The Visit Spain stamp features characteristic tourist attractions full of symbolism; beaches, the fine weather, the sunlight and the artistic and cultural heritage. The stamp designer, artist J. Carrero has taken inspiration from the famous painting Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez to make a composition that mixes different concepts of tourism.

Thus, the Spanish sunlight and colour are reflected in the whole work, in the sand and sea. Art is expressed through a painting’s framework symbolising the historical and cultural heritage, and the Spain brand related to trade, industry, handicrafts and local products, is interpreted in a shopping bag with the colours of the national flag. The stamp features the official logo of the Europa series, symbolizing a mailbox and whose use is mandatory for all stamps issued within this series.

Europa stamps aim at promoting philately and contributing to the diffusion of culture, traditions and history of the European continent. It is one of the most collected and popular stamps series in the world.

Since 2002, PostEurop organizes an annual Internet contest in which all citizens can participate to choose the best stamp of the year. The winning stamp is disclosed at the meeting held annually by the Philatelic Working Group of PostEurop.

Title: Europa 2012 – Visit Spain
Date of Issue: 4 April 2012
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,70 €

Source: http://www.correos.es

Painter and sculptor Antoni Tàpies was born in Barcelona in 1923 and began his career as a self-taught artist. In 1946 after abandoning his law studies he began to paint realistic portraits and went on to expressionist compositions made with heavily textured materials and mild strokes. In 1948 he founded the legendary group Dau al Set with artist and poet Brossa, philosopher Arnau Puig and artists Modest Cuixa, Joan Ponç and Thàrrats.

Through these he became friends with Joan Prats and met Joan Miró. The style he develops in those years is framed within the “magic realism” that is perceived through fantastic and oneiric landscapes. These works show the influence of Klee and Ernst.

In 1949 he presented his works in Madrid for the first time and in 1950 won a scholarship from the French government and moved to Paris. After abandoning Surrealism in 1953, he returned to his matter paintings, in which he used earth to produce incisions and collages and through which he begins to project his inner self. Coinciding with this new plastic stage he exhibits in the Venice Biennale in 1952 and a year later is awarded the Grand Prix for Art at the Biennale of Sao Paulo 1953.

Title: Contemporary Art of Antoni Tapies
Date of Issue: 12 September 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,80 € x 4

Source: www.correos.es

If we review the history of the ceramics of Manises since the XIV century till this day we see an evolution in colours, shapes and styles. There are blue pottery pieces with inscriptions and motifs of Muslim influence, pottery also made in the gold reflective technique of the Muslims or Christians; geometric ceramic with images of lions and birds from the XVI and XVII centuries and ceramics with varied motives and white backgrounds from the XVIII century.

In the XIX century ceramics of Manises, the most common pieces are the multicoloured and popular type ones such as small plates, pieces of china decorated with the ornaments brides wore on their wedding days, water jugs and octagonal plates, amongst other common items. The motifs are mainly floral, but there are also birds, animals, human figures and architecture depicted. Late XIX century decoration depicts scenes of everyday life, trades, etc. In the XX century, Manises ceramics had a significant impact on Modernism, thus today we find important and representative pieces of this artistic trend.

The XIX century water jug is crafted in a potter’s wheel with embossed decorations, glazed earthenware and polychrome decoration. It depicts landscapes with architecture, bouquets of flowers and a heart of Jesus, as well as the initials of its owner, D. José Sanchís. The gazelles vase is a XIX century replica of a Muslim ceramic. It is made of glazed earthenware decorated in blue with a metallic sheen in the factory of Francisco Valldecabres in Manises. The plate was made on a potter’s wheel in glazed pottery. It depicts the traditional dress of a bride of Valencia and it dates back to the second third of the XIX century in Manises. The Modernist bottle is partially glazed and embossed in polychrome. It depicts the bust of a woman in profile and is believed to have been manufactured in 1910 at the factory of La Rosa in Manises.

Title: Ceramics of Spain
Date of Issue: 5 September 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,80 €

Source: http://www.correos.es

Film director Luis Garcia Berlanga (Valencia, 1921-Madrid, 2010) studied in the Instituto de Investigaciones y Experiencias Cinematográficas (Institute for Research and Cinematic Experiences) in Madrid, an institution created in 1947 offering training in the various disciplines within film production. He soon made his debut as film director and in 1951 directed Esa pareja feliz (That happy couple) in collaboration with Juan Antonio Bardem. Both filmmakers are considered to be the main innovators of Spanish cinema after the war. Amongst the first films of García Berlanga are Bienvenido Mr. Marshall, which reflects the humbleness of the inhabitants of a small town hoping to be rescued by a visiting American delegation.

Rafael Azcona (Logroño,1926 – Madrid, 2008) was one of the most brilliant screenwriters in Spanish cinema. When he first arrived in Madrid in the 1950′s, he wrote in the humour magazine La Codorniz and by the end of the decade he began in the film industry with Italian director Marco Ferreri who staged his first scripts of El Pisito and El Cochecito in which he ironically portrays the dark and miserable life in Spain at the time. He worked with important film directors such as the aforementioned Berlanga and Carlos Saura for whom he wrote Peppermint Frappé (1967), Ana y los lobos (1972) and La prima Angélica (1974). For José Luis Cuerda he wrote the script for El Bosque Animado (1988) for which he received the Goya for Best Screenplay and adapted La Lengua de las mariposas(1999). Other directors with whom he worked were Fernando Trueba, José Luis García Sánchez and Manuel Gutierrez Aragón. He won the National Film Award in 1982 and the Honorary Goya in 1988. Throughout his film career he made over 80 films.

Title: Spanish Cinema
Date of Issue: 22 July 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,80 € x 2

Source: www.correos.es

The town of Albarracín is located in the province of Teruel by the river Guadalaviar at an altitude of 1,171 meters. It belongs to the diocese of Teruel – Albarracín and was declared National Monument in June 1961.

Although the Cathedral of Albarracín is built on the ruins of an ancient Roman temple, construction of the Renaissance building as we know it today was started around 1530 by Bishop Gaspar Jofre de Borja and was completed around 1595 under Bishop Martin Terrer Valenzuela who commissioned the construction of the bell tower.

In the building of the cathedral were involved masters such as Quinto Pierres Vedel, who was responsible for the construction of the roof and several chapels, and Martín de Castañeda who participated in the building of the choir and the apse of the temple. The cathedral has a single nave and the head is formed by a polygonal apse. It has a cloister connected to the Episcopal Palace and both the Cathedral as the cloister underwent a major restoration in the 18th century which gave it its current baroque appearance. The building has two entrance doors and in the inside stand out the main altar and the altarpiece devoted to the Saviour (El Salvador) after which the Cathedral is named.

Title: Cathedral of Salvador de Albarracin
Date of Issue: 15 July 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 2,84 €

Source: www.correos.es

The lighthouse of Calella is located on a hill 50 m above sea level. It was inaugurated in December 1859. It first worked with oil and later with petroleum. It was electrified in 1927. It is currently in service and has a light range covering 35 nautical miles.

The lighthouse of Chipiona became operational in 1867. It has a height of 62 m above the basement and consists of a conical tower. It initially worked with oil and then with petroleum. It was electrified in 1942. Its has a light range of about 80 miles.

The lighthouse of Punta La Entallada in Fuerteventura is a square tower 12 m high, on a one storey stone building. It came into service in December 1954. Its light is white and its range is of 21 miles.

The lighthouse of Cap Sant Sebastià is located on the mountain of San Sebastià de la Guardia 167 m above sea level. It was built in 1875 and is one of the main lighthouses of the Gulf of León. Its tower is 12 m from the base, the light is white and the range is of 32 miles.

The Castell de Ferro lighthouse is built on a promontory 225 m. above sea level. It has a tapered shape and stands 9.40 m over the basement. It receives electricity through photovoltaic panels and has a light range of 14 miles. It was built from an old XI Arab watchtower.

The lighthouse of Valencia dates from 1930 and King Alfonso XIII laid its foundation stone. Its tower is octagonal and masonry. It has a focal plane height of 30 m. The light is white and the range is of 25 miles.

Title: Lighthouses 2011 – Spain
Date of Issue: 11 April 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,65 €

Source: www.correos.es

The conservation and sustainable development of forests is an increasing concern to society and conservation movements have emerged to support and protect these natural ecosystems. It is estimated that forests cover between 25% and 35% of the land surface and are seriously threatened by indiscriminate logging, fires and industrial pollution. Forest provide habitat to many animal species and play key roles in human life and the balance of the biosphere. Forests act as hydrologic flow modulators and soil conservers, they affect the weather, the temperature and humidity of the air, they absorb carbon dioxide slowing down the negative effects of CO2 and purify the atmosphere.

Depending on the geographical latitude and altitude, there are different examples of forests. The most common type are the dense evergreen tropical rainforest; the Mediterranean forest, with holm oaks, cork trees and thick undergrowth rockrose, lavenders and thyme; Temperate forest, deciduous with abundant beech, elm and oak forests; Taiga forests, where growing conditions are not adequate to maintain a continuous closed forest cover due to the extreme cold temperatures so tree cover is both sparse and discontinuous with large tracts of coniferous found in the northern hemisphere through Europe, America and Asia.

Title: Europa 2011 – Spain
Date of Issue: 8 April 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0.65 EUR

Source: www.correos.es

The rights and freedoms of individuals should be enjoyed by people with disabilities on an equal footing. For this reason, governments are to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.

United Nations, through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, provides a set of guiding principles that underlie the Convention: Respect for inherent dignity, individual autonomy including the freedom to make one’s own choices, and independence of persons, non-discrimination, full and effective participation and inclusion in society, respect for difference and acceptance of persons with disabilities as part of human diversity and humanity, equality of opportunity and accessibility.

Respect on the Net is one of the issues in which the EU has legislated regarding the behavior in the use of the computer network. The initiatives are aimed at protecting copyright and encouraging the use of the network as a platform for the Information Society. Responsibility, tolerance and respect are the main principles to be considered.

Fasten Your Safety Belt when getting into a car is the best choice few can all make. The purpose of its use is to minimize the effect of a collision and being thrown from the vehicle, saving many lives. Under the rules established in the Traffic Act, belt use is mandatory for both driver and all passengers including those sitting in the back seats. Children under three years traveling in the rear seats must use appropriate restraint systems for their height and weight.

“Do not forget, for a cleaner city” is the message featuring on these stamps highlighting the importance of keeping our cities clean. The place where we live and the streets we walk through should be respected by of all citizens. Using the litter containers in accordance with the recycling regulations, preventing graffiti on walls and doors, making use the bins and keeping the streets clean are some of the citizenship obligations.

Title: Civic Values 2011 – Spain
Date of Issue: 18 February 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,35 € x 4

Source: www.correos.es

The Property Act was passed on February 8 1861 under the reign of Elizabeth II and was the origin of the current real estate registry system. The new law was one of the milestones in the changing Spanish legal system, going from a situation of overlapping stratified rules to a scientific approach of regulations and a process of codifying laws.

The original legislation has been amended successively over its 150 year’s life existence during which many public institutions and organisms have been created. In 1861 the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) was also created aiming at “the registration or endorsement of title deeds and other rights over real estate.”

The Registry has an official status and its main duty is to provide reliable information to individuals when drawing up a contract on the property registered. This Land Registry meets basically three purposes: to establish a solid basis for mortgage loans, to provide protection to owners of registered rights and to make real estate legal transactions swift.

The Cuerpo Nacional de Aspirantes a Registradores (national corps of contenders to become a recorder of deeds) was created during the reign of Alfonso XII. This corps is currently known as Registradores de la Propiedad (recorders of deeds) and are the followers of those who worked 150 years ago to serve the nation and the legal certainty of Spanish law. According to the Dean of the association of the recorders of deeds (Colegio de Registradores de la Propiedad), this anniversary is “a chance for educating in the importance of the recording function and to try to expand corporate relationships whilst contributing to the defense of ideas and values such as private property, legal certainty, the market unit, national associations or technological innovation”.

Title: 150 anniversary of the Property Act
Date of Issue: 8 February 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,65 €

Source: www.correos.es

The IYC 2011 is an initiative of IUPAC, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, and of UNESCO. The goals of IYC2011 are to increase the public appreciation of chemistry in meeting world needs, to encourage interest in chemistry among young people, and to generate enthusiasm for the creative future of chemistry.

The year 2011 will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry awarded to Madame Marie Curie and with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Association of Chemical Societies.
Throughout the year there will be a wide range of interactive, entertaining, and educational activities under the unifying theme “Chemistry—our life, our future” emphasizing that chemistry is a creative science essential for sustainability and improvements to our way of life and how chemical research is critical for improving our every day life as it is involved in the production of food, health and a large number of manufactured goods.

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry Marie Curie, was a Polish-born French scientist. The daughter of a distinguished professor, she was born in Warsaw in 1867 where she studied until the age of 24 when she moved to Paris to continue her studies at the Sorbonne. She obtained a degree in physics and mathematics and in 1895 she married French physicist Pierre Curie and became his most effective collaborator. A few years later she obtained her Phd with a thesis dedicated to radioactive substances. In 1898 in collaboration with her husband she discovered two new chemical elements: polonium, named in reference to her native country and radio.

In 1903 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics shared with her husband and physicist Henri Becquerel for discovering radioactivity. After the death of her husband in 1906, she became professor of physics at the Sorbonne thus becoming the first woman who taught at the University of Paris. Author of several books and founder of the Radium Institute, in 1911 she received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry and the first person to receive this. distinction twice. Marie Curie died in 1934 near Salanches (France).

Title: International Year of Chemistry – Spain
Date of Issue: 7 February 2011
Country: Spain
Denominations: 0,35 €

Source: www.correos.es