(13-02-2024) 40th Anniversary of the Villa Madama Accords

On 18 February 1984 Vatican Secretary of State Agostino Casaroli and then Prime Minister Bettino Craxi at Palazzo Madama signed a document revising the Concordat of 1929 marking the final formality of long negotiations. The objective of the new agreement was to update the norms and rules guiding relations between the State and the Catholic Church to the principles of the Republican Constitution through a process of bilateral revision. To mark this 40th anniversary Italy and the Vatican are issuing a joint postage stamp. Artist Carmela Perrini shows a view of Villa Madama with the Italian and Vatican coats of arms above, while the original signatures of the signatories to the agreements are shown on the left.