Byzantine Door Panel, St. Paul’s Basilica - Rome, Italy
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 41° 51.519 E 012° 28.564
33T E 290504 N 4637162
A detail from the Byzantine door of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul in Rome, appears on this 1985 Vatican postage stamp commemorating the 900th anniversary of the death of Pope Gregory VII.
Waymark Code: WM18KK0
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 08/18/2023
Views: 3
Before he became Pope Gregory VII in 1073, he was Hildebrand of Sovana, a high-ranking Cardinal and advisor to Pope Leo IX, who sent him on several important missions both at home and abroad. One of the tasks given to Hildebrand was to clean up the mess that the monastery at St. Paul’s had become, both financially and structurally. Having righted that ship, the basilica and monastery of St. Paul became important concerns to Hildebrand, even after he was elected pope.
In 1070, Hildebrand was able to secure a great bronze door from Constantinople and had it installed in the Basilica of St. Paul. Known as the Byzantine Door, it consists of 54 individual panels showing various scenes from the Gospels, of the Apostles, the Prophets and other symbols. An eagle motif appears on the panel at the lower righthand side of the door. This is the panel that’s depicted on the stamp.
For hundreds of years this door served as the main entrance to St. Paul’s. It was severely damaged in the great fire of 1823 that all but destroyed St. Paul’s. The heat from the fire melted some of the bronze, and for many years, the door was kept in the basilica’s museum. Now restored, the door has been installed on the other side of the Holy Door and is only opened during the jubilee years.
The stamp was part of a set of three issued to commemorate the 900th anniversary of the death of Pope Gregory VII. Besides the panel from the Byzantine door, the stamp set shows an image of the former pope and his sarcophagus in the Cathedral of Salerno.
Stamp Issuing Country: Vatican City
Date of Issue: 18-Jun-1985
Denomination: 150 l
Color: multicolored
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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