Castel Gandolfo in Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale, Latium, Rome, Italy — Central Italy (Tyrrhenian Coast)

World’s First Mailbox

Photographed By Roger W. Sinnott, June 10, 2004

1. World’s First Mailbox Marker

The brass mail slot itself is located directly under the marker. It is mounted on a marble slab that is set into the wall of the building.

Inscription.
Città di Castel Gandolfo
Il 23 Novembre 1820
Il Consiglio Comunale di Castel Gandolfo
Composto da
Paolo Mallozzi - Luogotenente
Marco Troiani - Capo Pretore
Candido Marazzi - Pretore
Filippo Albenzi - Pretore
E dai consiglieri
Stefano Evangelisti · Giuseppe Togni · Giuseppe Bernini
Giuseppe di Lucia · Francesco Marroni · Vincenzo Stazi
Giuseppe Manufelli · Giuseppe Gasperini · Domenico Lolli
Luca Campodonico · Francesco Alberti · Angelo Antonio Iacorossi
Approvarono l’idea del consigliere
Angelo Antonio Iacorossi
Per la Quale nella Piazza di Castel Gandolfo Fu Fatta Sistemare
La prima cassetta
d’impostazione delle lettere
al mondo

Nel 175° anniversario dell’ evento
L’amministrazione comunale della città di Castel Gandolfo
orgogliosa
Rende omaggio alla genialità ed alla lungimiranza
dei suoi illustri predecessori E
Concittadini
Castel Gandolfo 16 Dicembre 1995
Con la collaborazione della
Associazione Castel Gandolfo
(English translation) At the city of Castel Gandolfo, on November 23, 1820, the City Council of Castel Gandolfo, composed of Paolo Mallozzi - Lieutenant, Marco Troiani - Chief Magistrate, Candido

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Marazzi - Praetor, Filippo Albenzi - Praetor; and council members Stefano Evangelisti, Giuseppe Togni, Giuseppe Bernini, Giuseppe di Lucia, Francesco Marroni, Vincenzo Stazi, Giuseppe Manufelli, Giuseppe Gasperini, Domenico Lolli, Luca Campodonico, Francesco Alberti and Angelo Antonio Iacorossi; endorsed an idea of counsellor Angelo Antonio Iacorossi that at the square of Castel Gandolfo be installed the first mailbox in the world for sending letters.

At the 175th anniversary of this event the municipality of Castel Gandolfo proudly pays tribute to the genius and foresight of its illustrious former countrymen.

Castel Gandolfo, December 16, 1995; with the cooperation of the Castel Gandolfo Association.

Erected 1995 by City of Castel Gandolfo.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Government & Politics • Notable Places. In addition, it is included in the Postal Mail and Philately series list. A significant historical month for this entry is November 2004.

Location. 41° 44.803′ N, 12° 39.031′ E. Marker is in Castel Gandolfo, Lazio (Latium, Rome), in Città metropolitana di Roma Capitale. The marker is to the right of the Palazzo Papale (the pope’s summer residence) when you are standing in

View of the Piazza della Libertà in Castel Gandolfo, Italy image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Roger W. Sinnott, June 12, 2004

2. View of the Piazza della Libertà in Castel Gandolfo, Italy

The pope’s summer residence and headquarters of the Vatican Observatory are at center. The marker is located under the yellow postal sign on the row of buildings to the right.

the middle of the Piazza della Libertà. Look for the yellow postal (PT) sign. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Castel Gandolfo, Lazio 00040, Italy. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 21 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Battle of Vittorio Veneto Memorial (approx. 16.5 kilometers away); Anfiteatro Flavio/The Flavian Amphitheatre (approx. 20.7 kilometers away); The Palatine "Stadium" / "Stadio" Palatino (approx. 20.7 kilometers away); Arch of Constantine (approx. 20.7 kilometers away); Nymphaeum and Adjoining Cisterns / Ninfeo e Annesse Cisterne (approx. 20.7 kilometers away); The 'Stadium' / Lo 'Stadio' (approx. 20.7 kilometers away); Stadio Palatino / Palatine Stadium (approx. 20.8 kilometers away); Il Peristilio Inferiore della Domus Augustana / The Lower Peristyle of the Domus Augustana (approx. 20.8 kilometers away).

More about this marker. The submitter of this page thanks Ernesto Guido (Remanzacco Observatory) for help in reading the text of this marker.

Regarding World’s First Mailbox. People have exchanged mail for centuries, originally with the help of friends, travelers, merchants, and private messenger services. Ships meeting at mid-ocean would swap mail pouches. Sometimes the recipient, rather than the sender, paid the delivery fee. Finally,

Panoramic View of Lake Albano image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Roger W. Sinnott, June 8, 2004

3. Panoramic View of Lake Albano

Around the corner from the mailbox and its marker is this vista, looking east. Click on it for a larger view.

in the first half of the 19th century, national governments began issuing official postage stamps to standardize the process. For example, the U.S. Postal Service gives 1847 as the date of the first U.S. postage stamps and 1858 as the first year of letter boxes on streets.

Castel Gandolfo is a mountain town some 30 km (by car) southeast of Rome. Its historic mailbox dates from 1820 and is located adjacent to the Vatican Observatory, which also serves as the pope’s residence each summer. The marker itself was added in 1995, on the 175th anniversary of the mailbox at that site.

Also see . . . Wikipedia entry for Mail. Overview and history of postal distribution around the world. (Submitted on June 27, 2010, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts.)

Credits. This page was last revised on December 19, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 27, 2010, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. This page has been viewed 3,495 times since then and 129 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 27, 2010, by Roger W. Sinnott of Chelmsford, Massachusetts. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.