On January 4, 1964, Vatican City issued a series of four stamps to commemorate the visit of Pope Paul VI (1897-1978) to the Holy Land. The 15-lire value portrays the pope; the 25-lire value presents an image of the Basilica of the Nativity, Bethlehem; the 70-lire value presents an image of the Basilica of the Saint Sepulcher, Jerusalem; the 160-lire value features an image of the Fountain of the Holy Virgin, Nazareth.
There were 1,800,000 complete sets printed in the rotary photogravure process. The stamps remained valid until December 31, 1964.
"Pilgrimage of Pope Paul VI to the Holy Land." Vatican Notes 12, no. 5 (March-April 1964): 5.
Bolaffi's Roman States and Vatican City Specialized Stamp Catalogue, 9th ed., 1966, p. 98
