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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 ancient mountain state is culturally, racially,
and linguistically Italian, but has a rather independent history
due to its mountain isolation and the lack of profit to invaders.
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. 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. 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 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 of lords and aristocracy (not open to all people).
The flag of San Marino.
The republic of San Marino
is akin to a fairy tale journey or Disneyland. It can be passed
in entirety in less than an hour, and is like walking back
in time to ancient medieval Europe. There is almost no immigration,
no crime, no gangs, no graffiti, no ethnic conflict between
Muslim immigrants and natives as plagues most other European
countries. Sammarinese, staunchly Catholic and ethnically
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 shared proximity of the two states, as well as the tiny
size of the population. About 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 population. Churches are available throughout the
city. Every angle of the mountain offers a clean and pristine
view of the Italian countryside for endless miles without
obstruction. 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. The drawings, however, 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 a historian
and the Chairman of the European Heritage Library. I have
a Cum Laude BA in History with a Minor in Germanic Studies
(language and history), am presently working for my Masters
in History, and plan to immediately progress to my PhD Doctorate.
I have a special academic interest in Europe's diverse ethnic
identities, languages, and cultures, and the political struggles
of native European and immigrant minority identities. See
my staff entry for more information.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/SOURCES
USED:
No additional citations or
sources necessary.
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