Vatican City Organ Stamps 2014: Part Two

This post is the second in a series featuring the Vatican City organ stamps from 2014. Make sure to read Part One. You can learn more about the topic of organ postage stamps at the blog Pipe Organs of the World On Postage Stamps.

Mozart once referred to the pipe organ as the “King of Instruments.” The powerful sound of the organ has long been associated with large churches and the majesty of soaring cathedrals. Catholic and protestant churches alike have used the music of the organ to represent the awesome power of God. So it is of little surprise that the Vatican City would feature pipe organs on postage stamps.

The Stamp

The higher denomination stamp of the 2014 Vatican City organ stamps pair is the .85 Euro stamp. It features a photograph of the pipework of the main organ (there are four) in the Papal Basilica of St. Peter.

The stamps are part of that year’s “Europa Series.” The best explanation of Europa stamps that I can find is the following:

“The EUROPA issue (also known as Europa – CEPT until 1992) is an annual joint issue of stamps with a common design or theme by postal administrations member of the European Communities (1956-1959), the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT from 1960 to 1992), then the PostEurop Association since 1993.” Learn more at this blog.

The Europa theme for 2014 was national musical instruments. Keep a look out as I am sure I will share more of these in the future!

The Church

The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican City is the largest Christian Church in the world. Traditionally, it is believed that St. Peter was buried on the site and a church was built there in the fourth century. The current building is a magnificent architectural masterpiece of the Renaissance. Artists such as Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini all contributed to its final design. It is a pilgrimage site for Christian faithful who gather in its square, or attend masses inside the building.

Learn more about the structure.

The Organ

The organ on the postage stamp is actually a rather curious choice. It is not the grand pipe organ that is heard regularly by visitors, but a smaller organ from the Chapel of the Choir. The first postage stamp celebrates the oldest organ in all of Rome, while this instrument is a quite modern example. Members of the Tamburini family built the organ for St. Peter’s in 1974. This family is known for the spectacular organs it installed in many of the grandest church in Italy.

However, the organ celebrated on the stamp is a relatively modest instrument. It has two 61-note keyboard manuals and a 32 note pedal board. The instrument also has a relatively limited tonal design.

Below is the stop list for this organ.