San Marino issues Second Miniature Sheet depicting World Heritage Sites of Italy On 22 October 2014 San Marino is issuing its second in a series of miniature sheets promoting Italian World Heritage Sites. The € 1.00 stamp depicts Verona’s majestic Roman Arena as well as a work of art by Stefano di Giovanni, featuring the Madonna of the Rose-garden. The historic city of Verona was founded in the 1st century B.C. It particularly flourished under the rule of the Scaligeri family in the 13th and 14th centuries and as part of the Republic of Venice from the 15th to 18th centuries. Verona has preserved a remarkable number of monuments from antiquity, the medieval and Renaissance periods, and represents an outstanding example of a military stronghold. The € 1.40 stamp depicts two cities which represent two superb examples of urban concepts of Renaissance architecture. Mantua and Sabbioneta, in the Po valley, in northern Italy, represent two aspects of Renaissance town planning: Mantua shows the renewal and merging of an existing city, while 18 miles away, Sabbioneta represents the implementation of the period’s theories about planning the ideal city. An ancient city at a very important crossroad, Mantua is a clear example of assimilation and integration of different architectural layers showing different stages of its growth since the Roman period, among them an 11th century rotunda and a Baroque theatre. On the other hand, Sabbioneta, was created in the second half of the 16th century under the rule of one person, Vespasiano Gonzaga Colonna, and can be described as a single-era city. Both cities offer exceptional testimonies to the urban, architectural and artistic achievements of the Renaissance, linked through the visions and actions of the ruling Gonzaga family. The € 2.00 value shows the Cathedral of Modena and the Piazza Grande Tower. The magnificent 12th-century cathedral of Modena is a supreme example of early Romanesque art. With its square and soaring tower, it testifies to the faith of its builders and the power of the Canossa dynasty who commissioned it. The € 2.50 stamp features San Gimignano with Palazzo Comunale and the Great Tower. San Gimignano is a town 40 miles south of Florence. It served as an important relay point for pilgrims travelling to or from Rome on the Via Francigena. The patrician families who controlled the town built around 72 tower-houses (some as high as 150 feet) as symbols of their wealth and power. Although only 14 towers have survived, San Gimignano has retained its medieval atmosphere and charm. Each value features the logos of Unesco and of the Associazione Beni Italiani Patrimonio Mondiale Unesco and the identification number of the Unesco site. The Association of Italian Heritage Sites associated with the UNESCO World Heritage initiative was founded in 1997.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 18:32:48 +0000
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