Seven stops of the historic centre
| Monument | Type | Era | Visitable |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Three Towers | Medieval fortresses | 11th-14th c. | Guaita and Cesta yes, Montale no |
| Public Palace | Institutional building | 1884-1894 | Yes, institutional halls |
| Basilica of Saint Marinus | Neoclassical basilica | 1836 | Yes, free entry |
| St. Francis Church | Franciscan convent | 1361 | Yes, with Art Gallery |
| St. Quirinus Church | Capuchin church | 1549 | Yes, free entry |
| Monastery of St. Clare | Former monastery, today State offices | 1609 | Visible from outside |
| Crossbowmen's Quarry | Natural amphitheatre | 16th c. | Yes, free entry |
The defensive system
The sequence of the Three Towers is the symbol of the Republic, reproduced on the coat of arms and on the coins. Guaita, Cesta and Montale occupy the three peaks of Mount Titano between 725 and 756 metres of altitude. Guaita, the oldest, dates from the eleventh century; Cesta dominates the crest and hosts the Museum of Ancient Weapons; Montale, the smallest, closes the ridge to the south.
The towers are connected by the Witches' Pass, a paved walkway that runs along the rocky watershed. The complete route between the Guaita and the Montale measures just over a kilometre and is tackled in barely an hour, stops included.
The institutional heart
The Public Palace is the most important civic building of the Republic. Built between 1884 and 1894 to a design by the Roman architect Francesco Azzurri, it replaced the fourteenth-century Domus Magna in neo-Gothic forms. The Titano stone facade features Guelph battlements, a clock tower and the Statue of Liberty on the square in front. Here meets the Great and General Council, the parliament of 60 members that elects the Captains Regent every six months.
The complex of the former Monastery of St. Clare, founded in 1609, today houses Government offices and institutional halls. The State Library, the historical Archives and various ministerial offices occupy historic buildings scattered between Contrada Omerelli and Contrada del Collegio.
Basilicas and churches
The Basilica of Saint Marinus, consecrated in 1838, rises on the foundations of the previous medieval parish church. The neoclassical interior, with three naves and eight Corinthian columns, holds the body of Marinus under the main altar. Next to it, the small Church of Saint Peter carved into the rock is the oldest part of the urban religious complex.
The St. Francis Church, built in 1361 at the southern corner of the centre, is the oldest in San Marino. The annexed convent today houses the St. Francis Art Gallery with works by Raibolini, Rondinelli and the school of Guercino. Next to it, the St. Francis Gate marks the historic access to the walled centre.
The St. Quirinus Church, also called of the Capuchins, was built in 1549 halfway along the path between the historic centre and Borgo Maggiore. After a seventeenth-century restoration, it today houses the Società Unione Mutuo Soccorso and a small monumental cemetery where General Antonio Onofri, a leading figure in early nineteenth-century political history, is buried.
«The town is all of stone, built inside the stone. Houses, churches and palaces seem to have come out of the mountain rather than to have been placed on top of it.»
Squares and settings
Beyond the closed buildings, the centre offers monumental open-air sites. The Crossbowmen's Quarry was originally an extraction quarry, converted in the sixteenth century into a space for tournaments. Today it hosts the Palio of the Great Crossbows held every 3 September, on the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic. Piazza della Libertà brings together the Public Palace and the Statue of Liberty, Piazzetta del Titano hosts the State Museum, Piazza Garibaldi dominates the commercial front of Contrada Omerelli.