SAN MARINO, a republic in northern Italy, 14m. S.W. of Rimini by road. It is the smallest republic in the world (32 sq.m. in area). According to tradition, the republic was founded by Marinus, a native of Arbe, probably after the middle of the 4th century. The Castellum Sancti Marini is mentioned in 755, the oldest document in the Republican archives mentions the abbot of San Marino in 885. The republic, as a rule, avoided the faction fights of the middle ages, but joined the Ghibellines and was in terdicted by the pope in 1247-49. After this it was protected by the Montefeltro family, later dukes of Urbino, and the papacy and successfully resisted the attempts of Sigismondo Malatesta against its liberty. In 1503 it fell into the hands of Caesar Borgia, but soon regained its freedom. Other attacks failed, but civil discords in the meantime increased. Its independence was recog nized in 1631 by the papacy. In 1739 Cardinal Alberoni at tempted to deprive it of its independence, but this was restored in i 74o and was respected by Napoleon. The arms of the republic are three peaks, each crowned with a tower. There are traces of three different enceintes of the i4th, i 5th, and i6th centuries. The principal church (Pieve), in classical style, dates from 1826 38 and contains the body of St. Marinus. The old church is first mentioned in 951. The available armed forces of the republic form a total of about 1,200 men, all citizens able to bear arms being technically obliged to do so from the age of 16 to 6o years. It issues its own copper coinage, which circulates in Italy also; but Italian money is current for the higher values. Most of the republic falls within the diocese of Montefeltro, a small portion within that of Rimini.
The peaceful revolution of March 25, 1906, restored the original system of election to the council (which had become a close corporation, renewed by co-option) by the Arengo, or as sembly of heads of families, one-third of the council being hence forth renewable every three years. But in Sept. 1920 the council resigned in a body and enlarged the Arengo into a single constit uency, electing the 6o councillors under practically universal suffrage and proportional representation.
San Marinese public life takes its colour from Italy; thus, the Catholic Popular Party there, as in Italy, was powerful in 192o and Socialism, imported from abroad, was largely represented, while Fascism has appeared. Pending the election of their suc cessors after the vote of 192o, the two half-yearly presidents of the republic, for the first time since 1787, remained in office after their six months' legal tenure had expired, and, for the first time since 1740, the new Capitani Reggenti came into power on Dec. 5 instead of Oct. 1 or April 1, the time-honoured dates, a return to which was effected at the ensuing election of presidents. In the World War the Germans accused the Republic of espion age through the wireless station on Mt. Titano, which stands 2,437ft. above the sea. When Italy entered the war, San Marino showed its sympathies by voting L1,5oo for the Italian sufferers, and one of the regents publicly expressed his hope for an Italian victory. San Marino has been since 1862 in treaty relations with Italy. In 1921 the flight of socialists into the republic, and the "punitive expedition" of the Fascisti in search of them, led San Marino to invoke the aid of the Italian Carabinieri.
The republic no longer confers titles for a consideration, but finds a fruitful source of revenue in the frequent changes of its postage stamps (first issued in 1877 and divided into two series, one for foreign and the other for internal postage, in 1899). However, it has had to resort to a loan, and new taxes were im posed to provide higher salaries for officials, causing the peasant rising in 191o. But it has steadily refused the offer of a gaming table. In recent years newspapers have been published. The only exports, besides postage stamps, are stone from Mt. Titano—.
the legendary founder of San Marino was a Dalmatian stone cutter—and the strong wine grown on this volcanic soil. The museum contains among other curiosities the banner of Gari baldi's "Italic Legion," which sought refuge at San Marino in 1849. The archives were re-arranged and described by Malagola. The population in 1932 was 13,948.