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23 February 2022 marked the second centenary of the birth of Giovanni Battista de Rossi (1822-1894), unanimously considered one of the "founding fathers" of the science of Christian archaeology. He was a Scripter and then in charge of the Vatican Apostolic Library, first secretary of the Commission of Sacred Archaeology, established by Pius IX in 1852. Founder and director of the first specialized journal in the field, the "Bullettino di Archeologia Cristiana", he began the publication and reviewed all the Christian inscriptions of Rome (prior to the seventh century). He was the author of various scientific publications and important books on underground Christian Rome and an in-depth study of the main Roman catacombs that he wrote following important discoveries he himself made. The Vatican celebrated this important anniversary with a commemorative stamp with a face value of € 2,50, designed by Stefano Morri, in which the figure of Giovanni Battista de Rossi is reproduced in the foreground against the background of the excavation of the Hypogeum of the Flavi in Domitilla. Technical Details: Scott Catalogue - 1788 - 1788 Date Issued - 22 February 2022 Face Value - €2,50 Perforations - 13.66x13.77 Printing Process - Offset, 4 colors Printer - Printex (Malta) Max Printed - 46,000 |
| (Source - Vatican Notes: Volume: 70 Issue: 392 Page: 4-6) |
