The
City of San Marino, also known simply as
San Marino, is the capital
cityA city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
of the Republic of
San MarinoSan Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
on the
ItalianItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
peninsula, near the
Adriatic SeaThe Adriatic Sea is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan peninsula, and the system of the Apennine Mountains from that of the Dinaric Alps and adjacent ranges...
. The city has a population of 4,493. It is on the western slopes of San Marino's highest point,
Monte TitanoMonte Titano is a mountain of the Apennines and the highest peak in San Marino. It stands at above sea level and is located immediately to the east of the capital, San Marino. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 under the combined title "San Marino Historic Centre and Mount...
.
Geography
Although the capital, most of the businesses are in
Borgo MaggioreBorgo Maggiore is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of San Marino. It lies at the foot of Monte Titano and has a population of 5,992 , making it the second largest town of San Marino, after Dogana.-Geography:...
. It is the third largest city in the country, after
DoganaDogana may be:*Dogana, a town of San Marino*Dogana, means customs in Italian and can refer to :** Individual Custom Houses such as that of Venice**Agenzia delle Dogane , the Italian customs organisation...
and Borgo Maggiore. It borders the San Marino municipalities Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore,
FiorentinoFiorentino is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of the Republic of San Marino. It has 2 245 inhabitants in an area of 6.57 km².- Geography :...
, and
ChiesanuovaChiesanuova is a minor municipality of San Marino. It has a population of 1,029 inhabitants in an area of 5.46 km².-Geography:...
and the Italian municipality
San LeoSan Leo is a comune in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 135 km southeast of Bologna and about 35 km southwest of Rimini.-Geography:...
.
Akademio Internacia de la Sciencoj San MarinoThe Akademio Internacia de la Sciencoj San Marino is a scientific association. It was established in 1983 and had its first convention, SUS 1, around New Year 1984 at San Marino City. After the Sammarinese skeleton law on higher education had been passed the academy was officially founded on...
is centered here.
History
Due to its being the capital and previously the only city in San Marino, the history of this city is almost the same as the History of San MarinoThe history of San Marino is both very European and typical for the Italian Peninsula, and yet helps explain its unusual characteristics as the sole remaining Italian city-state.San Marino is the only surviving Italian city-state...
. For more information on that topic, see that article.
The city was founded by
Saint MarinusSaint Marinus was the founder of the world's oldest surviving republic, San Marino, in 301. Tradition holds that he was a stonemason by trade who came from the island of Rab on the other side of the Adriatic Sea , fleeing persecution for his Christian beliefs in the Diocletianic Persecution...
and several Christian refugees in the year 301. From then on the city became a center of Christian refugees who fled from Roman persecution. As a result, the city become the oldest republic in
EuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, for the republic's territory at that time only included the single city of San Marino.
The urban heart of the city was protected by three towers: the first, Guaita, constructed in the 11th century, was famous for being impenetrable, which to a great extent discouraged attacks on the city.
Due to the
CrusadesThe Crusades were a series of religious wars, blessed by the Pope and the Catholic Church with the main goal of restoring Christian access to the holy places in and near Jerusalem...
, it was felt necessary to construct a second tower, Cesta (13th century). But the Sanmarinense defensive system was not completed until the construction of a third tower, the Montale (14th century) - the smallest of all and constructed on the last of the summits of Monte Titano.
With the population of the city increasing, the territory of the country was extended by a few square kilometers. Since the Sanmarinese policy was not to invade or to use war to obtain new territories, it was by means of purchases and treaties that San Marino obtained the other nine
castelli which make up San Marino.
Parishes
The City of San Marino has the following 7 parishes or wards (
curazie):
- Cà Berlone
Cà Berlone, also named Cà Berloni, is a small village of San Marino. It belongs to the municipality of San Marino.-Geography:...
, Canepa, CasoleCasole is a village in the middle of San Marino. It belongs to the municipality of San Marino.-Geography:The village is situated near Murata and close to the borders of Fiorentino.-See also:*San Marino *Cà Berlone*Canepa*Castellaro...
, Castellaro, Montalbo, MurataMurata is a village in the middle of San Marino. It belongs to the municipality of San Marino and is its most populated curazia.-Geography:The village is situated on the hills between the City of San Marino and Fiorentino...
, Santa MustiolaSanta Mustiola is a village in the middle of San Marino. It belongs to the municipality of San Marino. Its name derives from a Catholic saint, Mustiola, cousin of the Roman Emperor Claudius II.-Geography:...
Economy
The economy of the city of San Marino has always been closely bound to
that of the countryThe economy of San Marino is focussed around industries such as banking, wearing apparel, electronics, and ceramics, tiles, furniture, clothing, paints, fabrics, and spirits/wines. In addition, San Marino sells collectible postage stamps to philatelists...
. Until recently, the main economic activities of the locality were stone extraction and carving. Today, there is a more varied economy, including tourism, commerce, sale of postage stamps, and a small agricultural industry, although the last is in decay.
Landmarks
The city is visited by more than three million people per year, and has developed progressively as a tourist center. Of the tourists, 85% are Italian. There are also more than a thousand retail outlets, where one can find a great variety of products.
Main sights
- Basilica di San Marino
The Basilica di San Marino is a Catholic church located in the Republic of San Marino. While the country has a distinct domination of historic religious buildings of Christian faith, the basilica is the main church of the City of San Marino...
- Palazzo dei Capitani
- Palazzo Pubblico
The Palazzo Pubblico is the town hall of the City of San Marino as well as its official Government Building. The building, where official State ceremonies take place, is the seat of the Republic's main institutional and administrative bodies: the Captains Regent, the Grand and General Council, the...
- The Three Towers of San Marino
The Three Towers of San Marino are a group of towers located in the small European country of San Marino. Located on the three peaks of Monte Titano in the capital, also called San Marino, they are depicted on both the national flag and coat of arms...
- Piazza del Titano
- Piazza Garibaldi
- Monastery of Santa Clara
- Grand Hotel San Marino
Transport
The town is known for its long, winding cobblestoned streets, as its altitude and steep approach put it beyond the reach of the San Marino Superhighway. San Marino is also notable in that cars are prohibited in much of the town center.
Before the Second World War, a railway was built from San Marino to
RiminiRimini is a medium-sized city of 142,579 inhabitants in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It is located on the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia and Ausa...
under the dictatorship of
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. Its tunnels, and the railway station 'Piazzale Lo Stradone', still exist. Proposals for the reopening of this railway have been presented to the government on several occasions, but thus far without action.
There is a regular bus service to Rimini, and a 1.5 km cable car line connects the capital with
Borgo MaggioreBorgo Maggiore is one of the 9 communes or "castelli" of San Marino. It lies at the foot of Monte Titano and has a population of 5,992 , making it the second largest town of San Marino, after Dogana.-Geography:...
.
Sports
The city of San Marino has two soccer teams: the
S.S. MurataS.S. Murata is a Sanmarinese football club, based in Murata, a civil parish of the city of San Marino. The club was founded in 1966. Murata currently plays in Girone B of Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio. The team's colors are black and white.-Overview:...
and the
S.P. Tre PenneS.P. Tre Penne is a Sanmarinese football club, based in the City of San Marino. The club was founded in 1956. Tre Penne currently plays in Girone B of Campionato Sammarinese di Calcio...
. The city had the
Olympic FlameThe Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
pass through San Marino during the run-up to the
2006 Winter OlympicsThe 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
.
International relations
Twin towns—Sister cities
City of San Marino is
twinnedTwin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
San LeoSan Leo is a comune in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about 135 km southeast of Bologna and about 35 km southwest of Rimini.-Geography:...
, Italy
RabRab is an island in Croatia and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea.The island is long, has an area of and 9,480 inhabitants . The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters...
,
CroatiaCroatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
RønneRønne is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,904 . Once a municipality in its own right, it is now the administrative centre of the Bornholm municipality....
,
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
External links
San Marino's page on giuntedicastello.sm