In 1833, the newspaper L’Omnibus was first published in Naples, then the capital of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. It was a publication produced by intellectuals and read by the Neapolitan elite. Subscribers outside the city received L’Omnibus by post two or three times a week. One such subscriber was Luigi Rocco, who owned a farm with a vineyard in Baronissi, located to the southeast of Naples. The issues sent to him were carefully preserved after being read, allowing for their recent rediscovery.
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More than 120 issues from 1858, 1860, and 1861 are currently being auctioned online by the Danish auction house Bruun Rasmussen. These were pivotal years in the Risorgimento, the movement aimed at unifying Italy—then largely under foreign rule—into a single nation-state. While Lombardy-Venetia in the north was part of the Habsburg Empire, the French-Spanish Bourbons ruled the southern Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. On 17 March 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was finally proclaimed, with Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia-Piedmont, from the House of Savoy, as its constitutional monarch, although some regions, such as the Papal States, were incorporated only later.
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While the surviving issues of L’Omnibus are interesting historical documents, that's not the main reason for their total valuation of €140,000. The real value lies in the top right corner of the front page of each issue, near or on the address labels identifying Luigi Rocco in Baronissi as the recipient. These are, of course, the stamps—some of which are quite special. Most notably, the iconic Trinacria stamps, first issued in November 1860, which are highly prized by collectors.
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“The Baronissi Archive contains no fewer than eight newspapers franked with this spectacular stamp, which was in circulation for just 30 days. All of them are in exceptionally well-preserved, beautiful, and pristine condition,” says Bruun Rasmussen’s stamp expert, Torben Ringtved. He goes on to highlight the absolute gem of the collection: “This newspaper was sent out on the very day the stamp was issued, 6 November 1860, making it a particularly special first edition. Before the discovery of the Baronissi Archive, only two such first-edition copies were known, so this newly uncovered one can be considered a top-tier international rarity.”
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Also of great interest are over 25 newspaper issues franked with the stamps that followed the Trinacria series, featuring the blue Savoy Cross. These stamps are among Italy's most prized philatelic treasures.
“Most of these Savoy Cross issues are of exceptional quality, and among the highlights are no fewer than four copies of the extremely rare 'Double-T' issue,” explains Ringtved. He concludes, “The discovery of the Baronissi Archive is nothing short of sensational and a significant coup in the philatelic world. This collection is sure to captivate even the most discerning collectors of classic stamps from across Europe.”
