The Church of San Pancrazio in Genoa is among the oldest in the Ligurian capital, dating back to 1023. At the end of the 16th century, it became the aristocratic parish church of the noble Calvi and Pallavicino families. Destroyed during Louis XIV’s naval bombardment in 1684, it was then rebuilt during the 18th century to a design by Antonio Maria Ricca. Severely damaged during the Second World War and subsequently restored again, since 1976 it has been entrusted to the Genoa and Liguria Delegation of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which holds its religious services there.

The € 1.25 stamp depicts the marble altar, with its bas-relief putti and the overhanging statue of St Pancras, works by the Genoese sculptor Filippo Parodi, dating back to the end of the 17th century.

The € 2.75 stamp depicts a close-up of the statue of St Pancras, in which the splendid sculptural features impressed by the author stand out.

The € 2.90 stamp depicts the church seen from the front, in which the Order’s octagonal cross stands out and from which its particular city location, overlooked by the taller and more modern buildings around it, is evident.

On each stamp there are the inscriptions ‘SOVRANO MILITARE ORDINE DI MALTA’ and ‘POSTE MAGISTRALI’, the descriptive legend ‘Chiesa di San Pancrazio, Genova’, the emblem of the Order’s activities and the respective face values.

Photo credits: Genoa and Liguria Delegation of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.