Conclusion of the Restoration Work on the Sistine Chapel
25th Anniversary

An extensive renovation of frescoes in the Sistine Chapel occurred in the 1980s, concluding in 1994. Vatican City issued several sets of stamps as the renovation proceeded, which were summarized in a previous article in Vatican Notes (4th Quarter 2014). The miniature sheet issued in 2019 focuses entirely on a portion of Michelangelo's Last Judgment, which is located above the Sistine Chapel's altar. The fresco consists of three parts such as symbols of his passion, Christ and the Blessed Mother in the center surrounded by saints destined for Heaven, and toward the bottom the elect are depicted as they arise toward Heaven and the condemned fall downward toward Hell, assisted by Satan. The 2019 miniature sheet focuses on the "middle" portion of the fresco in the Sistine Chapel. It consists of three stamps, two with €0,25 values, and one containing a €1,10 stamp. In the center stamp Christ and the Blessed Mother are represented with St. Bartholomew and St. Lawrence depicted just below. In the €0,25 stamp, on the viewer's left, are St. Andrew and St. John the Baptist and on the €0,25 stamp at the viewer's right are St. Peter with the Keys and St. Paul. No designer was listed for this M/S which was printed by Cartor (France). Reference: "Micheangelo and the Vatican" by James C Hamilton Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1719 - 1719 Date Issued - 31 May 2019 Face Value - €1,60 Perforations - 13.25x13.75 Printing Process - Offset (CMYK and Gold) Printer - Cartor (France) Max Printed - 60,000

(Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 67 Issue: 381 Page: 4-7)