Perched on Mount Titano, between Marche and Romagna regions, central Italy, San Marino with its 64 km² is the smallest republic in the world. And also the oldest among the republics existing today all around the world. Founded, as tradition says, in the fourth century by Marino, a sculptor of tombstones fleeing religious persecution of Roman emperor Diocletian, in the ninth century the small town already established its independency and was recognized as an autonomous state. Emerged unscathed from the medieval conflicts between the dominions of the other cities and the papacy, the boundaries of the small state have remained unchanged for six centuries, case so rare that becomes, in the eyes of the world, a symbol of freedom and independence.
And it still keeps nowadays the aspect and style of a medieval italian city-state, like the last survivor of an era when Italy wasn't a unified country and each big and small town, ruled by local lords, fought for maintaining its tiny dominions.
The Republic has ten settlements scattered across the slopes at the foot of the mountain, and its capital in the village of San Marino, who grew up around the rocky outcrop summit, the most protected point, as medieval war strategies stated.
The village, still surrounded by walls of sixteenth century, can also be reached by a funicular railway, and is a popular destination for summer trips; totally devoted to tourism, lost, in part because of the urban renewal of twentieth century, the medieval charm. The main attraction of the place is the walk along the walls, where you can enjoy a splendid view of the cliff to the east, where your eyes sweep down to the coast and the sea.
On the walkways of the walls are arranged, towards south, the fortress of Guaita, rebuilt in the fifteenth century, and the tower of the Cesta, inside which a museum of ancient weapons is housed. The palace of the government, at Liberty Square, was built in 1894 in imitation of the fourteenth century Broletti.
If you are planning to travel in this part of Italy, maybe to the city of Bologna or to the famous beach resorts of the Romagna coast like Rimini, you must include a day-trip to San Marino!
PS: If you want to rent a car to visit San Marino, click here to book it online with Autoeurope service!
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