Antonio Onofri, Father of the Nation
Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo on 18 June 1815 does not jeopardise Sammarinese liberty. Thanks to the strategic prudence of the Republic, which had refused to declare itself an ally of France, the Congress of Vienna of the same year confirms its independence. Credit goes also to the choice of the then Captain Regent Antonio Onofri (died 25 February 1825), to whom the title of Father of the Nation will later be attributed.
A refuge of liberty
During the Italian Risorgimento, San Marino is a safe haven for many protagonists of the liberal uprisings. Some Sammarinese citizens take active part in the insurrections. The Republic supports without reservation those who fight for the principles of liberty and independence, despite pressure from Austria and the Papal State.
«I ask for asylum and a little bread»
In July 1849, after the surrender of the Roman Republic, Giuseppe Garibaldi tries to reach Venice, the last city still free from Austrian rule. Surrounded near Macerata Feltria by four armies, he sees in the small Republic the only way out. He sends two messengers to ask for asylum and, without waiting for a reply, with his wife Anita and the 1,500 men still with him, crosses the borders of San Marino.
«I ask for asylum and a little bread.»
In the Public Palace Garibaldi presents himself to the Captain Regent Domenico Maria Belzoppi, a former participant in the liberal uprisings. Belzoppi grants asylum and aid, asking in exchange that San Marino be kept out of any armed clash. The general accompanies his men to the Convent of the Capuchin Fathers and disbands the army. Some soldiers find shelter with Sammarinese families, others scatter in small groups.
On the night of 31 July 1849, with the help of a local guide, Garibaldi, Anita and 150 of his closest followers leave the country, eluding the surveillance of 12,000 Austrian soldiers surrounding the Titano. They head for Cesenatico to reach Venice by sea. On 2 August the Austrian army violates the Sammarinese borders without authorisation, hunting fugitives and arms inside houses. San Marino continues to give asylum to refugees, risking armed occupation, which the intervention of Napoleon III and France will avert in 1854.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| July 1849 | Garibaldi enters San Marino with 1,500 men and Anita |
| 31 July 1849 | Night-time flight with 150 followers towards Cesenatico |
| 2 August 1849 | Austrian troops violate the borders |
| 1854 | Napoleon III's intervention prevents occupation |
| 17 March 1861 | Proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy |
| 24 April 1861 | Garibaldi receives Sammarinese honorary citizenship |
| 7 May 1861 | Abraham Lincoln writes to the Captains Regent |
| 22 March 1862 | Convention with the Kingdom of Italy |
From the United States, a tribute
On 7 May 1861 Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, writes a cordial and well-wishing message to the Captains Regent. The text is today on display at the State Museum. The history of the Republic continues with the Novecento and the events of the first referendum of 1906.
«Great and Good Friends: although your dominions are small, your State is nevertheless one of the most honoured in all history.»