The City of San Marino (Italian: Città di San Marino; also known simply as San Marino and locally as Città) is the capital city of the Republic of San Marino. It has a population of 4,061.[1] It is on the western slopes of San Marino's highest point, Monte Titano.
Geography
Although not the capital, most of the businesses are in Borgo Maggiore. It is the third largest city in the country, after Dogana and Borgo Maggiore. It borders the San Marino municipalities Acquaviva, Borgo Maggiore, Fiorentino, and Chiesanuova and the Italian municipality San Leo.
The city is claimed to be founded by Saint Marinus and several Christian refugees fleeing from Roman persecution in the year 301.
The urban heart of the city was protected by three towers: the first, Guaita, built in the 11th century, held a reputation for being impenetrable which to a great extent discouraged attacks.
Tensions with bordering powers urged the necessity to build a second tower, Cesta (13th century). The defensive system was not completed until the construction of a third tower, the Montale (14th century) - the smallest of all and constructed on the last of the summits of Monte Titano.
With the population of the city increasing, the territory of the country was extended by a few square kilometers. Since the Sammarinese policy was not to invade or to use war to obtain new territories, it was by means of purchases and treaties that San Marino obtained the other eight castelli which make up the country.
Parishes
The City of San Marino has the following 7 parishes or wards (curazie):[2]
The economy of the city of San Marino has always been closely bound to that of the country. Until recently, the main economic activities of the locality were stone extraction and carving. Today, there is a more varied economy, including tourism, commerce, sale of postage stamps, and a small agricultural industry, although the latter is in decline.
The city is visited by more than three million people per year, and has developed progressively as a tourist centre. Of the tourists, 85% are Italian. There are also more than a thousand retail outlets, where one can find a great variety of products.
The city is known for its long, winding cobblestoned streets, as its altitude and steep approach put it beyond the reach of the San Marino Superhighway. San Marino is also notable in that cars are prohibited in much of the city center.
Before the World War II, a railway was built from San Marino to Rimini under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. Its tunnels, and the railway station 'Piazzale Lo Stradone', still exist. Proposals for the reopening of this railway have been presented to the government on several occasions, but thus far without action.
There is a regular bus service to Rimini, and a 1.5 kilometres (0.9 miles) cable car line connects the capital with Borgo Maggiore.
A series of lifts also connects the upper part of city with the lower.
San Marino
