A philatelic exhibition entitled “Navigation” opens on 14 September at 11 a.m. at the Mitteleuropa Post and Telegraph Museum.

The exhibition is a parallel cultural event to the programme of the ”BARCOLANA 56” sailing race, one of the largest and most famous sailing races in the world, held every year in the port of Trieste, Italy. The event started in 1969 and has grown into one of the most popular maritime sporting events worldwide, attracting thousands of boats and sailors from all over the world. It is a celebration of sailing, sport and the sea, but also an important event for the local community of Trieste, attracting tourists and visitors. The Barcolana is not just a speed race for professional sailors, but also a mass event involving both professionals and amateurs, regardless of experience or boat size. Every year, the race attracts more than 2,000 sailing boats and tens of thousands of spectators, making Trieste a centre of marine sports activity and celebration. In addition to the main race, Barcolana includes a number of parallel cultural and sporting events, which last for around ten days.

The exhibition is part of the Philatelic Collection of the Maritime Museum of Crete, which has been developing in recent years. In 2010, the first stamp exhibition was held at the Museum on the theme “Lighthouses of the World” and since then the creation of philatelic collections has begun. Over time, it was decided to divide the stamps into thematic sections to enrich the collections. As a result, thematic collections have been created with a large number of stamps, which are constantly being added to, such as Navigation, the Battle of Crete, the Cretan State, the Marine Environment, the Lighthouses of the World, Christianity, etc.

The titles chosen for the exhibitions of these collections are comprehensive but also reflect the theme of the exhibition in the best possible way. The term Navigation is commonly used in the maritime and shipping world in the following three senses. As Science, Technique, 2. As a Category of sailing. The stamp series to be exhibited are in harmony with these three main categories. This exhibition is part of the Museum’s permanent collection on “Navigation”, which is exhibited both in the main area and in the MORO – Permanent Exhibition of Ancient and Traditional Naval Architecture.

For its presentation at the Postal and Telegraphic Museum of Central Europe in Trieste, Italy, the exhibition is set up from the beginning and consists of stamps, commemorative stamp sets, personal stamp sheets, commemorative leaflets, Fliers, “Maximum Prepaid” Cards, First Day of Issue Envelopes from around the world on approximately 200 cards, dating from 1930 to 2020.

Each card has been curated and created so that each philatelic material (stamp, Faye, leaflet, card) after being framed with a black background and laminated, is displayed with captions for both the material itself and the date and title of issue. Additional philatelic material will also be placed in the mobile displays, a continuation of the exhibition.

The wealth of historical information provided in the stamp series is remarkable, as we meet great explorers and navigators throughout the centuries, such as Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), James Cook (1728-1779), Ferdinand Magellan (1480-1521), Vasco da Gama (1460-1524), etc. Works by important painters such as the Dutch Willem van de Velde the younger (1636-1672) or the British Richard Wright (1723-1775), depicting important naval battles that changed the course of history. Also, stamp sets and philatelic products in general from around the world provide the opportunity to find information and data on many historic ships and events. States and smaller island clusters with a rich philatelic production arouse our curiosity and challenge us to learn about the subject matter of the philatelic material they have issued, their geographical location and their culture.

The exhibition is organized by the Maritime Museum of Crete under the presidency of Emmanuel Petrakis in collaboration with the Hellenic Foundation for Culture of Italy, under the direction of Aliki Kefalogianni, the Postal and Telegraphic Museum of Mitteleuropa under the direction of Emanuela De Domenico and the Italian Post Office. The exhibition will once again offer the public elements of study and cultural reflection, in the context of the friendship that has always linked Greece and the city of Trieste. It is under the auspices of the Consulate General of Greece, the Consulate General of Cyprus and the Greek Orthodox Community of Trieste.

The exhibition will run until 26 October 2024 , Hours: Monday to Friday, 9-13