San Marino’s Three Towers: A Walking Tour of the Ancient Republic

San Marino is the world’s oldest and smallest republic, a remarkable city-state that’s maintained its independence for more than seventeen centuries. On this self-guided walking tour, you’ll hear fascinating stories about this ancient place, from its legendary founding by Saint Marino in 301 CE, to its role as a sanctuary for refugees and rebels throughout history.

This hour-long tour begins at the historic Porta San Francesco, the city’s main gate. You’ll wind your way through cobbled streets, past Palazzo Pubblico in Liberty Square (also known as the Government Palace), magnificent churches like St. Quirinu, and residential quarters where locals still live within medieval walls. Along the way, you’ll hear remarkable stories about how this tiny republic survived wars, papal interference, and foreign occupation while never joining any alliance or union.

The tour ends at the iconic Second Tower of San Marino, known as “Cesta,” perched 751 meters above sea level, with panoramic views from the Adriatic coast to the Tuscan hills.

You’ll also have a chance to:

• Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mount Titano, with its three medieval towers that symbolize the republic’s enduring independence
• Visit the neoclassical Basilica of Saint Marinus, built over the cave where the republic’s founder supposedly lived for three years
• Stand in squares where Giuseppe Garibaldi once sought asylum and where the republic’s Captains Regent still govern in a unique dual head of state system
• Discover Chiesa San Francesco (St. Francis Church) and its monastery, home to sacred art and mysterious symbols left by medieval stonemasons from Lake Como
• Learn about Garibaldi’s dramatic escape to San Marino and see the world’s first monument erected in his honor
• Ascend the ancient Salita alla Rocca (or “Climb to the Rock”) towards the First and Second Towers, passing 12th-century wells that once supplied water to residents
• Explore the windswept Witches’ Pass (Passo delle Streghe), a stone-carved pathway where legend says supernatural whispers can still be heard between the towers

Step into this extraordinary republic, where medieval traditions meet modern governance, and discover why San Marino proudly calls itself ”the Ancient Land of Freedom”.