Ranked third in the list of the smallest states on the planet by area after Monaco and the Vatican, the Republic of San Marino is located in Europe and is completely surrounded by the territory of Italy. Its name comes from the name of the saint who founded the state and is its patron. An excursion here usually takes only one day, and tours are offered to travelers who flew to rest in Italy. What to see in San Marino, where, despite its modest size, many medieval sights could fit? Start with a magnificent view of the Adriatic Sea, which is visible from everywhere from the height of the Monte Titano mountain range, on the slopes of which the dwarf republic is located.
TOP 15 attractions of San Marino
Basilica of San Marino
The basilica in the center of the city of San Marino is dedicated to the saint who founded the state. It was built in the first half of the 19th century and is included in the UNESCO lists along with the old city quarters. The architectural style of the building is neoclassicism. The portico of the façade is supported by eight Corinthian columns, and the inscription above them is dedicated to Saint Marina.
Previously, there was a church of the IV century on this site, and a new temple was erected to replace it. The main relic of the basilica is the relics of the saint, kept under the altar.
Palazzo Publico
The first version of the palace appeared on Piazza della Liberta in the XIV century, but after 500 years it was rebuilt. Now the palace houses the official government of the republic. The halls of the Palazzo Publico host important meetings and sessions.
Externally, the mansion resembles the Florentine Vecchio Palace. For construction, materials from the quarries of Mount Titano were used. On the facade you can see the coats of arms of San Marino, a statue of the patron saint of the republic and a marble bust of the author of the palace project, the Roman architect Azzurri.
Ticket price: 3 euros.
Piazza della Liberta
Liberty Square, where the Palazzo Publiko is located, is also a very famous landmark in San Marino. It once housed rainwater storage tanks, and the system provided the entire city. A 14th-century mansion stands out on the square, which formerly housed the guard service of San Marino.
Tourists are attracted by the procession of changing the guard of honor at the Palazzo Publico. The solemn ceremony takes place every hour until 17.30, and the first shift starts at 9.30 in the morning. The season opens in May and ends in September.
Monte Titano
The highest point of the state of San Marino is located right in the center of the capital of the republic. Mount Monte Titano is not just a geographical feature, but also a strategically important location. Fortifications and castles, defensive walls, gates and bastions were built on its slope. Complemented by a neoclassical basilica, a single ensemble in 2008, in its entirety, was included in the lists of the World Heritage of Humanity and is now under the protection of UNESCO.
Mount Titano is made up of three separate peaks, each with three towers of San Marino.
Three towers
Three medieval fortress towers adorn the coat of arms and the national flag of San Marino:
- Guaita is the oldest. It was built in the 10th century and was used as a prison for a long time. The tower served as a fortress for the inhabitants during the siege of the enemy.
- The construction of the Chesta Tower dates back to the 11th century. It is located at the very top of the top of Monte Titano. There is a museum in Chest.
- The lower tower is called Montale. It is the youngest of the three: its construction dates back to the 13th century. The tower is closed to the public.
Three towers serve as a symbol of sovereignty and independence for residents.
Guaita
The Guaita Tower seems to be glued to a sheer cliff. The building has no foundation and is simply “inscribed” into the stone foundation. In the courtyard, you can see ancient weapons - mortars and cannons, from which solemn volleys are made during national holidays.
The wooden structure, preserved from the 15th century, protects the staircase, which leads to the entrance hall at the top of the tower.
Ticket price: 3 euros.
Honor
Cesta Castle rises 756 meters above sea level. The military garrison of San Marino was located here, and until the 16th century the tower was of great strategic importance. Then it was partially abandoned and destroyed until the development of the tourism industry began in San Marino. This happened in 1930 during the construction of the railway connecting San Marino with the Italian resort of Rimini. Then it was decided to restore the Chest tower.
An interesting museum exposition is open in the castle. Fans of military history will appreciate the collection of half a thousand exhibits, including knightly and military armor, ancient crossbows, medieval shields and spears.
Ticket price: 3 euros.
Montale
The third tower of San Marino is called Montale or Terza Torre. It is the smallest of the three and has the shape of a pentagon. Before the walls of San Marino were built, Montale had no communication with the other two fortresses and only in 1320 was united with them into a single system of fortifications.
Until the middle of the 15th century, the third tower served as a signal tower. A guard on Montale watched Malatesta's enemy troops based in the nearby castle of Fiorentino. After the annexation of Fiorentino to the territory of the dwarf state, the signal role of the Montale mini-fortress was lost.
The Montale Tower is depicted on the 1 euro cent coin.
Gallery of contemporary art
In a tiny state by world standards, there was also a place for a museum, which displays works of modern art. The collection of the gallery in San Marino has 750 objects, including watercolors and sculptures, photographs and paintings. The most famous exhibits of the museum are works by Renato Guttuso, Jean Marco Montesano and Emilio Vedov.
Ticket price: 3 euros.
State Museum
The first visitors to the National Museum of San Marino were received in 1899 in Palazzo Valloni. A century later, the exhibition moved to the Pergami-Beluzzi Palace. Today, visitors to the museum are offered almost 5 thousand exhibits, among which there are priceless relics.
The lion's share of the collection is dedicated to the archeology and ancient history of San Marino. Some items date from the Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. The most valuable and famous rarities are the Golden Stallion, the bronze sculpture of Tanakchia, Etruscan and Ancient Egyptian artifacts.
The painting department is represented by works by Guercino. The numismatic collection contains several particularly valuable coins that circulated in the territory of San Marino in the 19th century.
The founder of the museum collection in the middle of the 19th century was Count Cibrario, the Italian minister who advised the republican government.
Ticket price: 4.5 euros.
Art Gallery of St. Francis
The gallery was opened in 1966 in a complex adjacent to the church of the same name of the monastery of Franciscan monks. The museum exhibits works by painters of the 16th century - Herzino, Gerolamo Marchesi da Cotignola and Nicola Libertatore.
Ticket price: 3 euros.
Torture museum
You can look at the exhibits of one of the most terrible museum expositions not only in San Marino, but also in Europe in the Museum of Torture Weapons. Even a simple listing of the masterpieces of his collection can cause horror, shock and even a slight fainting in especially sensitive persons. The exhibition halls of the museum represent the guillotine and the inquisitorial chair, tools for skinning and all kinds of vice.
Old paintings on the walls of the museum detail the brutal technologies of the torture process, which in the Middle Ages were more the norm than the exception.
For those who are especially interested in such knowledge, another entertaining exposition is open in San Marino. The Wax Museum has a themed corner dedicated to exquisite abuse of human flesh and mind.
Find: Near Porta San Francesco in the historic center of San Marino.
Ticket price: 8 euros.
Museum of curiosities
If you are curious by nature, like to meet atypical things and look at incomprehensible objects, be sure to visit the exposition of one of the most extraordinary museums on the planet.
The Museum of Curious Objects, or the Museum of Curiosities, has hundreds of amazing exhibits, the purpose of which may seem strange, and the feasibility of being born is very controversial. The exhibition features the world's longest nails, glasses for treating strabismus, wooden shoes more than half a meter high, flea traps and the like.
Ticket price: 7 euros.
Ferrari Museum
The most famous Formula 1 racing cars and simply Ferraris, driven by wealthy high-speed enthusiasts, form the basis of the exposition of this museum in San Marino. The collection includes 25 historical models of the legendary brand, and one of the sections of the museum is dedicated to their creator - automotive designer Enzo Ferrari.
According to the status of the cars on display, the cost of entrance tickets to this museum is one of the highest in San Marino.
Ticket price: 12 euros.
Museum of Emigration
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, several thousand people emigrated from San Marino in search of a better life. Today, the diaspora of San Marinians living outside their homeland numbers about 13 thousand people, and the exposition of the Museum of Emigration tells about their life and the history of their exodus from their homeland.
The museum is located within the walls of the monastery of St. Clara and is of interest to fans of medieval monastery architecture. The collection of exhibits is small and the viewing of the exposition will take about an hour. The entrance to the museum is free.
