A country enclaved within Italy: the Republic of San Marino
Republic of San Marino
Perched on the Apennine Mountains, specifically in Mount Titano among Emilia Romagna region and Marche region, there is a land that is not Italy; it is the Republic of San Marino. This microstate, more precisely, is the oldest surviving constitutional republic of the world. It was founded on 4th century AD, by stonemason Marinus who left his native island of Arbe in Dalmatia and came to Mount Titano to establish a small community of Christians on the run from the persecutions of Emperor Diocletian.
The country, despite is in Italy, is governed by the Constitution of San Marino, written in Latin in the late 16th century 8 BC and is still in effect.
The main source of economy is the tourism and despite its size is just over 61 square kilometers, it hosts 9 castles that attracts more than two millions of visitors every year. Mount Titano itself worths a visit. From there you can admire all the Romagna coast in contrast with the huge patch of green, strolling on a path that links the two towers symbol of San Marino: Torre Guaita and Torre Cesta. But, also the town centre is very interesting. If you visit San Marino you can’t miss Palazzo Pubblico, a very important landmark for the Republic history, and headquarter of the Government; if you are lucky enough you can attend also to the changing of the guard.
Its capital, the City of San Marino, has the smallest population of the all Council of Europe, even if it is not part of EU. It Is also a tax haven and has a stable economy, being one of the wealthiest countries in the world in terms of gdp per capita.
San Marino is well-known also for its stamps and for coins that have been it extremely popular around the world. It is estimated that 10% of the republic’s revenue is generated by the sales of its postage stamps to international collectors. Its celebrity is due also to another important fact; from 2008 indeed, the City of San Marino and Mount Titano had been included in UNESCO sites for being an example of free republic from the Middle Ages era.
