Karol Józef Wojtyła, elected Pope on October 16th 1978, was born in Wadowice, a city 50 km away from Krakow, on the 18 of May 1920. His pontificate lasted 26 years and was the third longest in history. On 27 April 2014 he was proclaimed a saint by Pope Francis. The souvenir sheet depicts Saint John Paul II with the Palazzo Pubblico in the background, recalling the historical pastoral visit of the pontiff to San Marino on August 29, 1982.