Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy - Rome, Italy - Philatelic Photographs on Waymarking.com

Established in 1701 as the Pontifical Academy of Ecclesiastical Nobles, the PEA marked its 300th anniversary with a year-long celebration from 25-Apr-2001 to 17-May-2002. As part of that celebration, the Vatican issued a triptych of postage stamps featuring the academy building on the center stamp with portraits of Pope Clement XI (pope when the academy was established) on the left and then current pope, John Paul II on the right. The stamps were wonderfully engraved by Polish master engraver Czeslaw Slania, who was serving as Sweden’s court engraver at the time.

The purpose of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy is to train priests in ecclesiastical and international diplomacy in order that they might serve as ambassadors of the Holy See abroad. Several former popes have been graduates of the academy including Clement XIII, Leo XII, Benedict XV, and Paul VI.

Also seen on the stamp is the Pulcino della Minerva or Elephant Obelisk located in the Piazza della Minerva in front of the building. It’s a sixteenth-century sculpture of an elephant by the noted Baroque artist Bernini, topped by an ancient Egyptian obelisk found nearby. The obelisk is believed to date from the 6th century BC. And if you look carefully at the stamp, you can see the rear of the Roman Pantheon in the background. The Piazza della Minerva is named for an ancient Roman temple to the goddess Minerva which once stood on the site.

Stamp Issuing Country: Vatican City Date of Issue: 12-Mar-2002 Denomination: €0,77 Color: green Stamp Type: Single Stamp Relevant Web Site: Not listed

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