October 4 marks the liturgical feast of St. Francis of Assisi. To celebrate this occasion, the Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of Vatican City State has dedicated to the Saint a souvenir sheet, a special die emissionis postmark, a commemorative envelope, and a presentation folder on the 800th anniversary of his death.
The souvenir sheet and the special die emissionis postmark of October 4 are intended as a tribute not only to the memory of Saint Francis, but also to the enduring relevance of his message of peace, forgiveness, dialogue, care for creation, poverty, and simplicity.
The souvenir sheet reproduces Giotto’s fresco St. Clare Bidding Farewell to the Mortal Remains of St. Francis, preserved in the Upper Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
The design of the postmark is inspired by a famous portrait from the second half of the 13th century. It features a detail from The Madonna Enthroned with St. Francis (Maestà) by Cimabue, preserved in the Lower Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi.
The postmark also bears the inscriptions “S. Francesco d’Assisi – 800 anni dalla scomparsa” (St. Francis of Assisi – 800 years since his death), “Die emissionis 04.10.2026,” and “Poste Vaticane.”
The limited-edition, individually numbered folder, entitled San Francesco d’Assisi 1226–2026, brings together, for the first time, writings by the Saint, a selection of paintings preserved in the Vatican Museums, and several particularly significant works from the Vatican Apostolic Library, which can be accessed and consulted via a QR code.
The cover of the folder reproduces a detail from Pinturicchio’s 16th-century Coronation of the Virgin with Saints, preserved in the Vatican Pinacoteca. Inside, the folder features a reproduction of the 14th-century painting The Funeral of St. Francis by Pseudo-Jacopino.
The illustration on the commemorative envelope depicts St. Francis of Assisi, taken from a detail of a 13th-century work by the School of Giunta Pisano, preserved in the Vatican Pinacoteca. The €1.35 stamp features a detail from Giotto’s fresco St. Clare Bidding Farewell to the Mortal Remains of St. Francis.
The commemorative envelope is priced at €3.00, while the illustrated collector’s folder, which includes the commemorative envelope, costs €15.00. These products are available at all offices of the Postal and Philatelic Service.
On October 4 and 5, 2026, the post office in St. Peter’s Square will use the special postmark, also for the benefit of collectors. Alternatively, requests for the cancellation of philatelic material, duly franked by the applicants with the stamps to which the postmark refers, may be submitted to the Cancellation Section of the Postal and Philatelic Service until November 30, 2026.
A special postmark will also be introduced on October 3 to mark the 50th anniversary of the canonization of St. Beatriz de Silva, Foundress of the Order of the Franciscan Conceptionists.
The special postmark features the official logo of the 50th anniversary of her canonization, incorporating symbols associated with the Conceptionist Order: the lily, symbolizing purity and virginity, together with a centrally positioned star and the Foundress’s staff. Above the flower appear the twelve stars of the Woman of the Apocalypse, in reference to the Immaculate Conception.
The postmark also bears the inscriptions “50° Canonizzazione S. Beatriz de Silva” (50th Anniversary of the Canonization of St. Beatriz de Silva), “03.10.2026,” and “Poste Vaticane.”
In this case as well, philatelic material submitted for cancellation, duly franked by the applicants, must reach the Cancellation Section of the Postal and Philatelic Service by November 30, 2026.