The five stops
Autumn is the season most suited to walking on Mount Titano. The days remain mild, the light lowers, raptors wheel above the ridge. The Three Towers route runs along the dolomitic spine of the mountain and links the three fortresses that have defended the Republic since the Middle Ages. Five stops trace the historical and landscape thread of the itinerary.
| Stop | Place | What is seen |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guaita (First Tower) | Fortress from around the year 1000, double walls, Chapel of Saint Barbara, Penna Tower, cannons in the courtyard. |
| 2 | Witches' Pass | Battlemented stone bridge over the cliff; view down to the Adriatic. |
| 3 | Cesta (Second Tower) · 739 m | Tower mentioned in 1253, fortified in 1320, today the Museum of Ancient Weapons. |
| 4 | Montale (Third Tower) | Watch tower, exterior visible from the Protected Natural Park; entrance not accessible. |
| 5 | State Museum | Archaeological finds and the history of the Republic from the origins to the twentieth century. |
The First Tower
The Guaita is the oldest fortress of the Republic, built around the year 1000. It rests directly on the rock, with no foundations. Inside the perimeter are the ancient prisons, the bell tower (the Campanone), the pentagonal Penna Tower, a well and the Chapel of Saint Barbara. In the courtyard several cannons remain aligned, used until recent times for salutes on solemn days: today the symbolic role has passed to the chimes of the Campanone.
«Guaita, in dialect, means "to keep watch". The First Tower has watched over the valley for a thousand years and still seems not to have lost an inch.»
The Second and the Third Tower
The Cesta is mentioned in documents of 1253 and was fortified around 1320 as part of the defensive belt of the town. Used as a watch tower until 1600, it was extended and restored in 1924 and 1925. Today it houses the Museum of Ancient Weapons. Inside, exhibition rooms tell of medieval armour and the evolution of Sammarinese defence.
The Montale closes the ridge to the south. Once separate from the other two fortresses, it was later joined by a wall belt of which only fragments remain. It had a strategic role in the disputes with the Malatesta, lords of the nearby castle of Fiorentino. The entrance gate is raised some metres above ground: below, the "bottom" of the tower descended for eight metres and served as a prison. The interior is not accessible today.
From prehistory to the twentieth century
Down from the ridge, a stop at the State Museum closes the historical loop. The collection holds archaeological finds from the first communities of the Titano, medieval materials, furnishings and documents of the modern age up to the twentieth century. Updated hours are published on the website of the State Museums.
The Fair of Saint Donninus
Sammarinese autumn has its identity celebration: the Casole Fair, also known as the Fair of Saint Donninus. It takes place in the hamlet of Casole, in the Castello of City of San Marino, and is the evolution of ancient agricultural celebrations linked to the sowing of wheat. The first church of Saint Donninus dates to 1591, rebuilt in 1755. The procession with the image of the saint still opens the festival, which continues with music, dances and moments of conviviality.