On July 2, 1965, Vatican issued two stamps commemorating St. Benedict, founder of the Benedictine religious order. Both stamps bear the inscription "In the restored Cassino monastery, Paul VI declared St. Benedict the patron of Europe in the year 1964."
An image of St. Benedict, inspired by a painting by Pietro Vannucci, appears on the 40-lire value. The 300-lire value features a view of the Abbey of Monte Cassino, rebuilt after its destruction during World War II.
Printed in sheets of fifty by rotogravure on paper watermarked with the crossed keys, the stamps are vertical in format and measure 24 x40mm. The stamps remained valid until June 30, 1966.
References:
"St. Benedict, Patron Saint of Europe." Vatican Notes 14, no. 2 (September-October 1965): 13.
Bolaffi's Roman States and Vatican City Specialized Stamp Catalog 1967, 9th ed., 1966: 105.