Pyramid of Cestius - Rome, Italy
Posted by: 
hykesj
N 41° 52.562 E 012° 28.877
33T E 290994 N 4639079
Italian postage stamp showing a 20th-century zeppelin flying over a 1st-century BC Egyptian-style pyramid and a 3rd-century gate in the old Aurelian walls of Rome.
Waymark Code: WM18QXV
Location: Lazio, Italy
Date Posted: 09/14/2023
Views: 1
In the 1st century BC, Rome had become infatuated with all things Egyptian. Egyptian-style obelisks were popping up all over, and what better tomb than an Egyptian pyramid? Wealthy Roman Gaius Cestius certainly thought so when he had this pyramid built around 18 BC as his final resting place. And he wasn’t the only one - it is believed that as many as four such tombs once existed in and around Rome at one time, but this is the only one that has survived.
At that time in Rome, it was illegal to bury anyone within the city, so these tombs were built outside the city walls. But Gaius Cestius’ pyramid wasn’t built far enough out. By the third century AD, Rome had grown to the point where a new wall was needed. Known as the Aurelian Wall, it passed right through this pyramid. (It wasn’t unusual for existing structures to be incorporated into the new wall as it saved both time and money.) Since Cestius’ tomb was located right off the Via Ostiense, one of the main roads leading out of the city, it is also right next to a large gate, which was appropriately called the Porta Ostiensis. This gate, now called Porta San Paolo, can also be seen in the image on the stamp.
The stamp also shows the Graf Zeppelin which made a visit to Italy in 1933 just prior to one of its trans-Atlantic flights to Brazil. A set of six special postage stamps were issued to mark the occasion with each showing the Graf Zeppelin over a different Roman landmark. The six stamps were only valid on mail sent via the airship and paid different rates. The 3 lire value on this particular stamp paid the postcard rate to European destinations.
Stamp Issuing Country: Italy
Date of Issue: 24-Apr-1933
Denomination: 3 l
Color: black & green
Stamp Type: Single Stamp
Relevant Web Site: Not listed
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