PickyKidPix desperately wanted to join her indoor soccer team on “trip of a lifetime” playing soccer in Italy with USA Premier Soccer so I used my hoarded stash of money from blogging to take her and Grasshopper and Sensei on a 10 day tour that covered:
- Como (Lake Como where George Clooney has a house. We didn’t see his house)
- Milan
- San Marino (oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world)
- Rimini (beach town near San Marino)
- Florence
- Venice
- Pisa
- Portovenere (Unesco Site on the Ligurian coast)
- Montecantini (Tuscany)
I had never heard of San Marino before, but as the trip drew nearer, I learned that it hosts a huge international soccer tournament every year that we were NOT participating in. We were, however, staying there three nights and playing one game there against a local girls team.
It turns out that I wasn’t the only one who had never heard of San Marino. It’s actually a country; albeit a tiny one.
The Republic of San Marino claims to be the oldest surviving sovereign state in the word. It’s surrounded by Italy, situated on the Italian Peninsula on the north-eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. Its size is just over 61 km2 (24 sq mi) with an estimated population of over 30,000 and was founded on 3 September 301.
Population 30,000?! That’s the same size as my hometown in Seal Beach, California!
We had a guided tour and I asked how San Marino was able to survive as a principality all these years. Laying low and diplomacy was the answer. Our guide told us that no one knew San Marino existed for centuries and once they were discovered, they stayed neutral as much as possible to avoid conflict.
Up atop a mountain, the city of San Marino is a walled fortress where entrance is granted through this guarded doorway.
Once you enter the city, you climb, climb, climb along steep winding streets burgeoning with stores, restaurants, museums and public buildings. It’s alike a quaint shopping mall. My girls were entranced! Bonus points for no sales tax!
We opted to pass on the Museo de Tortue (a museum of torture) that is right near the entrance. Our friends went in and I begged her not to tell me about the different torture devices as this kind of imagery gives me nightmares. Still, she could not help herself and described a device where you are in a perpetual uncomfortable chair pose. That is not my kind of yoga!
San Marino was founded by a stonecutter, Marinus of Arbe, part of a monastic community who left a Roman colony when the emperor decreed that nearby Rimini’s walls had to be rebuilt after being destroyed by pirates. This site was the former quarry from which the walls and buildings were constructed. Now it is a public space for performances; the most famous is a cross bow competition!
For a small space, San Marino is full of beautiful public art. My daughters and their friends enjoyed posing in front of each statue.
The town square here centers around The Palazzo Pubblico, the official government building. There is a changing of the guard just like at Buckingham Palace! We spotted the president entering via black diplomat car. Right now, times are tough in San Marino, according to some local boys we met. Unemployment rates are high and the people are frustrated with government.
There are many towers and battlements to explore in San Marino if you are willing to hike up a very steep street with a spectacular view of a castle as your reward. My girls opted instead for more shopping.
Our tour guide took us to this beautiful church where you can light a candle in remembrance of a loved one.
I hope you enjoyed this tour of San Marino. It was one of our favorite cities on our Italy trip and I hope that we will be able to go back someday with the rest of our family.
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Coincidentally, I was just reading a post on International Bellhop about this intriguing country yesterday. So glad that you decided to share your experience and provided even more insight on this gem of a country. I missed it on previous trips to Italy, but I am determined to get there on my next trip.
Hi Barbara,
Small world!!! I had never heard of it and thought it was a city in Italy but it turned out to be one of our favorite stops on our Italy soccer trip. It’s the same small population size as the small beach town that I grew up in too!
What a neat place to visit!
Hi MaryAnne,
If you are visiting in Italy, we highly recommend stopping by!
Interesting! I have never heard of it either, places like this fascinate me!
Hi Ann,
I think San Marino does a very good job staying on the down low!
What a great Mom to make this happen for your daughter. Love the photos.
Thanks so much Patricia. We all really enjoyed our fast, brief overview of Italy and San Marino! We are hoping to go back someday as a family and we’d start in Rome which we didn’t visit and spend more time in San Marino, Florence and Tuscany.
I’ve never heard of this place. It sounds amazing. I bet I would like it there! 😀
Hi Erik,
I think you are the kind of kid that will take a summer backpacking through Europe one day!!! I regret that I never did that. And, when you do, I hope you will have to visit San Marino! If you end up playing a lot of soccer, you might end up there for a tournament as well!
It is a great place to visit. ^^
We want to go back Leo! It is a great place to visit!
Thank you for this enjoyable diary of your trip. Very interesting that the site was a former quarry from which the walls and buildings were constructed. Certainly looking forward to visit one day with the kids. Do you have any recommendations for children’s picture books featuring San Marino or suitable books for kids about San Marino? Thank you in advance for your time!
Hi Honeybee,
I am so sorry, but I don’t know any books featuring San Marino.