Posted on 06.05.2012, 28.10.2013 and 31.05.2014
Founded on 3 September 301 as a monastic comunity by stonecutter Marinus of Rab (later became Saint Marinus), who took refuge to the nearby Monte Titano, to escape from the persecution of Roman emperor Diocletian, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. According to legend, Saint Marinus died in the winter of 366 and his last words were: Relinquo vos liberos ab utroque homine. (I leave you free from both men), referring to the emperor and the pope. Its constitution, enacted in 1600, is also the world's oldest constitution still in effect. With diplomatic skill, San Marino managed to survive not only to the restless Middle Ages, but even to the Italian unification made by Giuseppe Garibaldi, remaining an enclave surrounded by Italy.
The castle in the postcards is the Guaita fortress (Castillo La Rocca o Guaita), the oldest of the three towers constructed on Monte Titano, and the most famous, the other two being De La Fratta and Montale. It was built in the 11th century and served briefly as a prison. The three towers are depicted on both the national flag and coat of arms. San Marino also has a cake known as La Torta Di Tre Monti (Cake of the Three Mountains), as a symbol for the area.
The building from the upper right corner in the first postcard is the Palazzo Pubblico(Public Palace), the town hall of the City of San Marino as well as its official Government Building. Located on the site of an ancient building called the Domus Magna Comunis, the current building was designed by the Roman architect Frencesco Azzurri and was built between 1884 and 1894. In front is Liberty Square, dominated by the Statue of Liberty. The soldiers are part of the Guard of the Rock, a front-line military unit and a state border patrol, with responsibility for patrolling borders and defending them. In their role as Fortress Guards they are responsible for guarding the Palazzo Pubblico in San Marino City. The uniform of the Guard of the Rock is a distinctive red and green.
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