There are four main churches to visit whilst mooching around the city and it's worth seeing them all as they're in different styles and date from different periods. Basilica del Santo (incorporating St Peter's church) On the site of one of the first ever Christian…Read More

There are four main churches to visit whilst mooching around the city and it's worth seeing them all as they're in different styles and date from different periods.

Basilica del Santo (incorporating St Peter's church)

On the site of one of the first ever Christian monuments in Italy in pre-Romanesque style, Bolognese architect, Antonio Serra, demolished an old parish and started the much larger basilica, retaining only the old bell-tower which dates from about 1600. The new basilica was consecrated in 1855 and Serra gave made it neo-classic in style, with a porch of Corinthian columns. Inside, the basilica has three aisles and seven altars -- to your left, admire the c1600 throne of the Regent Captains who are elected twice annually, and the throne is used for their investiture ceremony on 1 April and October (the procession travels from the Palazzo Pubblico to the Basilica in traditional costume for the ceremony on those days and is well worth watching out for). Under that altar is a reliquary urn, allegedly containing the bones of San Marino. To your right when you enter is a marble monument with a silver casket, again allegedly containing the upper part of San Marino's cranium.

Just to the right of the basilica is the 16th century church of St Peter (but you can get in via a staircase carved out of the basilica belltower). St Peter is formed entirely of rock -- it's chiselled out into two holes which, according to popular tradition, were San Marino's sleeping places (and are now supposed to have healing qualities). There's a 17th century marble altar with a statue of St Peter and in the crypt is another reliquary allegedly containing St Peter's remains.

Church of San Francesco

The church started out in 1361 attached to the monastery of the GreyFriars and is the oldest remaining building in the Republic. Having said that, it has suffered numerous restorations which mean that it's hardly original these days and only the front of the building and porch actually look as they did when the building was earliest in use but look out, on the high altar, for the wooden crucifix which is believed to date back to the 1300s.

Church of San Quirino

Least interesting to look at is this church, which dates from c1550. It was dedicated to St Quirino in memory of the failed attempt by Fabiano of San Savino to occupy the city in 1543 (now the date when the Festa del Santa takes place). It doesn't have a great deal to attract the attention save the lovely 1928 monument to St. Francesco by Eduardo Collamarini.

In the "Centro storico" (historic centre of the city), you can't miss the Palazzo Publico and it is well worth a tour of the museum inside. It's believed to have been the site of a palace since very shortly after the republic was founded but,…Read More

In the "Centro storico" (historic centre of the city), you can't miss the Palazzo Publico and it is well worth a tour of the museum inside. It's believed to have been the site of a palace since very shortly after the republic was founded but, not surprisingly, that building has been repaired on various occasions since then -- the most recent incarnation was begun in 1884 from designs by a Roman architect, Francesco Azzurri, and construction was overseen by master-builder, Reffi, a home-grown San Marino-ian, using stone quarried from the Titano caves by the local stone-cutters. Construction took 10 years and the inauguration took place on 30 September 1894.

The Palazzo stands on a square called Pianello or, these days, Piazza della Libertà. Beneath the square lies an antique system of cisterns connected together for the collection of rain water, once used as a water reserve for the city's citizens. In front of the palace stands the former postal building, now reconstructed in a 1500s-style on the foundations of the Parva Domus of the commune of the 1400s.

The creamy-yellow stone has mellowed into a beautiful facade, particularly at sunset, and is richly decorated with the coat-of-arms of the Republic's castle, held up by three arches. (Cue photo below). There's also the impressive clocktower which can act as a useful reference point when you're trying to find your way back to the square. As well as being a museum and the formal centre of government and administration (you can peer into the council chamber on the second floor), it also hosts a formal guard of honour (in uniformed regalia) which changes twice a day. They are not the most organised band but they take it seriously and it's worth hanging around to witness them doing their best.

It's also worth venturing inside the palazzo to see both the gracious layout including, as you first go in, a great entrance hall with numerous shields and coats-of-arms on the walls, the exceptionally fine marble spiral staircase, some nice tapestries/wallhangings and paintings, a cracking Council Chamber with 60 imposing counsellors chairs (almost regal in style -- which is odd for a republic), the Congress and Hearing halls which lead into the Voting Room where the windows look out upon the square below and give a great view (sadly no photography allowed in these chambers). There are also some oddities worth looking out for -- busts of Lincoln and Napoleon, historic charters and treaties). On the sculpture front, look out on the mezzanine level for a bronze statue of San Marino himself, under the porch on the right for a marble bust of the architect, Azzurri.

And some history there is, considering that you're talking about the world's oldest republic. If you're looking for stats, it's also the third smallest state in Europe (after the Vatican City and principality of Monaco) and, as an enclave within Italy, it's not surprising that…Read More

And some history there is, considering that you're talking about the world's oldest republic. If you're looking for stats, it's also the third smallest state in Europe (after the Vatican City and principality of Monaco) and, as an enclave within Italy, it's not surprising that its c17,000 inhabitants speak the Italian language, are allied to Italian social, foreign and economic policies, eat Italian food, use Italian Euros (although they have cannily minted a collection of limited edition sets of their own to flog on to numismatists at an enormous mark-up -- see entry above).

Tradition has it that the place is named for a Christian stonecutter from Dalmatia called Marino who took refuge in the very early 300s on Mt. Titano in central Italy not far from Rimini -- Titano is now the main geographical feature of present-day San Marino. The Saint's bones are allegedly to be found in the reliquaries of various churches (see entry below) which also date back several hundred years. By the mid-5th century, a community was formed which, because of its relatively inaccessible location, bar a few brief interruptions it has managed to maintain its independence, whose recognition in Europe was led, in 1631, by the papacy. In 1849, the republic gave refuge to Garibaldi, the Italian patriot and soldier, but got few thanks for it although Italy and San Marino later signed a treaty of friendship and economic cooperation in 1862 (which has been renewed and expanded several times). As suggested above, the people of San Marino are closely allied to their more powerful neighbour, fought alongside their troops in WWI and WWII, so much so that Allied aircraft bombed the republic in 1944. Following a decade of post-war Communist rule, a coalition of Christian Democrats and Social Democrats came to power. 1960 saw female enfranchisement followed, in 1973, by the granting of the right to hold public office. San Marino joined the UN in 1980.

It's obvious from this that there is 700 years of history here and history buffs will expect some serious olde worlde architecture and quality antiquities. Though small-scale, you won't be disappointed, starting (provided you've organised a parking-place up front) with entry into the old city centre via the "Porta San Franceso", an ancient guard-post dating from 1361 (the alternative if you're coming by car and haven't organised parking in advance is to drop your car off at the car park at the base of the cable-car which connects Borgomaggiore to San Marino city -- signposted as soon as you enter the republic).

At the summit of the hill on which San Marino is built is La Rocca, more properly called the "Guaita" (or First Tower -- the first of the towers whose turrets feature on the republic's coat of arms). It's really a fortress rather than just…Read More

At the summit of the hill on which San Marino is built is La Rocca, more properly called the "Guaita" (or First Tower -- the first of the towers whose turrets feature on the republic's coat of arms). It's really a fortress rather than just a tower, and dates back to the 1000s (though you can tell from its fairly pristine look that it's been renovated and been given a lick of paint or 3 much more recently than that). Amazingly, the pentagonal structure was not built or constructed but sculpted direct from the stone of the hilltop for use as a look-out tower and part of the fortification.

Now you know the republic's somewhat turbulent history and their (understandable) paranoia about being a tiny country within an enormous and not always friendly neighbour, you'll know why the fortress was deemed necessary -- having said that, it didn't stay a fortress forever but, until as late as 1970 was a working prison. Indeed, a so-called "tower of penance" (built shortly after the impressive bell-tower) was built in medieval times as a punishment by misbehaving inhabitants.

Having climbed all the way up there from the city centre below, you'll be pleased to see a cafe with good icecreams in summer time and even better espresso in colder climates.

Once you've fortified yourself, you go in beneath a now-familiar republican escutcheon (three towers - "Liberta") which you'll have seen on the clocktower of the Palazzo Publico (and from my photos to this section). In particular, admire the splendid bell tower and climb up to enhance yet further the magnificent view across the valley as far as Mt Titano. Definitely worth the climb up to the hilltop, especially on a good clear day. Once you've had your fill of climbing and views, visit La Cesta o Fratta, one of the other towers of San Marino, where you'll find a medieval weapon museum.

San Marino is the oldest republic in the world and one of the smallest, with its 61 sq.km and a population of roughly 25000. This Italian-speaking country was founded, according to tradition, in 301 AD by a stonecutter named Marinus, on Mount Titano, at 750m…Read More

San Marino is the oldest republic in the world and one of the smallest, with its 61 sq.km and a population of roughly 25000.

This Italian-speaking country was founded, according to tradition, in 301 AD by a stonecutter named Marinus, on Mount Titano, at 750m above the sea level. Marinus, born in present-day Croatia, leader of a group of Christians who tried to escape from religious persecution, is depicted in a small statue on a corner of the Government Palace. He is believed to be buried inside the Basilica.

"Size matters" - that such a thought arises when meeting and a detailed study of the vast expanses of Russia, with its impassable taiga of the Urals, the scorching sun Kalmyk steppes, the piercing wind of the northern seas and the beauty of Kamchatka volcanoes.…Read More

"Size matters" - that such a thought arises when meeting and a detailed study of the vast expanses of Russia, with its impassable taiga of the Urals, the scorching sun Kalmyk steppes, the piercing wind of the northern seas and the beauty of Kamchatka volcanoes. Rate situated in the heart of Italy, a tiny republic of San Marino, even at the most detailed map - class is very dreary and the absolute degree is meaningless, because none of the directory would not give a hundredth part of the splendor of rocky mountains, resisting the appeal to the head of cloudless sky and barely veiled in a light haze of the Adriatic Sea.

The best (and only public) way to get a miniature of the state - a comfortable bus from the train station in Rimini, which runs every half hour or two. Tickets cost of round-trip "is about 10 euros, the duration does not exceed 40 minutes, during which you can fully enjoy not only the scenery of the foothills, but the leisurely life of local residents.

Those wishing to experience the full life of the oldest republic in the world recommend to leave the bus for a couple of stops before the final, when the road is just beginning to actively dodge up - here you can having strayed through the narrow streets, and the rest of the way done on a cable car. The main attractions are a miniature state at the top of Mount Titano at an altitude of 800 meters, where there are three royally beautiful fortress - La Rocca, Honor and Montale.

The complex of medieval fortifications and prisons (now - a museum) is so harmoniously blended into the landscape of these places that walks on them cause a real pleasure for connoisseurs of the historic monuments of architecture. Thrills adds the fact that many hundreds of years ago, the towers and walls served as protection against regular attacks on freedom of the descendants and followers of the founder of the Republic of Saint Marino.

Slowly climbing up the winding streets and cozy every second you can contemplate the degree of respect for the residents of San Marino in its long history - both private and municipal building in a perfectly pure state, but with their open terraces offering stunning views of the foothills, where life stopped as if the painting by Italian artist.

The road from the bus terminus to the first fortress takes no more than fifteen minutes, but here is not without surprises. On the whole route at short intervals are ... shopping for Russian-speaking population, offering a wide range of goods and clothing.

La Rocca is startling in its grandeur and architectural excellence. Situated on the edge of a cliff, the castle is a center of the first line of many kilometers of protective walls, threading through the mountain of Titan. In addition, La Rocca is also the most ancient fortress of San Marino - the beginning of its construction dates back to the 11 th century, that in no way affected its excellent condition.

Following the narrow path along the ramparts along the edge of the cliff can reach the second tower - an honor, not in the least inferior to the first in grace, but it is the tallest castle in the world. Perhaps, it offers the most breathtaking and memorable views of the neighborhood, and it is not wasting empty words to express emotions, you can simply enjoy the fact of their presence in this wonderful place.

The Third Tower (Montale), compared with the previous two did not cause so much interest among tourists, but to be honest - few reach it, because the castle is separated at a respectful distance. A small number of visitors and, consequently, trays, trouser press helped to keep this spirit of old times, when the approaches to it were carefully protected, and inside the tower, carved in the rock cave languished waiting for his fate to the prisoners and captives. For completeness, feeling it should be noted that on one side of the tower is protected by a steep cliff and on the other - a dense forest, therefore, to get there by other means is virtually impossible.Close