Faith, Art, and History
The Vatican Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate will celebrate the 800th anniversary of the founding of the Toledo Cathedral with a stamp issue scheduled for October 25, 2026.
The stamp, with a face value of €1.35 and accompanied by a special die emissionis (first-day-of-issue) postmark, commemorates one of the most significant anniversaries in Europe's religious, historical, and artistic heritage.
Construction of the Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo, dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, began in 1226, during the reign of King Ferdinand III of Castile and the episcopate of Archbishop Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada. The foundation stone was laid on August 14, 1226, on the site of the former Great Mosque (aljama), which itself stood on a site associated with the earlier Visigothic Christian tradition. The magnificent Cathedral was built with the support of Pope Honorius III.
It was declared a National Monument in 1909 and was subsequently included on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Historic City of Toledo.
The stamp design depicts King Ferdinand III laying the foundation stone of the Cathedral, alongside Archbishop Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada. The image reproduces a painting by the Spanish artist Francisco Rizi.
Completing the issue is a special postmark featuring the official logo of the 800th anniversary and bearing the inscriptions “Cattedrale Primaziale di Toledo,” “VIII Centenario”, “Die emissionis 25.10.2026,” and “Poste Vaticane.”
Requests for the cancellation of philatelic items, duly affixed by applicants with the stamps to which the postmark refers, may be submitted to the Postmarking Section of the Postal and Philatelic Service until November 30, 2026.