Postcards from the Past: San Marino (One of my favorite days)

February 25, 2023

The Most Serene Republic

When and Where: 08/2012 – San Marino

42^th Country Visited; 26^nd European Country Visited

Interesting Facts:

- San Marino is the world’s oldest sovereign state; it was officially founded in 301 AD.

- San Marino is the 5^th smallest country in the world and 3^rd smallest in Europe.

- Like the Vatican, San Marino is landlocked, and is totally surrounded by Italy.

- San Marino is one of the least visited countries in Europe.

- 30% of San Marino’s economy is based in washing and bottling machines.

During our 2012 Holyland cruise, Aaron and I visited the cruise port of Ravenna, Italy. I noticed one of the cruise excursions was a day trip to the micronation of San Marino, or as the native Sammarinese call it, The Most Serene Republic of San Marino. Not knowing what to expect, I read up about this fascinating place which is the oldest surviving republic in the world.

We boarded our bus in Ravenna, just south of Venice, and made our way through the lush green Italian countryside. The drive took just over an hour before we arrived at the San Marino border which was noted simply by a welcome sign; no border crossings, no checkpoints. The terrain on San Marino and the area immediately surrounding the country is mountainous. Our bus began to traverse the mountain up to the capital city, also called San Marino. The roads were somewhat narrow and the turns were sharp. Our peak speed had to be under 30 mph most of the way. Once we approached the top, we offboarded the bus and proceeded on foot. The steep narrow cobblestone streets were daunting.

Our first stop was Palazzo Pubblico, the seat of the national government akin to our Capitol building in DC, but on a significantly smaller scale. At the Palazzo, we saw the colorful changing of the guard. The Guard of the Rock, the front-line military unit in San Marino, guards the Palazzo. Frankly the soldiers didn’t look intimidating at all. Next we scaled the rather steep Monte (mount) Titano, the highest point in the city and the country. Atop the mountain is the Fortress of Guaita (see stock photo below). Constructed in the 11^th century, Fortress Guaita is the oldest of three towers atop Monte Titano. As we continued our climb, the views of the countryside below were breathtaking. I could see why the mountain and fortress are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. At the fortress, I had someone take a picture of the two of us. It is my favorite photograph ever of Aaron and me. I stood in awe at the breathtaking view, taking in every moment. It became one of those moments in my life where I wish I could stop time and stay in that moment. On the way back down the mountain, we stopped and I purchased one of my favorite pieces of art – a lime green Murano glass vase. The whole experience in San Marino was wonderful. It was probably one of the top 25 happiest days of my life. I hope to return to tiny San Marino someday.

Fast forward to 2022. I was doing some research about countries who have or have had openly LGBT leaders. I was aware of past openly LGBT Prime Ministers in Ireland, Belgium and Iceland. And I was aware of Luxembourg’s current Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, who has been in office since December 2013. I was not aware that conservative Serbia has a lesbian Prime Minister. Nor was I aware that the Head of State of San Marino at that time, Paolo Rondelli, was an openly gay man. Head of State would be equivalent to the President of The United States, whereas a Prime minister sets the national agenda, appoints cabinet officials and governs at the behest of a party or a coalition of parties (e.g. Trudeau in Canada or Netanyahu in Israel). Rondelli is the first LGBT Head of State of any country. Anyway, I found Paolo Rondelli on Facebook. I messaged him and told him how I had brought my son to his country and we thought it was beautiful. He responded within an hour and then friend-requested me on Facebook. Like myself, he is an avid traveler.