Republic of San Marino: Map & History
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy.
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San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino, is a landlocked country in Southern Europe, completely surrounded by Italy. Located on the northeastern slopes of the Apennine Mountains, it is the larger of two microstates within the Italian Peninsula, the other being Vatican City. San Marino is the fifth-smallest country in the world, with a land area of just over 61 square kilometres (24 sq mi) and a population of 34,042 as of 2025 which in 2026 dropped to 33,559. Its capital, the City of San Marino, sits atop Monte Titano, while its largest settlement is Dogana, in the municipality of Serravalle. San Marino claims to have been founded in AD 301 and to be the oldest extant sovereign state, and the oldest constitutional republic. It is named after Saint Marinus, a legendary stonemason from the Roman island of Rab, who is said to have fled persecution under Emperor Diocletian to have established a monastic community on Monte Titano, where he built a small chapel. The country has a rare constitutional structure: the Grand and General Council, a democratically elected legislature, selects two heads of state, the Captains Regent, every six months. They are chosen from opposing political parties, and serve concurrently with equal powers and preside over several institutions of state, including the Grand and General Council. Only the Federal Council of Switzerland follows this same structure, except with some modifications due to its immensely larger size.
Republic of San Marino in Depth
History
According to accounts that were first recorded centuries after he is suggested to have lived, Saint Marinus left the island of Rab in present-day Croatia with his lifelong friend Leo, and went to the city of Rimini as a stonemason. After the Diocletianic Persecution following his Christian sermons, he escaped to the nearby mountain Monte Titano, where he built a small church and thereby founded what is now the city and state of San Marino. According to William Miller, these accounts of the origin of San Marino "are a mixture of fables and miracles, but perhaps contain some grains of fact". The earliest historical evidence for a monastic community in San Marino dates to the 5th or 6th century AD, when a monk named Eugippus recorded that another monk had lived in a monastery in the area.
Government and politics
San Marino has the political framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic: the captains regent are heads of state, and there is a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Although there is no formal head of government, the secretary for foreign and political affairs is in many ways equal to the prime minister in other countries. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Grand and General Council. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. San Marino is considered to have the earliest written governing documents still in effect, as the Statutes of 1600 are still at the core of its constitutional framework.
Economy
San Marino is a developed country, and although it is not a European Union member it is allowed to use the euro as its currency by arrangement with the Council of the European Union; it is also granted the right to use its own designs on the national side of the euro coins. It is one of six sovereign nations that use the Euro but are not part of the EU. The other nations are Kosovo, Monaco, Andorra, Vatican City, and Montenegro. Before the euro, the Sammarinese lira was pegged to, and exchangeable with, the Italian lira. The small number of Sammarinese euro coins, as was the case with the lira before it, are of interest to coin collectors. San Marino's GDP per capita and standard of living are comparable to that of Italy. Key industries include banking, electronics, and ceramics.
Culture
The Three Towers of San Marino are located on the three peaks of Monte Titano in the capital. They are depicted on the coat of arms, which is itself contained on the flag of San Marino. The three towers are: Guaita, the oldest of the three (it was constructed in the 11th century); the 13th-century Cesta, located on the highest of Monte Titano's summits; and the 14th-century Montale, on the smallest of Monte Titano's summits, still privately owned.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: San Marino (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Republic of San Marino: Key Facts
| Capital | San Marino |
|---|---|
| Official language | Italian |
| Form of government | parliamentary republic, diarchy |
| Founded | 3 September 301 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q238 (CC0).
Republic of San Marino: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Republic of San Marino exist?
The Republic of San Marino is dated to 1797 CE – 1799 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Republic of San Marino?
The capital of the Republic of San Marino was City of San Marino.
How large was the Republic of San Marino at its peak?
At its peak in 1799 the Republic of San Marino covered about 47 km².
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