San Marino - "The Ancient Land of Liberty"
What if I told you that the oldest nation-state in the world in continuous existence is the small land-locked Republic of San Marino?
Surrounded by Italian territory on all sides, the preservation of this political relic, which claims its origins stretch all the way back to the early 4th C. AD, seems almost like a miracle.
Perhaps divine intervention has had something to do with it, after all the Most Serene Republic of San Marino is named after a monk that went to live as an hermit on the slopes of Mount Titano, the mountain that is, both in a physical and spiritual sense, at the core of this proudly independent nation.
Even more remarkable is the fact that San Marino emerged unscathed from the political and military shake-up that was the Italian Risorgimento, which brought the many different kingdoms, dukedoms and states that until the mid-19th C. dotted the Italian Peninsula under the rule of an unified Italian state.
But what is there to do and to see in San Marino that makes it well worth a visit?
Keep reading to find out…
The Border
“Benvenuti nell’Antica Terra della Libertà” (which is Italian for “Welcome to the Ancient Land of Liberty”)
It took us about an hour drive from Bologna, where we had rented the car, to this road sign marking that informed us that we were about to enter this tiny sovereign island within the European Union.
Was it not for its presence, both on traffic signs and inscribed on the sides of a pedestrian elevated crossing, we would have hardly noticed that we were leaving Italy to enter one of Europe’s remaining micro-states and one of the smallest sovereign nations on Earth.
In fact, entering San Marino can feel a bit like an anti-climatic moment for enthusiasts of geographical curiosities. There are no border barriers of any sort between San Marino and Italy and no one to watch over the line. A simple concrete marking in the middle of a bridge (a dry river-bed marks the border) suffices.
The lack of border policing is, however, not due to a lack of police and military bodies in the tiny Republic.
Despite having a population of just over 30,000, San Marino has not only its own police force, but also a Gendarmerie, and several other military corps: the Guardia de Rocca (Guards of the Rock), the Guard of the Council, a volunteer Uniformed Militia and even a Crossbow Corps!
Nowadays these are, obviously confined to ceremonial duties, some of them faced no less than the Wehrmacht during WW2, when they help allied (mainly British and Indian) troops round up German prisoners after the Battle of of San Marino (also called the Battle of Monte Pulito), that took place partly within the confines of the Republic.
Although less dramatic, in the post-war years San Marino saw episodes of political upheaval which included a semi-successful coup that culminated in a rather bizarre episode that unfolded, literally, in one of the corners of the country, the so called Fatti di Rovereta.
In any case, and whether due to this impressive array of police and military units or because of the good nature of their inhabitants, San Marino tops the global league tables when it comes to incarceration rates, with total figures usually in the single digits (on some years, such as 2011, the figure can be as low as one person!). So, I guess, you can feel really safe here!
Visiting Monte Titano and the Old Town of San Marino
Once in Sammarinese territory, you may wanna get up to the top of Mount Titano, where the capital and pretty much everything else of interest (besides de border itself) is located.
And the best and most scenic way to do so is to park your car in the plain and take the cable car (called “Funivia di San Marino”) all the way up to the old town. A return ticket costs €4.5.
When you get uptown, you may think you have reached some sort of fairy tale principality, particularly if, as it was our case, you inadvertently arrive on the day in which the Captain-Regents rotate and there are soldiers in their traditional vintage uniforms walking around.
The ceremony to change the two Captains-Regents is one of the most prominent features of the very peculiar political system of San Marino, one of only two countries in the world (the other is Andorra), where the responsibility of head of state is exercised at the same time by two people (technically known as a “diarchy”).
In the case of San Marino, these two people, the Captain-Regents, that are at the same time Heads of State and Heads of Government, are changed by rotation every six months.
Whenever is time to renew them, a ceremony takes place at the Palazzo Pubblico (San Marino’s government house) in the old town’s main square.
But even if you just visit on a normal day, you likely won’t be disappointed. This is not because there are any major attractions in San Marino’s old town, but because of the rather harmonious ensemble: nice views, plenty of flowers and the allure of walking through the heart of what is possibly one of the world’s oldest democracies. The old town and Mount Titano are classed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Those interested in political tourism and memorabilia have three things to do in San Marino: first of all, go to the tourist office to get a stamp in your passport. As we explained earlier, there is no border control or customs when you drive into San Marino from Italy, but those avid to collect passport stamps can get a very nice one upon request. You just need to walk into the Tourist Office, pay €5 and they will stick a nice stamp with the San Marino’s coast of arms onto your passport. A rather original souvenir!
You can also get San Marino postal stamps and a San Marino Euro coin set at any of the many souvenir shops in the old town. These sells for more than its nominal value of €12, but given the scarcity of Sammarinese euro coinage it is likely to fetch higher prices elsewhere.
Other than that, truth be told, when it comes to shopping, there is little else of interest in San Marino.
The other must is the fortress, the “Rocca” in Italian.
It is located at the very top of Mount Titano, a mountain with an elongated shape raising from the adjacent plains as if it was the crest of a wave.
Regardless of the historical value of the well preserved (or restored) castle, from here you can enjoy some amazing views. Obviously of the whole republic of San Marino but also beyond, all the way to the sea and Rimini (the closest decently-sized city).
And this is it, really.
I would like to post some recommendation about where to stay in San Marino, but we didn’t spend the night there and went to Rimini instead, where there are literally hundreds of hotels, since it is a major seaside resort.
Neither can I write any recommendation about where to eat in San Marino, because we did not really find any place worth the mention. Perhaps because we got there a bit late to conduct some proper research, but we ended up eating a re-heated pizza slice in a non-descript bar by the main shopping street. Nothing to write home about, even less on this site.
To be fair, San Marino packs as much charm and picturesqueness in its 61 sq km of territory as you could possibly ask for!
What to see near San Marino: San Leo (Italy)
Bonus points: if there is enough time, I would recommend combining a trip to San Marino with that of nearby San Leo, already in Italian territory.
San Leo is a rather picturesque, hilltop village located on a rocky outcrop (to get there you need to drive through a rather narrow road that at some points seems to have been literally carved out of the rock.
It does have cobbled streets, houses painted in ochre tones, a 12th C. church, a town square with a nice stone fountain and a pretty impressive fortress that looks like every castle should look like, with four massive round stone towers protecting each one of its corners (although unfortunately I did not have time to take a picture before it got dark!).
