HISTORY
The population of San Marino is comprised
of native Sammarinese and Italian citizens. Crop farming, sheep
farming, and the working of stone from the quarries formed the
early backbone of San Marino's economy. It has no mineral resources,
and today most of the land is cultivated or covered by woods.
According to tradition, San Marino
was founded in AD 301 when a Christian stonemason named Marinus
the Dalmation fled to the island of Arbe to escape the anti-Christian
Roman Emperor Diocletian. Marinus hid on the peak of Mount Titano
and founded a small community of people following their Christian
beliefs. It is certain that the area had been inhabited since
prehistoric times, although evidence of existence on Mount Titano
only dates back to the middle ages. In memory of the stonecutter,
the land was renamed "Land of San Marino," and was finally changed
to its present-day name, "Republic of San Marino."
The original government structure
was composed of a self-governed assembly known as the Arengo,
which consisted of the heads of each family. In 1243, the positions
of Captains Regent (Capitani Reggenti) were established to be
the joint heads of state.
The land area of San Marino consisted
only of Mount Titano until 1463, at which time the republic entered
into an alliance against Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of
Rimini, who was later defeated. As a result, Pope Pius II Piccolomini
gave San Marino the towns of Fiorentino, Montegiardino, and Serravalle.
Later that year, the town of Faetano joined the republic on its
own accord. Since then, the size of San Marino has remained unchanged.
San Marino has been occupied by foreign militaries twice in its history, both for only short periods of time. In 1503, Cesare Borgia, known as Valentino, occupied the republic until his death several months later. In 1739, Cardinal Alberoni used military force to occupy the country. Civil disobedience was used to protest his occupation, and clandestine notes sent to the Pope to obtain justice were answered by the Pope's recognition of San Marino's rights and restoration of San Marino’s independence.
