Travel Guide Saint-Marin – San Marino

Proud of its origins, San Marino is a small landlocked territory in the heart of Italy that claims to be the oldest republic in the world. Despite its small size, San Marino has a seat at the UN, another at UNESCO, but also at the Council of Europe, the IMF, the WHO and the International Court of Justice. In short, it is far from being excluded from international political discussions, even if its voice is not very much heard. The inhabitants like to remind visitors, especially the French, that Napoleon was so taken with the democratic system in place at the time of his conquest of Italy that he decided to leave it alone. It mints its own money, issues stamps and awards its own decorations. Its economy is full of vitality.Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008, the republic is organized into nine castelli or villages, which correspond to the ancient Glulaldarie (ancient boundaries of the territories of the republic). In the historical center, you can see the folklore of the changing of the guard in Piazza della Libertà during the summer.