The country�s capital (pop. 4 600) also named San Marino sits on the western slope of the tri-peaked Mt. Titano. Cars are
prohibited in the medieval town center but even if they weren�t you�d want to explore the city by foot wandering along winding narrow
streets lined with red-roofed stone houses medieval ramparts and somber fortresses.
San Marino is the third smallest state in Europe (after the Holy City and Monaco), and claims to be the world's oldest republic.
According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301 A.D. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with
that of Italy, which surrounds it. Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbor.
Sights include the Gothic Palazzo Publico and colorful
fortress guards at Piazza della Liberta; the 14th-century church of San Francesco (which has paintings by Raphael Guercino and Bellini); and
the Palazzo dei Valloni (museum art gallery and San Marino�s national library). The Neoclassical Basilica di San Marino preserves the remains
of the town�s stonecutter saint. A path runs from the basilica to the fortresses on Mt. Titano which include the 13th-century
Montale (the smallest); the 10th-century Rocca Guaita (a prison until the 1960s); and the 13th-century Cesta (on the highest of the
three peaks) which houses a museum of arms dating from the Middle Ages.
The path offers a panoramic view of the surrounding countryside and Adriatic Sea too. Excursions can be made to the villages of
Serraville (castle) and Valdragone (convent and church).
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