San Marino: the Oldest Surviving Republic
A brief and not sleep-inducing history of the State that was founded over 1,700 years ago
Sometimes, when I’m walking through a place, I like to imagine all the people who stepped there before me.
Who were they? What were they thinking? What did they believe in? What were their hopes and dreams? What did they have for breakfast? (And was it better than mine?)
This happens to me often.
Especially in my home country, which has a very, very long past: The Republic of San Marino.
San Marino was founded in the year 301 AD by a stonemason called... you’ll never guess it: Marino.
Well, to be precise, his name was Marinus. Because of Roman times and all that.
Marinus came from Arbe, a city in the region of Dalmatia (modern-day Croatia), and was called to help rebuild the walls of Ariminum, the city we now know as Rimini.
I’m sure we’ll have a chance to talk about Rimini another time.
It’s a fantastic place, even if it does have a bit of a rivalry with San Marino.
But more importantly, we’ll definitely talk more about Marinus.
Like the legend where he tamed a bear, or the one where he resisted the temptations of a woman sent by the devil himself.
(I’m not saying I’ve met similar women in my own life, but... let’s just say the devil’s recruiting office has been busy.)
For now, all you need to know is that Marinus founded a small Christian community on a mountain called Titan (Monte Titano), which eventually became the Republic of San Marino.
Oh, and yes -he eventually became a saint, but I bet you guessed that too.
The fact that all of this happened in 301 AD makes San Marino the oldest surviving republic in the world.
And I do mean surviving.
Sure, the Greeks and Romans had republics before us, but they’re not exactly around anymore (HAHA!)
Now, “Oldest Surviving Republic” might be historically accurate… but let’s face it, not the catchiest name for a publication.
So I kept it simple: Oldest Republic.
This is just the beginning.
I’ve got so many stories to tell -legends, quirks, politics, pasta- and a whole mountain’s worth of curiosity to share.
So if you haven’t already… you’d better subscribe.
