Italy at work Series

This definitive series was issued on October 1st 1950 and was composed of 19 values, each one dedicated to a different job and to a different Italian Region. The region can be recognised thanks to an architectural or environmental detail in the background of the painting. At that time Italy was divided into 19 regions, and not 20 like it is today: the territory of “Abruzzi and Molise” was a single region, which was split in 1963.


50 cents blueish violet – The forge, Aosta Valley; in backgroud: Fort Bard


1 lira grey – The workshop, Piedmont; in background: Sacra di San Michele (Saint Michael’s Abbey)


2 lire sepia– The building site, Lombardy; in background: Milan cathedral and Basilica of Sant’Ambrogio


5 lire grey– The potter’s wheel, Tuscany; in background: Palazzo Vecchio in Florence


6 lire reddish brown – The lace pillow, Abruzzo and Molise; in background: the town of Scanno


10 lire green – The loom, Calabria; in background: the Tyrrhenian sea coast near the town of Scilla


12 lire emerald – The helm, Veneto; in background: the Campanile of Saint Mark’s Basilica and the Doge’s Palace in Venice


15 lire blackish blue – The seaport, Liguria; in background: Rapallo‘s Castle-on-the-Sea


20 lire violet – The purse seine, Campania; in background: mount Vesuvius


25 lire brownish yellow – The oranges, Sicily; in background: Palermo‘s coast with mount Pellegrino


30 lire lilac – The grape harvest, Apulia; in background: Castel del Monte


35 lire red – The olives, Basilicata; in background Greek Temple of Metaponto


40 lire brown – The wine wagon, Lazio; in background: Roman aqueduct and the Dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica


50 lire violet – The flocks, Sardinia; in background: a nuraghe (ancient Sardinian megalithic burial)


55 lire turquoise – The plow, Umbria; the Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Assisi in background


60 lire vermilion – The harvest, Marche; the Ducal Palace of Urbino in background


65 lire dark myrtle green – The hemp, Emilia Romagna; Pomposa Abbey in background

100 lire brownish red – The corn, Friuli Venezia Giulia; only representation without open-air details, the scene represents a typical fireplace

About the 100 lire stamp, it is important to remember that, at the end of World War II, the city of Trieste was an independent town in the framework of the Free Territory of Trieste. A representation of Trieste in this Italian series, as if it were belonging to Italy, would have upset the Italian and foreign politicians and parties supporting the existence of the Free Territory; on the other hand, the representation of another place in the region would have led to think that Italy was giving up the possession of Trieste.

200 lire olive brown – The timber, Trentino and South-Tyrol; Vajolet Tovers in the dolomites in the background

Some values were re-issued between 1955 and 1957 with the new stars watermark, tipe I.
15 lire stamp was also issued in March 1956 with stars watermark type II.

50 cents blueish violet,
1 lira grey,
2 lire sepia,
15 lire blackish blue,
30 lire lilac
50 lire violet,
65 lire dark myrtle green.