>>Flags/National Symbols of Europe<<
About the EHL/The Staff/Contact Us
Submit Articles & Content
Online Language Translation
Join our Mailing List
Donate to the EHL
Bookmark the EHL to Favourites!   

In English Auf Deutsch In heet Nederlands En Francais In Italiano Em Português  En Español Russkij Ellenika
Click a Flag to Translate



• History of Christianization of Europe
• Soviet Union, Communist influence
• Map of European ethnic groups
• Map of Fascism in Europe (1922-75)
• History of Islamic conquest in Europe
• Religions & ethnic groups in Russia
• Detailed map of French colonization
• Detailed map of British colonization
• Napoleon's conquests & legacy

--MORE & NON-ENGLISH--



• Muhammad cartoon crisis in pictures
• Stalin's private summer home
• Ravenna: capital of Gothic empire
• Czar Nicholas II's Ukrainian palace
• European traditional costumes/dress
• Inside the Vatican, house of all wealth

--MORE & NON-ENGLISH--

• Islamic Mujahidin vs. Spain & El Cid
• Poland-Lithuania vs. Teutonic Order
• Nevskiy's Russia vs. German Crusaders
• Mussolini vs. Libyan Islamic fighters
• Qadafi: Europe will soon be Islamic
• Ivan the Terrible vs. Muslim Tatars 

--MORE & NON-ENGLISH--

• The Gypsies in history and today, Europe's public enemy
• History of Jihad in Chechnya
& Caucasus vs. Russians

• History of the Muslim Tatars in Russia
• Ethnic & religious history of Serbs, Croats, & Bosnians
• Breakaway states and independence movements in Europe
• The ancient Germanic Runic alphabet and Runestones
• Inside Bulgaria, 1st Slavic nation,
land of Thracian masters of gold

• Visual history of Yugoslavia
• 4,000-year-old white mummies of China, bringers of Buddhism 

--MORE & NON-ENGLISH--

 

Gallery of San Marino, tiny ancient mountain nation of wonder
by James Mayfield (Chairman, European Heritage Library)

Print 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.


Copyright 2008, European Heritage Library®. www.euroheritage.net. All Rights Reserved. The European Heritage Library is a non-profit academic organization owned by Chairman James Mayfield.
No email addresses or personal information is redistributed. No articles or content on this site may be redistributed without approval or a full citation and credit to the EHL as the original source.