Vatican Phalerae

One sometimes tends to confuse them: the Holy See, a spiritual entity representing the Pope and the Roman Curia, and the Vatican City State, a temporal entity. As a subject of international law, the Vatican thus maintains diplomatic relations with other states and therefore possesses marks of distinction: equestrian orders, civil or military merit medals known as Benemerenti, the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, special marks of honor, commemorative or award medals bestowed for military service or participation in a major event, and prizes awarded in the Pope's name to students, professors, and academicians. These medals are countless, delighting numismatists and phaleristics enthusiasts alike. Dominicaine Henneresse, who describes himself as a "passionate collector," has accomplished the feat of cataloging these orders of awards and medals and presenting them with historical rigor. They are depicted, in their various models, across nineteen hundred illustrations, making his substantial work a true art book, thanks to its elegant and clear composition and layout.

Bertrand Galimard Flavigny 
La Gazette Drouot, n° 4, January 31, 2020