Military Mail of the Post-Napoleonic Papal States: 1815–1870
ROPEX 2019 May 2019
Purpose: This military postal history study examines military mail of the Papal States after the establishment of European national boundaries by the Congress of Vienna. The exhibit presents the rates, routes, and markings for military mail. With a delineated territorial responsibility and the removal of foreign troops, the Papal States established a coherent military force that lasted until the unification with Italy in 1870.
Scope: In this era, the term “military” included three branches of service: army, navy, and military police (initially carabinieri, later gendarmeria) who reported to the Minister of Arms. The exhibit has mail from all three service branches.
FAQs: All census data presented are as of 1 Feb 2019. Papal post rates changed three times during the era: 1826, 1844, and 1864. The currency changed in 1864 (baj to centesimi).
Highlights: Covers of philatelic interest are highlighted with a red box .
Blue italics indicate personal research.
Exhibit Plan with Military Structure: The military cover on page 16 is from the unification with Italy.
1856 Route: Rome to Ronciglione (North of Rome in Lazio). Rate: 9 baj fee is more than the 2 baj fee for an adjacent postal region; the original letter must have had more than one page. Comments: Only known cover from the Minister of Arms. Major headquarters did not use the D’Ufficio (official) usually found in the lower left corner. Standard marking for Servizio Militare at top right. Double circle mark for Rome. Fee paid by recipient.
NAVY
1865 Route: From Maritime magistrate in Civitavecchia (31 Dec. 1865) to Marseille (3 Jan. 1886), then Lyon (3 Jan. 1886), entering Spain at LaJonquera (4 Jan. 1886), and arriving at the consulate in Barcelona, Spain (5 Jan. 1886).
Rate: The fee is greater than the known Papal States rate for international mail in 1865. PP indicates partial postage paid by sender. Combined cost of 45 centesimi (apparently the Papal Post continued to use the older 9 baj marking; if it were centesimi it would not cover the P.P. cost) plus 8 Spanish reals (blue 8Rs on upper right) to cover the cost in Spain.
Comments: Only known (1) naval mail, (2) military to overseas cover and (3) from a non-ship naval unit. It is missing the mandatory stamps for international mail from the Papal States since 1864. No official or military service markings. Double circle town stamps are first receiving towns in Papal States and Spain; others on back.
1 – Indicates sending office would pay the postage. This franking is sometimes found in the upper right corner.
2 – The "D’Ufficio" indicating official mail was optional, since its absence does not indicate unofficial mail.
3 – Servizio Militare, or an abbreviation – SM, SMil, et al, designated military mail. Military police usually used Servizio Carabinieri, or later Servizio Gendarmeria. Sometimes Pontifici (Pontifical) replaced Servizio.
Common postal markings: PP (partial postage), PD (paid to destination), handwritten numbers for fees paid by recipient, handwritten “X” and “/” (slash) cancels, double circle or linear town marks, and commercial marks can be found on military mail.
First Division (Lazio) First Division Headquarters
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1860 Route: Rome to Monte Romano (both in Lazio). Rate: 2 baj fee for adjacent post. Comments: This is the only known cover for the 1st Division HQ. It was sent to a garrison commander, not a political leader, unlike all other known HQ mail. S.M. for Servizio Militare. No official mail marking.
The military assigned each of three provinces (Romagna, Marches, and Lazio) of the Papal States to a division of the army. Responsibility for Umbria was split between 1st (Lazio) and 2nd (Marches) divisions.
First Division (LAZIO) Garrisons
Only two known covers from garrisons in First Division. Garrisons defended towns (~50 to 100 men each). The handstamps translate as The Commander of the Plaza in (town name).
1836 Route: Acquapendente to Viterbo (both in Lazio). Rate: 2 baj fee for adjacent post.
Comments: Only known cover from this garrison unit. Official mail marking.
1854 Route: Mailed within Narni (portion of Umbria under 1st Division’s control). Rate: 1 baj fee for same post. Comments: Only known cover from this unit. Some suggest that the use of the green color ink for handstamps or handwriting indicates special status. In fact, it is simply the use of a copper solution in the ink instead of oak or iron pigment. So.Mre. for Servizio Militare. Official mail marking.
First Division (LAZIO) Cavalry & Infantry
1818 Route: From Umbria (cavalry unit on campaign) to Cascile in the Marches. Rate: Adjacent province fee of 4 baj. This cover highlighted because: it is the earliest known (1) use of a graphical military franking, and (2) the earliest use of papal imagery in a military franking. Comments: Mailed within portion of Umbria under Lazio’s control. Terni is the receiving town’s stamp. Manuscript X cancel. No official mail marking.
1840 Route: From Spoleto (elite Light Infantry unit) to Cerreto (Both in Lazio’s section of Umbria). Rate: Same post was a 1 baj fee. Comments: Only military mail using a free franking stating the unit’s special type (Bersaglieri) and using the military police variation of "Pontificia" instead of "Servizio". No official mail marking.
First Division (LAZIO) Artillery & Viterbo Commander
Artillery units had four to eight cannons (fewer than 30 men) and stood guard mostly at ports.
1846 Route: Civitavecchia to Mont’Alto (both in Lazio). Rate: 2 baj fee for adjacent post. Comments: Only known example of an artillery unit franking. Hand-stamp indicates this artillery unit was subordinate to a headquarters in Civitavecchia. So.Mre. for Servizio Militare. No official mail marking.
1867 Route: Viterbo to Ischia (isle off coast of Naples). Rate: 10 centesimi fee (paid with older baj stamps) for Lazio outside of Rome. This cover highlighted because: Only known military cover with a stamp and no military marking. Comments: Paid by sender (manuscript mark over Vincenzo). The blue ellipse is the Viterbo commander’s commercial mark. The military ended the use of frankings after 1864, when stamps were required on all mail. No official mail marking.
Second Division (MARCHES) Second Divisional Headquarters & Commissioner of War
1831 Route: Ancona to San Leo. Rate: Non-adjacent post fee of 3 baj. Comments: This is one of five known covers for the Second Division HQ. This cover has red ink; the other four used black ink. It uses the S.M. mark (top center) instead of the spelled out "Servizio Militare". 3 baj fee charged to recipient. Fee paid by recipient. S.Me. for Servizio Militare. Official mail marking.
1818 Route: Ancona to San Benedetto. Rate: 2 baj fee for adjacent post. Comments: The Commissioner of War was the commander for the division. (An enhanced 75% scan of the hand stamp is also shown for clarity.) Only known cover for this office in any of the three divisions. No official mail marking.
Second Division (MARCHES) Infantry
1819 Route: The route is unknown since the 2nd Company/1st Infantry Battalion/1st Regiment was on campaign over a large area in the Marches. The destination was also in the Marches. Rate: Could have been 1 to 3 baj, based on postal fees at the time. Comment: One of two known examples of mail for a unit on campaign. Official mail marking.
1819 Route: The Reserve Auxiliary Troop was located on the Adriatic shore of the Marches. The cover was mailed to Monte Arandone. Rate: 1 baj fee for same post. Comment: Only known cover for this unit. Ser.Mre. for Servizio Militare. No official mail marking.
Second Division (Marches) Infantry & First Cavalry Squadron
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1840 Route: 1st Company 7th Battalion (Infantry) on campaign on Umbria/Marches border with cover sent to town in Umbria. Rate: Fee cannot be determined but could be 1 to 3 baj. Comments: Only known cover from this unit and second cover for a unit on campaign. So.Mre. for Servizio Militare. No official mail marking.
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This mark is the typical notation for a 3 baj fee in this period. Compare to mark on cover above.
1821 Route: 1st Cavalry Squadron in Fano to Acqualagna. Rate: 3 baj fee for non-adjacent posts. Comments: Only known papal military cover with this style S.M. marking. Servizio Militare marking is not in typical location (top right or top center). Instead it is bottom left at an angle. Fee paid by recipient. No official mail marking.
Third Division (Romagna) Divisional Headquarters
The Third Division had an erratic existence since it was in the province of Romagna, which had an on-again/off-again membership in the Papal States. Its military consisted of garrisons.
1856 Route: Bologna to Cento. Rate: 4 baj for what was normally a 1 baj fee (adjacent posts); the original cover may have held more than one page. This cover highlighted because: (1) Only known cover with military franking using stamps and (2) earliest known cover using stamps. Comments: One of two known covers for this unit. Fee paid by recipient. S.M. for Servizio Militare. No official mail marking.
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The mark above is the typical notation for a 4 baj fee in this period. Compare to the rotated “S” mark over the recipient’s name.
75% scan of cover’s front
Third Division (Romagna) Garrison
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1815 Route: Garrison in Forli cover to Forlimpopoli. Rate: Fee of 2 baj for adjacent post. Comment: One of five known covers from this unit. No Service franking. Official mail marking.
1826 Route: Garrison at Ravenna cover sent within Ravenna. Rate: 1 baj fee for same post.
Comments: One of four known covers from this unit. No official mail marking.
Third Division (Romagna) Infantry
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1841 Route: Volunteer (Infantry) cover sent within Verruchio Rate: 1 baj fee for same post.
Comments: One of two known mobile unit covers for Third Division. Official mail marking.
1821 Route: Volunteer Battalion stationed in Ozzano to local Mayor. Rate: 1 baj fee for same post. Comment: Second of two known mobile unit covers for Third Division. Official mail marking.
MILITARY POLICE Carabinieri
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1819 Route: Border sanitation unit within local post of Casaola Valsenio. Rate: 1 baj fee for same post.
This cover highlighted because: This is the only known cover that (1) demonstrates the military privileges of Carabinieri units, (2) the earliest use of a graphical franking by Military Police, and (3) the first use of papal imagery by the military police. Comment: The hand-stamp franking says Carabinieri and the manuscript franking indicates military mail. S.Me. for Servizio Militare. No official mail marking.
1819 Route: Sent by the 2nd Squadron in Bologna to Castel Franco. Rate: 3 baj fee for non-adjacent posts. Comments: Only known cover from this unit. This was a mounted (horseback) unit. Note use of Di (of) and Carab. abbreviation for service franking. No official mail marking.
MILITARY POLICE Carabinieri
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1822 Route: Castel Maggiore to San Giorgio. Rate: 1baj fee for same post.
Comments: This cover shows the text box/circle handstamp common between 1820 and 1840. The CiPi stands for Carabinieri Pontifici (Pontifical). No official mail marking.
1834 Route: From an unknown location to Ferrara. Rate: fee unknown. This cover highlighted because: Only known military cover to use a handstamp instead of handwritten military franking. Comments: Fee paid by recipient. Variant spelling of Pontifici in both frankings. Official mail marking.
MILITARY POLICE Gendarmeria
The Carabinieri performance was poor, so the units were reorganized in 1850-52 to form the Gendarmeria.
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1851 Route: 2nd Brigade local post within town. Rate: 1 baj fee for same post. Comments: Note the franking still retained the term Carabinieri, although the service marking is Gendarmeria. One of two known covers using both terms. Another variant spelling of Pontifici. No official mail marking.
Ex. – Dr. Migliavacca
1853 Route: Military Police headquarters for Rome (in Civitavecchia) to Commander of Weapons Brigade. Rate: 1 baj fee for same post. Comments: This is one of three known covers from the main military police HQ. Another variant of Pontifici. Fee paid by military. No official mail marking.
ITALIAN UNIFICATION Italian Army
- The Papal States fell in September 1870.
- The Italian forces accepted former papal military officers and enlisted personnel.
- The process of assimilation was completed by the time this cover was mailed in 1872.
1872 Route: This unit (50th Infantry Regiment) of the Italian Army was stationed from close to Turin to just north of Pompei.
Rate: This cover does not indicate that any fee was assessed. This should have been a 50 centesimi fee (Italian currency). This cover crossed most of the former Papal States territories.
Comments: Uses manuscript S.M. in top center, similar to the Papal States. Single-circle date stamp indicates Italian postal system (Papal States system commonly used a double circle). Curved text hand-stamp at lower left denotes the commander of the sending unit.
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Updated May 26, 2020