Origins of the Castello
In the Middle Ages the territory hosted the castle of Busignano, of whose structure place-name traces remain. In 1320 the inhabitants resolved to voluntarily join the Republic of San Marino, a unique case among the nine Castelli: all the others entered the Republic through war or by origin.
The current name dates back to the 16th century and is linked to the rebuilding of the church of San Giovanni Battista in Curte, a building no longer existing. The "new church" gives the Castello its name and becomes its administrative reference.
Territory and borders
At the centre of the square of Chiesanuova stands the La voce del canneto fountain, designed in 2011 by the poet and screenwriter Tonino Guerra. The work is composed of a steel structure by Aurelio Brunelli evoking a reed bed and a glass sculpture by Fausto Baldessarini, both set in an oval stone basin. The installation is accompanied by stone sculptures and a sundial in the redeveloped square.
The Castello borders the City of San Marino and Fiorentino and, on its outer flanks, three Italian municipalities: Sassofeltrio, Verucchio and San Leo. The main curazie are Galavotto, Caladino, Monte and Poggio Casalino.
| Residents | 1.191 (31 March 2025) |
|---|---|
| Surface | 5,46 km² |
| Altitude | town centre at about 420 m a.s.l. |
| Hamlets/Curazie | Busignano · Galavotto · Caladino · Monte · Poggio Casalino |
| Borders with | City of San Marino and Fiorentino |
| Italian municipalities | Sassofeltrio (Rimini), Verucchio (Rimini) and San Leo (Pesaro and Urbino) |
Source of demographic data: Office of Informatics, Technology, Data and Statistics of the Republic of San Marino, Statistical Bulletin - Q1 2025, Table 1.7.
Places and traditions
Chiesanuova stands out for its commitment to the memory of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In 2002 the Bosnian artist Šejla Kamerić staged here a symbolic "closing" of the border between San Marino and Italy, an installation devised to denounce the siege of Sarajevo and the sense of isolation that followed the end of the conflict. On 14 July 2010 a plaque was unveiled in the Castello in memory of the victims of the Srebrenica massacre.
The local civic fabric includes the football club Società Sportiva Pennarossa, whose name comes from the homonymous ridge on the territory of the neighbouring Castello di Fiorentino, and a cultural calendar curated by the Giunta di Castello.
Heraldry of the Castello
A shield with a curved lower border, blue background, with a red ostrich feather curving to the right: «Argent, an ostrich feather palewise gules».
For more on Sammarinese heraldic symbology: flag and coat of arms of the Republic.