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Italy
Time
Traveler | Technology | Post Explorer
Time
Traveler
It was not until the reunification of
the smaller states into the Kingdom of Italy in 1862 that a formal postal
service was finally formed. The Italian postal service had a monopoly over the
delivery of letters, parcels up to the weight of 20 kg, newspapers and printed
documents. The monopoly was finally relaxed for newspapers and printed
documents. In addition to mail delivery, the post office also functions as a
payment site for social security benefits as well as a bank for basic saving
accounts and filing money orders.
Technology
Rail transport had been the
predominant means of transport although its use has been on a steady decline
since 1965. Road and air transport has proven to be more functional as the need
for urgent, "next day" deliveries have increased between major cities.
The Italian mechanization progressed significantly after the seventies with the
introduction of new electronic address-reading devices at several postal
centers. Recently, the Italian postal service has undergone a mega overhaul to
improve its efficiency.
Post
Explorer
Ensure that you have the correct postage
on your next piece of airmail you are sending out from Italy! Insufficient
postage does not mean the mail will be returned, and neither will the sender pay
the extra amount of postage required. The mail is simply sent by surface mail
which would mean weeks and months of waiting on the receiver's part.
By writing down "FERMO POSTA" just after the name of the town on an
Italian address, the receiver can simply collect his or her mail from the
Central Post Office upon providing suitable identification.
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