What to see in San Marino? I have always lived a stone’s throw from this modern city-state but I have never seriously thought about how interesting this place could be for a tourist.
Let’s start with the basics, if you want to go to San Marino you have to pass through Italy because this small state of 30,000 inhabitants is completely surrounded by Italian territory, and the closest airport, Rimini – San Marino, is right in the territory of Rimini (if you are interested I also have a post on what to see in Rimini but in Italian).
What to see in San Marino, a very short version of the story of the most Serene Republic of San Marino
You can get past this chapter but it is interesting so I hope you stick with me for the next few lines.
The birth of a monastic community on Mount Titano, by the saint Marino, dates back to the period of Diocletian’s persecutions against Christians (301 AD). After the fall of the Roman Empire, the community grew and became involved in the alternating events and internal struggles between the lords of Romagna, Marche, and Tuscany (in particular the Dukes of Montefeltro and the Lords Malatesta of Verucchio and Rimini).
The difference with San Marino is that even in the medieval period it had a pseudo-democratic/oligarchic council system as its government, which is maintained even when this model, in almost all of Italy, is supplanted by a more autocratic type of government.
Officially, the Most Serene Republic has been considered an entity independent from the Papal States since 1291.
The territory of the Republic has been occupied three times by foreign forces (in 1503 by Cesare Borgia, in 1739 an attempted re-annexation by the Papal States, and finally by the Germans in 1944), and the state is today part of the UN and the Council of Europe but not of the European Union.
The country’s economic structure is closely linked to tourism (1.6 million visitors in the first 9 months of 2023), small industry, and the financial sector (which until recently was very much used for not very legal purposes. After the 2012 crisis, San Marino was removed from the list of tax havens).
Small historical side note. There was a time, in 1957, when Italy facilitated a coup d’état in the Republic. The government elected in San Marino was left-wing/communist and, to put it mildly, not very appreciated by the Italian Christian Democracy and the USA. Italy then decided to support an alternative majority with members of the Sammarinese Socialist Party and the Sammarinese Christian Democracy.
The legitimate communist government, after a few weeks in which there were fears of the outbreak of a civil war between opposing militias, finally decided to leave the government building and call new elections in which the center-right parties obtained the majority (an event also known as “i fatti di Rovereta”).
What to see in San Marino, the historic center
The historic center of San Marino is, without a doubt, the most interesting part of this small nation. The center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2008 and is the only Italian example of a medieval “city state” that has maintained its independence to this day (another historical tidbit…Napoleon, a friend of the Serenissima Republic, proposed to the Sam Marino government to give it a portion of Italian territory so that they would have an outlet to the sea. San Marino, rather wisely, refused).
The historic center has not undergone any significant interventions after 1930 and it is in very good condition. From the entrance, which for almost all tourists is in the door of San Francesco, you can continue towards the State Museum, Piazza della Libertà with the Palazzo Pubblico (heart of the Sammarinese government system with the seat of the Great and General Council, the Captains Regent and the congress) and then going up further, the Basilica of San Marino and the first tower called Guaita. From this tower you can easily reach the second tower (Cesta) and finally the third (Montale).
All along the way, on your left, you will have exceptional views of the Romagna coast, ranging from Riccione to Cesenatico.
The historic center can also be a good opportunity for shopping, here in fact there are plenty of souvenir shops, those that sell alcohol and cigarettes and, don’t ask me why, many replicas of medieval weapons. I could then add that if shopping is your thing, the San Marino Outlet experience could be for you. At the time of writing the shopping center, opened in 2022, has not yet taken off and several shop windows are still empty, we’ll see if the project will be able to take off.
Going back to the medieval part of San Marino, I must admit that although I have been to the historic center countless times, a walk in this area is always enjoyable and relaxing and, if the weather permits, the view from the top of Monte Titano is one of those that never tires.
For those of you who are interested in museums, I recommend the one of criminology and torture, immediately after the door of San Francesco on the right, the Montale Tunnel with the reconstruction of the historic train that connected Rimini to San Marino between 1932 and 1944. Finally, the State Museum has a collection, especially of religious art, which is quite important even if it could tell something more about the extremely interesting history of the Serenissima Republic (see the history of the casino of San Marino or the events of Rovereta that I already mentioned).
San Marino what to see and do, let’s not forget the outdoor activities
Although small and densely populated, San Marino also has some nature trails that, if you have more than a few hours to spend in this area, you could explore. The site visit San Marino has a list of trails indicating also the difficulty and how long will it take to complete them..
More generally, in addition to the area of San Marino, the entire countryside of Romagna and Marche has many hiking trails that can be done both by mountain bike and on foot. In this area you can in fact refer to the Montefeltro Valley and the Marecchia River Valley, with food and wine itineraries in the foreground.
Verucchio, San Leo, Montebello, are all small villages on top of fascinating hills that have castles, History and stories in abundance. Even without hiking, a visit to this area of Romagna and Marche will allow you to appreciate food and history, especially medieval, to no end.
It’s time to jump to conclusion
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino is a small state that has several attractions. Above all, the historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the center of what, if not the oldest democracy in the world, certainly remains one of the oldest.
In addition to the historic center you can find a new and interesting outlet, and above all a surrounding area full of hiking activities both on foot and by bike. Finally, I would not want to forget the food and the many restaurants. I do not have a list for you but if I have to choose one I would say L’arengo restaurant, even if there is a wide variety of Osterie and taverne with good food and reasonable prices.
Reaching San Marino is easy, even if unfortunately the old railway line is no longer in operation. Thanks to the seaside Metrò that connects the stations of Riccione and Rimini, if you are on holiday in these two cities, taking the bus to reach the historic centre of San Marino is quite simple and not too expensive (a simple one-way ticket from Rimini FS Station costs about 6 euros). For this reason, if you pass by Rimini and Riccione, I can only recommend to take a trip to San Marino.
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