Between 1580 and 1583 Ignazio Danti (1536-1586), a Dominican priest, and astronomer sketched cartoons of thirty-two maps and plans on the walls of La Galleria delle Carte Geografiche of the Belvedere Palace in the Vatican City by appointment of Pope Gregory XIII.
     The mini-sheet from the Vatican shows his map of the islands that became Venice. A number of features are shown on the stamps, including the name of the islands. Murano was famous for glassware. San Francisco de Deserto was the residence of Saint Frances. Sant' Elena was named for the mother of the Emperor Constantine, who is buried there. Burano was renowned for fine lace. Torzello was the location of the first permanent settlement of the islands that became Venice.

     The design on stamp from the Vatican below is of Moravia, based on the Mappomundo Vaticano, drawn on the walls of the third gallery of the Vatican Palace by Danti, and decorated by Giovanni Antonio Vanosino. The stamp was issued in observance of Saints Cyril and Methodius, missionaries to the Slavs in 863.

     In 1998 the Vatican issued a set of postcards to commemorate the anniversary of the International Stamp Fair in Riccione, Italy. Two of the cards feature maps. The Italia Antiqua map is the work of Luca Holstenio who was asked by Urban VIII to restore some of the wall maps pointed in 1580-1583 under Danti's supervision.

     The region Danti called "Flamina" is shown on the postcard featuring "Romagna." It is the first know map of this region. The coastline is finely outlined and three big coastwise vessels are sailing in the sea ruffled by an easterly wind.

Based on the description of the postcards by the
Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico of the Vatican City