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Republic of San Marino
San Marino.
Prehistory · Roman age

First inhabitants of
Mount Titano

Ten thousand years before the Republic, Mount Titano is already inhabited. Stone axes, Villanovan urns, Etruscan paterae, Roman coins, Ostrogothic jewellery: a stratification of civilisations that excavations across Sammarinese territory have brought back to light in detail.

Neolithic
5000 BC
Bronze Age
2000 BC
Rome at Rimini
268 BC

Source: State Museum of the Republic of San Marino · Archaeological section

Neolithic stone axe-hammer found on Mount Titano
Neolithic
Stone axe-hammer, San Giovanni sotto le Penne
§ I — Neolithic and Bronze Age

The earliest traces

The oldest evidence dates from the Neolithic, between the fifth and the fourth millennium BC. A stone axe-hammer, found in the area of San Giovanni sotto le Penne in the Castello of Borgo Maggiore, confirms the presence of stable communities already in that period. To around 2000 BC are linked the Bronze Age finds in the area of Casole, including a bronze axe.

§ II — Villanovans and Etruscans

Urns and paterae

Around 900 BC the Villanovan culture spreads across the peninsula, named after the small centre of Villanova near Bologna where in 1853 Giovanni Gozzadini discovered the first group of tombs attributable to the period. On Sammarinese territory the excavations in the Castellaro site brought to light circular pits with cinerary urns, bones and decorated terracotta spools: typical signs of the Villanovan practice of cremation and burial. At Casole the Etruscan presence is documented instead through fragments of vases and paterae painted in red or black.

§ III — Romans

After Ariminum

The foundation of the Roman colony of Ariminum (today Rimini) in 268 BC places the territory of the Titano within the Aemilia, the eighth Augustan region. The signs of rural colonisation are substantial: tombs, terracotta and amulets at Fiorentino, at Castellaro and at Chiusa; at Domagnano 2,006 coins of Republican age have been found; at Santa Mustiola various Roman terracotta items; a bronze statuette of Mercury, dated between the 1st and the 2nd century AD. The Placito Feretrano itself, in the centuries that follow, retains six place names of Latin origin: Fabbrica, Silvole, Griziano, Laritiniano, Petroniano, Erviano.

§ IV — Domagnano Treasure

Ostrogothic jewellery

Late nineteenth century: agricultural works in the Castello of Domagnano bring to light a burial assemblage of extraordinary value. Today known as the Domagnano Treasure, it belongs to a noblewoman who probably lived between the 5th and the 6th century AD. The goods and jewellery, of Ostrogothic age, are now distributed across various international museums; at the State Museum a reconstruction is exhibited together with the other archaeological finds of the territory.

The story continues with the medieval age and the rise of the communal institutions of the Republic.

FAQ · Useful answers

Frequently asked questions

When was Mount Titano first inhabited?
The earliest evidence of social life dates back to the Neolithic, between 5000 and 4000 BC, with the discovery of the stone axe-hammer in the area of San Giovanni sotto le Penne, in the Castello of Borgo Maggiore.
What is the bronze axe of Casole?
A Bronze Age artefact, dated around 2000 BC, found in the Castello of Casole and held at the State Museum.
Are there Etruscan traces in San Marino?
Yes. At Casole fragments of vases and shards of paterae, painted in red or black, have been found.
What is the Domagnano Treasure?
An Ostrogothic burial assemblage, discovered in the Castello of Domagnano during agricultural work in the late nineteenth century, made up of jewellery and goods belonging to a noblewoman of the 5th or 6th century.
Where are these finds on display?
At the State Museum, with a room dedicated to the reconstruction of the Domagnano Treasure.