Emilio Diena: One of Italy's greatest philatelists

Emilio Diena is a well-known Italian stamp collector who specialized in postal products produced in his native country. The philatelist was fond of classic and rare stamps, studied the history of the Italian post in detail, and also developed his own systematic method of research. He was often asked to express his expert opinion, and was also invited to international exhibitions as a member of the jury.

Emilio Diena has written numerous articles published in magazines, as well as several monographs on the history of Italian philately. He focused on the stamps of Romagna, the Duchy of Modena, and the Kingdom of Naples. The philatelist collected a large library of thematic literature, which passed to his descendants and is now stored in Rome.

In 1921, the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain established an international award called the "List of Outstanding Philatelists". Among the first collectors and historians in this list was Emilio Diena, who put his signature on the list. He also received several important awards for his work, including the Tapling Medal and the Crawford Medal. Diena's work was continued by his family after the philatelist's death in 1941. Various stamps issued in different countries and in different years were dedicated to him. For example, in 1968, one of the eight Liechtenstein stamps dedicated to the world's greatest philatelists was printed in honor of Emilio Diena.