 4–5, 2024, includes a stylized portrait of Vasari and the inscription: 450° ANNIVERSARIO DELLA MORTE DI GIORGIO VASARI – DIE EMISSIONIS 04.11.2024. This postmark, along with the postcard series, not only celebrates Vasari’s artistic legacy but also his role in shaping the visual identity of the Vatican during the Counter-Reformation.
|
