 Mail boxes of the Poste Magistrali at the Magistral Palace, Rome. | |
| Founded | 20 May 1966 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Fra' Angelo de Mojana di Cologna |
| Headquarters | Magistral Palace, Rome, Italy |
| Website | postemagistrali |
Poste Magistrali is the postal organisation of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, a Catholic lay religious order with sovereign recognition under international law, founded to collect and dispatch diplomatic correspondence of the Order.
History
The Poste Magistrali origin's date back to the 1530s, where correspondence begun to be sent between Grand Master Fra' Philippe Villiers de l'Isle Adam and Henry VIII, King of England.
The Poste Magistrali was founded in its current form on the 20 May 1966, by decree of Grand Master Fra' Angelo de Mojana di Cologna. Coins begun to be also published by the Poste Magistrali in 1961, under the Lieutenancy of Fra' Ernesto Paternò Castello di Carcaci.
On the 24th of June 2008, an agreement was signed between the Vatican City State and the Order of Malta, recognising the full validity of stamps issued by each respective country. For the occasion, the Order of Malta issued a stamp with the Vatican City coat-of-arms, and the Vatican City issued a stamp depicting the Order of Malta's emblem.
On the 18th of December 2014, a postal agreement was signed between the Italian Republic and the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, which recognised the same legal status for stamps of the Order of Malta and vice-versa.
References
- "Servizi Postali - Poste Magistrali".
- ^ "Storia - Poste Magistrali".
- https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/102114/1/JPSM5%282%29A8.pdf
- "The Vatican and the Order of Malta sign postal services convention - Sovereign Military Order of Malta".
- https://atrio.esteri.it/Search/Allegati/50942