World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid

Young people holding flags; the state name 'CITTÀ DEL VATICANO' below, the inscription 'XXVI G.M.G.' (Giornata Mondiale della Gioventù — World Youth Day) worked into the design above, with the name of designer Orietta Rossi below and the initials of engraver Maria Carmela Colaneri above; the year 2011 and the mint mark 'R'.

World Youth Day is a multi-day international gathering of young Catholics that originated on the initiative of Pope John Paul II and has been held in changing host cities since 1986. Madrid hosted the 26th edition of this event in 2011, held from 16 to 21 August under the motto "Rooted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith." Several hundred thousand participants from around the world traveled to the Spanish capital, making it one of the largest events of its kind in the history of World Youth Day. At its center was the encounter with Pope Benedict XVI, who, as Bishop of Rome, welcomed the pilgrims and celebrated the closing Mass at the Cuatro Vientos airfield.

The Vatican, as the issuing state, is the smallest recognized sovereign entity in the world and at the same time the center of the Roman Catholic Church. As both a temporal and spiritual authority of the papacy, it plays a dual role in an event such as World Youth Day: it is at once organizer, host in a figurative sense, and theological reference point for the assembled faithful. The Vatican's issuance of a 2-euro commemorative coin in 2011 for the 26th World Youth Day in Madrid expresses this close bond between the Holy See and this global youth event.