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Gallery of San Marino,
tiny ancient mountain nation of wonder
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)
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this Article • About
the Author • Bibliography/Sources
This article offers a national
profile of the tiny republic of Italian San Marino along with
historical background and my personal photo gallery thereof.
Located in the center of northern Italy, the "Most Serene
Republic of San Marino" is the second-smallest nation
in the world with a history of its own going back nearly 2,000
years. The smallest country in the world is Monaco, whilst
the sovereign polity of the Catholic Pope is even smaller
yet is only partially independent as a political nation. The
ancient mountain state is culturally, racially, and linguistically
Italian, but has a relatively independent history due to its
isolation and virtual uselessness to foreign invading powers.
San Marino, which is basically
just a large hill in Italy, is a military fort with winding
roads and villages to the summit. The isolation offered by
the hill became a refuge for local lords and settlers, as
well as a vacation hot spot for nearly 2 millennia, as the
Sammarinese (the proper social adjective) offered no military
or political opposition to its neighbors (how could it?).
Though it prides itself as being founded by a Christian martyr
stonemason in the 4th century who fled the anti-Christian
persecution of Emperor Diocletian, it can hardly be called
one of the oldest countries in the world due to the fact that
nearly every local power for the last 1,500 years has claimed
authority over it, thus San Marino has only enjoyed self-professed
de facto independence before the liberalism of post-Mussolini
Italy. San Marino was bombed during World War II for its lack
of participation in the war by their Italian brethren. The
invading Americans and Allies also tried to bomb San Marino,
and were opposed by the locals. An original bomb can be seen
(along with reproduction statues) in town square commemorating
the fears of the bloody war between Fascism of the Axis and
global liberalism of the Allies. The title "serene republic"
is embraced due to this history not of freedom (liberal social
rights) but of peace and prosperity. The Sammarinese consider
themselves the oldest republic in the world due to the fact
that their leadership in history has not been passed by heredity
of a king, but rather by an elective council (not by the people
at all) of lords and aristocracy.
The flag of San Marino.
The republic of San Marino
is akin to a fairy book journey or Disneyland. It can be passed
in entirety in only an hour or so, and is like walking back
in time to ancient medieval Europe (though most of Europe
offers this ability as well). There is almost no immigration,
no crime, no gangs, no graffiti, no ethnic conflict between
Muslim youth and Catholic adult (not because of tolerance
but because of the near-universal racial homogeneity of San
Marino), and no poverty. Sammarinese, staunchly Catholic and
Italian, are firm to the family and their culture. The inhabitants
earn high income, have a well-developed medical structure,
quick access to police and emergency vehicles, and no shortage
of jobs due to the small population to appropriate the small
size. The city is very well-maintained and upright; all roads
are well-paved and surprisingly wide for such a tiny hill.
There is an open border with Italy due to the common culture
and ethnicity of the two states, as well as the tiny size
of the population. Roughly half of the cars within the city
bear the "I" symbol (for Italy) on their license
plates, implying that labor and visitors are often from Italy
instead of San Marino.
An obvious problem is that
there is almost no parking anywhere, and a 30-minute drive
to the summit can be ended with the irritating reality that
one must return all the way down to the base because of the
total lack of parking spaces. There is no formal currency
in the stores; the Europe and even the Lira sometimes are
accepted. There are only 28,117 citizens in the city, a firmly
Catholic bunch. Churches are available throughout the city.
Every angle of the mountain offers a clean and pristine view
of the Italian countryside for tens and tens of miles without
obstruction; a lovely sight. There are restaurants and shops
everywhere both open-air and enclosed. Rent is obviously quite
high here. Some stores sell trinkets and toys, others t-shirts
and leather suitcases from Italy. Oddly, nearly every single
store has a full selections of guns, swords, knives, and other
weapons ranging from assault rifles to crossbows and handguns
both imitation and legitimate. The swords, medieval armour,
and other ancient-looking gear and toys pressure one to appreciate
the step back in time into San Marino's proud medieval history
and culture. There are no sheep or livestock anywhere except
at the base of the mountain. There are trees everywhere but
no crops. The "local" Sammarinese wine must either
be bred in small backyard gardens or down in Italy proper,
but the local red wine is indeed quite appealing. The cuisine
-- like the Sammarinese culture, ethnicity, and language --
is simply Italian.
The summit of the mountain
is impossible to reach, and any effort to drive closely to
the summit is hampered by the lack of parking. A "funicolare"-type
tram to the summit must be taken after payment. The gas stations
in San Marino, like in Italy, tend to have full bars with
whisky, wine, and beer; a hilarious sight to a foreigner.
The top of the mountain offers fantastic ancient forts going
back over 1,000 years. One was used to house prisoners who
were not beheaded. The other was a private lords' castle that
is visible in the distance. The prisoners' tower castle is
adorned with vast steps to a high surface that may give a
visitor a nosebleed as well as a series of medieval weapon
armouries and wall sketches allegedly drawn by the prisoners
in their boredom or insanity, though the drawings look like
they were drawn yesterday by a five-year-old.
San Marino is a "magical"
place much like Disneyland or Medieval Times that seems much
like a perfect utopia bereft of any social or economic hardship.
A lovely place with rose gardens, flower beds, ancient cobblestone
walkways, restaurants, castles, and views of the Italian countryside
indeed.
Below are some personal photos
from my 2007 vacation to the quaint hill country.
The entrance to San Marino is seamlessly integrated into its
identical Italian neighbor such that a visitor isn't even
sure in which country he is half the way up. (click
to enlarge)
a closer drive up the summit. The castles can be seen atop
the mountain. (click to enlarge)
a Sammarinese shopping and eating area. (click to
enlarge)
the winding roads to the summit. (click to enlarge)
a view of the city proper from the tram (funicolare). (click
to enlarge)
the main Sammarinese church. (click to enlarge)
the Italian countryside from the top of San Marino, with San
Marino legally owning a small portion of the base town. (click
to enlarge)
an ancient fort and home from the summit. (click to
enlarge)
the main castle for lords and the authority. (click
to enlarge)
the center of San Marino. Flowers and beauty are everywhere.
(click to enlarge)
________________________________________
ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:
James Mayfield is the owner
and Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I am working
for a doctorate in history, with a specific emphasis on Islamic
and European histories. I am well versed in all world cultures,
ethnicities, religions, languages, politics, and historical
evolution in relation to and against each other.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
Personal observations, photographs.
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