An important event is the webinar on June 29th, starting at 11:00 a.m., lasting approximately two hours. We strongly encourage you to attend. We extend an invitation to anyone interested in aerophilately, whether or not they are members of our association, because the person we are referring to was also a great expert on airmail.
Indeed, it is with immense sadness that we announce the passing of Franco Filanci, a very important figure in Italian Philately. With him, we lose an eclectic individual who understood, without prejudice, all philatelic events. He was a distinguished scholar, collector, and also an exceptional graphic designer, who designed several Italian stamps and postal stationery, as well as several postal orders. He was also responsible, as a designer and/or graphic designer, for many issues of the Republic of San Marino. Among the various issues, the most emblematic seems to us to be the one dedicated to the late 20th century, consisting of 12 stamps printed in sheet form. One of them, in particular, is dedicated to the great conquests of man, in the sky and in space.
His last major work was “Il Novellario”, a monumental six-volume work that I believe every Italian philatelist owns. Among the founders of the Italian Academy of Philately and Postal History, he is credited with numerous publications, most notably “Storie di Posta”, the Academy’s prestigious magazine, which sought to propose a new approach to philately and postal history. He enjoyed an excellent relationship with our late president, Fiorenzo Longhi, with whom he shared a membership in the Academy.
Naturally, his attention also shifted to airmail, which he addressed exemplarily in a now-classic article entitled “La posta in gioco è aerea”, published in an early 2003 issue of “Storie di Posta”.
The Italian Association of Aerophilately extends its deepest condolences to his family and all his loved ones.