{"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
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> \u00a0<\/p> 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> \u00a0<\/p> 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 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 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 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 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 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\tWhere 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
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
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
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
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
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