Much of the culture of the world’s oldest republic resides in its museums. San Marino has as many as 12 state museums and 6 private ones, which are numerous considering the small size of the territory that covers less than 62 km².
The repertoire is wide and varied: you will find ancient weapons, wax statues, primate gunnies and curiosities, archaeological finds and paintings.
San Marino is an interesting destination for all kinds of tourists, from art and archaeology enthusiasts to the curious in search of extravagant collections.
Learn more about all San Marino’s museums here, most are located in the historic center of its capital city!
State Museum
This museum has been enriched over time thanks to numerous donations and purchases. Exposition now consists of an art collection of 5,000 pieces that began to take its first steps as early as the second half of the 19th century. The museum exhibits archaeological artifacts ranging from the Neolithic to the early Middle Ages, including votive bronzes from the Tanaccia. Some 17th-century Italian paintings and ancient San Marino coins can also be admired. Inaugurated in 1899, it is now located in Palazzo Pergami Belluzzi.
→ Go to the page dedicated to the State Museum.
Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery
It is located in the restored 1930s building at the Logge dei Volontari and can boast among its early visitors the great Sicilian artist Renato Guttuso. Opened in 1956 during the first San Marino Biennale, it has hosted works by more than 500 artists. It currently houses more than 1,000 works dating from the period between the first decade of the 20th century to the present. Artists on display include Renato Guttuso, Enzo Mari, Enzo Cucchi, Gian Marco Montesano and others.
→ Go to the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art page.
Museum of Ancient Arms – Second Tower
Opened in 1956, it is set up in 4 rooms inside the Cesta Tower, one of the three ancient towers of San Marino. It houses more than 1,000 specimens of historical weapons, ranging from blades to firearms, and a few curiosities are added, including the fanciful dagger-pistol (perhaps the most daring piece) dating from 1730, two-handed swords, and rifles with double triggers and barrels.
→ Go to the Museum of Ancient Arms page.
Museum of the Emigrant
Museo dell’emigrante
The youngest museum in San Marino city is the Museo dell’Emigrante – Permanent Study Center on Emigration. Opened in 1997, it is housed in the Monastery of Santa Chiara, in Contrada Ombrelli. It was created at the behest of the Council of San Marino Citizens Abroad and aims to “make memory” around San Marino and its emigrants. A permanent study – accompanied by photographs – that seeks to investigate the migratory flows of the inhabitants of San Marino.
→ Go to the Museum of the Emigrant page.
St. Francis Art Gallery Museum – Pinacoteca di San Francesco
The Museum of St. Francis is located in the historic center near the ancient gateway of St. Francis. The location alone is worth the cost of the ticket: a beautiful 15th-century cloister built by the Comacini masters.
The museum has two sections: one of sacred art and a picture gallery. Paintings on canvas and on wood, furniture and furnishings that come from numerous Franciscan churches tell “by objects” about the presence of the religious in the Old Republic and the fundamental role they played in its history. Sculptural and pictorial works by 20th-century artist Emilio Ambron complete the collection.
→ Go to the page dedicated to the St. Francis Art Gallery.
Museum of Stamps and Coins
A philatelic section and a numismatic one tell the story of San Marino from a detailed perspective. Here you can admire the very rare early coins of San Marino and stamps since 1877.
Natural History Museum
Borgo Maggiore municipality is home to the San Marino Natural History Center, which houses the Museum of Natural History. Here are exhibited all the research in the field of Natural and Environmental Sciences regarding the territory of San Marino and the enhancement of its landscape and natural heritage. Truly fascinating to learn about the territory are the realistic reproductions of various animal species, the dioramas with reconstructions of landscapes, and the high-resolution model of the whole of San Marino.
→ Go to the page dedicated to the Museum of Natural History.
Other state monuments and museums:
- The three towers: First Tower, Cesta Tower and Montale Tower
- Public Palace
