San Marino is Small but Mighty

“In order to get my passports for Europe, I had to swear allegiance to the allies, including the King of Siam and the republic of San Marino. Of course I love ‘em all if they are fighting for us but it seemed rather queer to swear allegiance to that little four-by-nine country of San Marino,” says a letter which I recently received.

Hidden away within the territory of Italy, completely surrounded by that country, is the smallest republic in the world. This little country, the republic of San Marino, is 9 miles long and contains 88 square miles.

The capital of the country is built upon a mountain top which seems almost inaccessible, rising sheer from the plains of Romagna. There is a legend that this mountain was raised by the Titans in their anger when they tried to reach Jove and drive him from the throne of Heaven.

The republic of San Marino has been free and independent for 1,600 years, while around it have rolled the strife and bloodshed of the wars of the world.

The position of the country, far enough from the coast to be secure from invasion by sea, distant from the great Roman roads, up and down which armies traveled, the peaceful character of the inhabitants and the poverty of the country were partly responsible for its being unmolested, but the principal cause of San Marino’s peaceful history, is internal and exists in its institutions and the character of its people.

During all the years while other countries have been going thru the disrupting, violent process of dethroning tyrants and vindicating the rights of the common people, there were in San Marino no factions, no tyrants and the rights of the people were safe and respected. Here the people lived simply, changing their laws slowly as the changing times required and always adopting those changes which best developed and conserved their liberties.

It was in the middle of the Fourth century, during the days when Christians were persecuted, that two stone masons of Dalmatian, named Marino and Leo, crossed the Adriatic sea and came to Rimini to aid the Christian slaves who had been condemned to build the walls of that city. The lot of those who hewed the rocks from the mountains and transported them to the mouth of the river, was much the hardest and because their need of help was the greatest, Marino and Leo ascended the river and stopped before the two abruptly rising mountains, As they were experienced stone cutters, they were soon placed in charge of large numbers of slaves, whom they were able to help in many ways spiritually as well as physically.

When the walls of the city of Rimini were finished, the two stone cutters retired each to a mountain top to live in peace and solitude. Marino hewed a bed from the rock and cultivated a little garden. The rock bed and site of the garden is still to be seen in the city. Some of the slaves escaped and followed their overseers to the mountains. A little Christian church was built on each mountain and here these simple people practiced their Christian faith undisturbed and the two colonies became an asylum for the weary and oppressed. Being poor and simple, their wants were provided for by the hewing and quarrying of stone, which is today the chief industry.

A wealthy Roman woman who had been taught the Christian faith, by Marino, gave him the mountains which she owned, as absolute and perpetual property. Marino strove to found a free society upon the foundation of liberty, justice, simplicity, charity and love of peace and when he died he called his people together around him and bequeathed them his mountain, “free from every other man.” He begged his followers to be true to the faith and live in perfect accord as free men.

The territory of the country was extended a little thru purchase and because of the warring times the city was fortified. The strong walls whose ruins still encircle the city show one reason why the little republic was left in peace.

The government of the country today still holds the spirit of its founder. A council of 60 citizens is the governing body. These councilors are elected every three years and they choose, from their number every six months two captains regent who hold the executive power and preside at meetings of the council.

There are several co-operative institutions in San Marino, among which are a public bake house, a bank, a canteen and a grain magazine. Fine livestock is raised by the people and every family has its own vineyard.

Actual criminals are not allowed to come and remain in the country but political refugees are given haven and many famous people have found refuge there.

Marino taught his people that war, tho, a necessity in self-defense, was otherwise an unpardonable crime and so since its foundation until the present time, the country has never gone to war, but the people could not stay quietly at home while the war for the liberty of the world was raging and the young men of San Marino went into the Italian army and the country has maintained a hospital on the Italian front, for San Marino, tho the smallest of the goodly company, is one of the allies.

Mrs. A.J. Wilder. "The Farm Home." Missouri Ruralist (December  5, 1918): 22.  CLICK HERE to see this article as it originally appeared in the Missouri Rualist.

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