150th Anniversary of the Vatican Pharmacy - €1.25

The year 2024 marks a highly significant milestone for the Vatican Pharmacy, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding. It was on March 2, 1874, that Cardinal Antonelli, on behalf of Pope Pius IX, proposed to the Prior General of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God (Fatebenefratelli), Father Giovanni Alfieri, the establishment of a pharmacy for the Vatican. In 1892, the first community of Fatebenefratelli settled permanently in the Vatican. Their responsibilities extended beyond managing the pharmaceutical reserve. They also provided nursing care to the Pope, Cardinals, and Prelates residing within the Vatican. The Pharmacy was initially located under the portico of the Courtyard of San Damaso. Over time, and precisely in the year of the Lateran Pacts (1929), it was moved to a larger and current location in the Belvedere Palace. The new premises were inaugurated on February 7, 1930. Over the years, the Pharmacy has undergone various renovations, the most recent and extensive of which took place between 2017 and 2020. Today, the Vatican Pharmacy provides essential services not only to Vatican employees and residents of Vatican City, but also to anyone in need of specific or hard-to-find medicines.The commemorative stamp, based on artwork by Raúl Berzosa, features Saint John of God—founder of the Hospitaller Order of the "Fatebenefratelli"—alongside a pharmacist and a customer. In the background is Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, and at the bottom, the emblem of the Fatebenefratelli Order: a pomegranate topped with a cross.