The Most Serene Republic of San Marino
/ˌsæn məˈriːnoʊ/ (help·info) (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino ) is a country situated in the Apennine Mountains. It is a landlocked enclave, completely surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over 60 km 2 with an estimated population of almost 30 000 . Its capital is the City of San Marino. One of the European microstates along with Liechtenstein, the Vatican, Monaco, Andorra, and Malta, San Marino has the smallest population of all the members of the Council of Europe.
San Marino is the oldest recorded sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world, having been founded on 3 September 301 by stonecutter Marinus of Rab. Legend has it that Marinus left Rab, then a Roman colony, in 257 when the future emperor, Diocletian, issued a decree calling for the reconstruction of the city walls of Rimini, which had been destroyed by Liburnian pirates.
The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect.
History
Main article: History of San MarinoAccording to tradition, Saint Marinus left the island of Rab in Croatia with his lifelong friend, Leo, and went to the city of Rimini as a mason. After the Diocletianic Persecution following his Christian sermons, he escaped to the nearby Monte Titano, where he built a small church and thus founded what is now the city and the state of San Marino. The official date of foundation of the Republic is 3 September 301.
By the mid-fifth century, a community was formed; because of its relatively inaccessible location and its poverty, it has succeeded, with a few brief interruptions, in maintaining its independence. In 1631 its independence was recognized by the Papacy.
The advance of Napoleon's army in 1797 presented a brief threat to the independence of San Marino, but the country was spared its liberty thanks to one of its Regents, Antonio Onofri, who managed to gain the respect and friendship of Napoleon. Thanks to his intervention, Napoleon, with a letter delivered to Gasparre Monge, scientist and commissary of the French Government for Science and Art, promised to guarantee and protect the independence of the Republic, offering to extend its territory according to its needs. The offer was declined by San Marino, fearing to provoke future revanchism that might threaten its freedom.
During the later phase of the Italian unification process in the nineteenth century, San Marino served as a refuge for numerous persons who were persecuted because of their support for the unification. In memory of this support, Giuseppe Garibaldi accepted the wish of San Marino not to be incorporated into the new Italian state.
The government of San Marino made United States President Abraham Lincoln an honorary citizen. He wrote in reply, saying that the republic proved that "government founded on republican principles is capable of being so administered as to be secure and enduring."
In World War I, as Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary on 23 May 1915, San Marino remained neutral and Italy adopted a hostile view of Sammarinese neutrality, suspecting that San Marino could harbor Austrian spies who could be given access to its new radiotelegraph station. Italy tried to forcibly establish a detachment of Carabinieri on its territory and then suspended any telephone connections with the Republic when it did not comply. Two groups of ten volunteers each, however, joined Italian forces in the fighting on the Italian front, the first as combatants and the second as a Medical Corps operating a Red Cross field hospital. It was the presence of this hospital that later caused Austrian authorities to suspend diplomatic relations with San Marino.
From 1923 to 1943, San Marino was under the rule of the Sammarinese Fascist Party (PFS).
During World War II San Marino remained neutral. Despite that, on 26 June 1944 it was bombed by the RAF, which mistakenly believed that the country had been overrun by German forces and was being used to amass stores and ammunition. Sixty people were killed during the operation. San Marino was refuge for thousands of civilians who sought safety on the passing of Allied forces over the Gothic Line. It was briefly occupied by German forces in September 1944, who were attacked by Allied forces in the Battle of San Marino. Allied troops withdrew from the country shortly afterward.
The head of state is a committee (council) of two captains-regent. San Marino also had the world's first democratically-elected communist government, which held office between 1945 and 1957 and again between 2006 and 2008.
San Marino is the world's smallest republic, although when Nauru gained independence in 1968 it challenged that claim, Nauru's land mass only being 21 km 2 . However Nauru's jurisdiction over its surrounding waters is much greater than the territory of San Marino.
San Marino became a member of the Council of Europe in 1988 and of the United Nations in 1992. It is not a member of the European Union.
Geography
Main article: Geography of San MarinoSan Marino is an enclave in Italy, on the border between the regioni of Emilia Romagna and Marche. Its topography is dominated by the Apennines mountain range, and it has a rugged terrain. The highest point in the country, the summit of Monte Titano, is situated at 749 m ( 2 457 ft) above sea level. There are no bodies of water of any significant size. San Marino is the third smallest country in Europe, with only Vatican City and Monaco being smaller. San Marino has no level natural land; 100% of the nation-state is built on top of the range.
Climate
The climate is Mediterranean with continental influences, having warm summers and cool winters. The National Center of Meteorology and Climatology of San Marino provides local forecasts.
Municipalities
San Marino is divided into the following nine municipalities, known locally as castelli (meaning "castles").
- San Marino (City of San Marino, officially Città di San Marino ) is the capital.
There are also eight minor municipalities:
- Acquaviva
- Borgo Maggiore
- Chiesanuova
- Domagnano
- Faetano
- Fiorentino
- Montegiardino
- Serravalle
The largest town of the Republic is Dogana, which is not an autonomous '' castello , but rather belongs to the Castello of Serravalle.
Similarly to an Italian comune , each castello includes a main town, called capoluogo , that is the seat of the castello , and some even smaller localities known as frazioni .
Hamlets
The republic is made up of 43 hamlets named curazie :
Cà Berlone, Cà Chiavello, Cà Giannino, Cà Melone, Cà Ragni, Cà Rigo, Cailungo, Caladino, Calligaria, Canepa, Capanne, Casole, Castellaro, Cerbaiola, Cinque Vie, Confine, Corianino, Crociale, Dogana, Falciano, Fiorina, Galavotto, Gualdicciolo, La Serra, Lesignano, Molarini, Montalbo, Monte Pulito, Murata, Pianacci, Piandivello, Poggio Casalino, Poggio Chiesanuova, Ponte Mellini, Rovereta, San Giovanni sotto le Penne, Santa Mustiola, Spaccio Giannoni, Teglio, Torraccia, Valdragone, Valgiurata and Ventoso.Politics
Main article: Politics of San MarinoThe politics of San Marino takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Captains Regent are the heads of state, and of a pluriform multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. 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 originally was led by the Arengo, initially formed with the heads of each family. In the thirteenth century, power was given to the Great and General Council. In 1243, the first two Captains Regent were nominated by the Council. This method of nomination is still in use today, as of 2008.
The legislature of the republic is the Grand and General Council ( Consiglio grande e generale
Republic of San Marino
History, economy, cartography, museum, government of Republic of San Marino.
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San Marino - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Most Serene Republic of San Marino /ˌsæn məˈriːnoʊ/ (help · info) (Italian: Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino) is a country situated in the Apennine Mountains.
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