In a San Marino Minute
by Deborah Brand Probst
I am a big fan of small things that don’t behave small. Jack Russell Terriers. Birds Eye Chilli (also known as Chilli Padi). Jasmine Flowers. Pine Nuts. Espresso. And countries the size of a city.
San Marino is the world’s oldest republic, and the fifth tiniest country. Needless to say, since we are on a quest to see 100 countries, and we were going to be in Italy over the summer, we had to pay a visit to this landlocked country that’s a short drive from Rimini, one of northern Italy’s more famous summer beach destinations.
The journey there was an easy bus ride up a steep road on Mount Titano, with breathtaking views over the Emilia-Romagna coast. They say on a clear day you can see all the way to Croatia from San Marino.
“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.”
Winnie the Pooh
The bus dropped us off in what must be the most incredible bus parking lot in the world. This article is going to wear out phrases like breath taking, jaw dropping, drop dead gorgeous views so let me just get it all out now. 10 photographs later, we forced ourselves out of the parking lot and made our way into the medieval town center.
As you pass through the Porta di San Francesco, the main entrance to the old city, you’ll be in the Piazza della Libertà, the main city square lined with shops, cafes, and restaurants. It’s a great place to people-watch. From here the road, devoid of vehicles, crawls up the mountain, steadily winding itself in between perfectly preserved medieval buildings.
The Town
This small but majestic town has its own post office, its own stamps, and its own telephone system. But beyond that, its power lies in its beautifully preserved buildings, and it’s tax free status. This means shopping – everything and everywhere you look. Jewelry to jam, Mont Blanc pens to magnets, and everything in between. There was also a curious proliferation of replica gun shops.
San Marino is host to about 3000 weddings a year so, the jewelry makes sense, but the guns? The little boys, and some not so little boys, were delightfully dragging their reluctant parents and leaving with plastic weapons of dubious destruction.
The only other thing to do in town is eat. The cuisine not surprisingly skews toward Italian food. We had a delicious lunch at a restaurant with heartbreakingly beautiful views through their expansive windows. My squid ink spaghetti was served topped with raw red Mediterranean prawns and a generous sprinkling of herbed breadcrumbs. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and piping hot, enough to delicately cook the sweet prawns as I mixed it into the sauce.
Mark had an indulgent sampler platter of spinach lasagna and spaghetti Bolognese, also perfectly cooked and served with a generous salad. But the star of lunch was the view.
We could have sat there all day staring out the window at rolling green hillsides, little mountain top villages, and gorgeous villas surrounded by olive groves and plantations.
The Towers
The highlight of any trip to San Marino is a climb up to the castle and the three towers. With each step you are rewarded with picture perfect views up the coast to Ravenna, and even Venice far in the distance. Peekaboo views through arrow slits, strategically placed throughout the castle walls, were meant for the best access for archers defense of the city. Now they offer the viewer unrestricted views of the valley below.
On our climb to the castle we encountered a girl elaborately dressed as a warrior angel. She looked completely at home nestled into the garden along the castle walls. Later on, we saw what must have been her Viking friends, or perhaps foes. It only added to the medieval view.
The access to the tower itself was through a series of stairs that were more like ladders. It is impossible to imagine that the views could get any better, but indeed they did. The deep blue of the summer Adriatic sea, the dark and light greens of the valley, the complete silence only broken by song birds and the errant seagull. The city of Rimini and Ravenna hugging the coastline looked more like tiny fishing villages when viewed from this height.
The Warmth of the Sammarinese
When you travel to new places, it’s customary to try to understand what is customary for different cultures and how they interact. Some cultures are very animated and in your face (think New York or Palermo), and others places are more reserved and polite (Seattle and Singapore come to mind).
From the time we arrived in San Marino, to our departure, we really appreciated how nice and welcoming people were. It’s true that tourism is one of the most important sectors of San Marino’s economy, especially since it typically receives around 2 million visitors per year in a country that has less than thirty-five thousand citizens. Still, we felt the warmth and friendliness of the many Sammarinese we spoke with, was genuine, and they were very gracious with their time.
We said goodbye to San Marino, country number 50 on our quest for 100, just as the sun was settling behind Mount Titano, You may be small and we were only there for a minute, but you left a big impression that will be forever in our memory. Until next time.
