600th apparition of Our Lady of Monte Berico - € 1,30

To mark the sixth centenary of the apparition of Our Lady of Monte Berico in 2026, a special philatelic issue is dedicated to this profoundly significant event in the religious, social and civic history of the city of Vicenza and the wider region. According to tradition, the apparition occurred on 7 March 1426, when the Virgin Mary appeared to Vincenza Pasini, a humble woman from Vicenza, on the hill of Monte Berico during a period of severe plague. During this apparition, Mary called on the population to pray, repent, and fast, promising to deliver them from the plague. Following renewed religious fervour and the spread of Marian devotion, the epidemic ceased, strengthening popular belief in the Virgin's intercession and giving rise to a devotion that would take deep root over time. Just over two years later, on 1 August 1428, the Virgin appeared to Vincenza Pasini once again, renewing her message and requesting the construction of a church in her honour on Monte Berico. The construction of the shrine began in the same year and marked the start of Monte Berico's centuries-long history as one of the main centres of Marian devotion in north-eastern Italy. Over the following centuries, the sacred complex was expanded and enriched until it took its current form, becoming a spiritual and symbolic landmark for the city of Vicenza. The philatelic issue depicts the statue of Our Lady of Monte Berico, a 15th century masterpiece carved from stone from the Berici Hills. The statue symbolises the Virgin of Mercy, her cloak opens to shelter her devoted children, who have sought refuge and hope in her maternal intercession for centuries.