{"id":17614,"date":"2023-04-17T15:01:48","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T19:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/?p=17614"},"modified":"2023-09-05T02:21:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-05T06:21:53","slug":"san-marino-and-the-three-towers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/san-marino-and-the-three-towers\/","title":{"rendered":"San Marino and the Three Towers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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San Marino is the fifth smallest country in the world (81 sq km \/24 sq mi, about half the size of Manhattan), the third smallest country in Europe, and has one of the smallest populations at about 34,000 residents. Completely surrounded by Italy, San Marino is one of the three countries in the world that\u2019s landlocked within another country (the others being Vatican City and Lesotho). The country was named after Marino, a stonecutter who fled from the Roman island of Rab in present-day Croatia during a Turkish invasion. He took refuge on <\/span>Mount<\/span> Titano, the center of today\u2019s country, and founded an independently ruled monastic community in 301 AD, resulting in the claim that San Marino is the oldest sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. The Catholic Church later canonized him and he\u2019s also known as St. Marinus.<\/span><\/p>

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Although the Marino story might be partially mythological, the nation has indisputably been a city-state with no monarch since the 13th century. Over seven centuries, they have built a soaring city with medieval fortifications and neoclassical buildings, collectively now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Quite incredibly, San Marino stayed independent during Napoleonic annexations, the unification of Italy, and Mussolini\u2019s fascist state.<\/span><\/p>

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The whole country is basically Mount Titano with three imposing towers and a medieval village at the summit and small communities, farms and factories at the base. Located very close to the Adriatic Sea (about 10 km \/ 6 mi), San Marino is most known for its tourism, shopping and cuisine. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where is San Marino?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Enclaved in central Italy, San Marino is about 335 km \/ 210 mi from Rome, 240 km \/ 150 mi from Florence, 280 km \/ 175 mi from Venice and 80 km \/ 50 mi from Ravenna.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why We Went to San Marino<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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My wife Khadija and I visited Malta and Tunisia in May 2022 and continued the trip to relatively nearby Italy. We visited Khadija\u2019s niece studying fashion in Milan and went to Venice. While in Italy, we took advantage of the opportunity to see a new country, San Marino. This was country #113 for me out of the UN member states of 193.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Is San Marino Safe?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It\u2019s a safe country, but here, as everywhere you travel, employ basic safety precautions and use common sense to avoid problems.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How Long to Stay in San Marino<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We stayed two days, but I would\u2019ve spent another if we could. If you want a beautiful place to chill, you could spend more time there.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Is San Marino Expensive?<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Prices are about the same as most places in Italy but lower than popular big cities like Rome, Venice, Milan and Florence. San Marino uses the Euro as its currency.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where to Stay in San Marino<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The attractions in San Marino are in the historic old town on Mount Titano. Fittingly, we stayed in <\/span>Hotel Titano<\/span><\/a> which I can\u2019t say enough good things about. Of note, the hotel provided parking in municipal lots. There are some hotels which have outstanding, unobstructive views.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How to Get Around San Marino<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Everywhere in the Old Town is walking distance from each other. Here\u2019s a map of some of the attractions.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Many of the streets are steep and could be difficult for those with walking issues.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Parking can be tight and the municipal lots often are full. As an alternative, you can park at the bottom of the mountain and take the cable car.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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