San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino, links=no), is the fifth-smallest country in the world an ...

is a small landlocked country with an area of about on a rocky promontory at an elevation of in central

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. It is the third smallest country in Europe after

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

and

Monaco Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...

. It was founded as a Republic in 600 AD and recognized by the

Papacy The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...

in 1631, and became a member of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

in 1992. As of 2009, it had a population of 31,500. The ethnic composition is about 84.95%

Sammarinese Sammarinese () are citizens and people of the Republic of San Marino. Language San Marino recognizes Italian as the official language. The indigenous language, known as Sammarinese, is a variety of Romagnol spoken by approximately 83 percent o ...

, 14.6%

Italians , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

and others. The country does not provide exact statistics of the religious affiliations of its people. However, it is inferred that at least 95% of the people are Catholics, as in

, but with a historical

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

and

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

minority. There are other small groups, including Jehovah's Witnesses,

Waldensians The Waldensians (also known as Waldenses (), Vallenses, Valdesi or Vaudois) are adherents of a church tradition that began as an ascetic movement within Western Christianity before the Reformation. Originally known as the "Poor Men of Lyon" in ...

. San Marino's schools are all public and financial support is provided by the State; there are no private

religious school A religious school is a school that either has a religious component in its operations or its curriculum, or exists primarily for the purpose of teaching aspects of a particular religion. Children A school can either be of two types, though the sa ...

s. According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2005 of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, there is harmonious relationship among all religious groups and the government strives to "protect this right in full and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors". The oath of loyalty as prescribed in 1903 demanded that it is to be sworn on the "Holy Gospel". Those rules were changed in 1993 to give Parliamentarians the choice to replace the phrase of "Holy Gospel" to "on my honor". This legal "formulation" has been upheld by the

European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR or ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights. The court hears applications alleging that ...

(ECHR). The traditional formulation is still mandatory for other offices like that of the

Captain regent The Captains Regent (Italian: ''Capitani reggenti'') are the two heads of state of the Republic of San Marino. They are elected every six months by the Grand and General Council, the country's legislative body. Normally the Regents are chosen ...

and government minister.

Catholic Church

San Marino is a predominantly Catholic state: over 97% of the population profess the Catholic faith, but Catholicism is not an established religion. Approximately half of those who profess to be Catholic practice the faith. There is no Episcopal see in San Marino. Historically, the various parishes in San Marino were divided between two

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

dioceses In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

, mostly in the

Diocese of Montefeltro The Italian Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic Diocese of Montefeltro. It is a Latin suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.Diocese of Rimini The Diocese of Rimini ( la, Dioecesis Ariminensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Emilia Romagna, Italy. From earliest times, it was a suffragan to the Holy See, despite repeated attempts by the D ...

. In 1977, the border between

Montefeltro Montefeltro is a historical and geographical region in Marche, which was historically part of Romagna. It gave its name to the Montefeltro family, who ruled in the area during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Regions of Italy Overview Montef ...

and

Rimini Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...

was readjusted so that all of San Marino fell within the diocese of Montefeltro. The

bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro The Italian Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic Diocese of Montefeltro. It is a Latin suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.Pennabilli Pennabilli ( rgn, La Pénna) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about south of Rimini. In 2019, the podcast '' This is Love'' spoke with Anna Bo ...

, in

. However, there is a provision under the Income tax rules that the tax payers have the right to request the allocation of 0.3% of their income tax to the Catholic Church or to "other" charities. The Churches include the two religious groups of the Waldensians and Jehovah's Witnesses. The

Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro The Italian Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic Diocese of Montefeltro. It is a Latin suffragan of the Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.suffragan of the

archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia The Archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia ( la, Archidioecesis Ravennatensis-Cerviensis) is a metropolitan archdiocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

es of

. The earliest mention of

, as Mona Feretri, is in the diplomas by which

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

confirmed the

donation of Pepin The Donation of Pepin in 756 provided a legal basis for the creation of the Papal States, thus extending the temporal rule of the popes beyond the duchy of Rome. Background In 751, Aistulf, king of the Lombards, conquered what remained of the ex ...

. The first known bishop of Montefeltro was Agatho (826), whose residence was at

San Leo San Leo ( rgn, San Lé) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rimini in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about southeast of Bologna and about southwest of Rimini. Geography San Leo borders the following municipalities: ...

. Under Bishop Flaminios Dondi (1724) the see was again transferred to San Leo, but later it returned to Pennabilli. The historic diocese was a suffragan of the

archdiocese of Urbino In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασι� ...

. There are at least twelve parishes, and many Catholic religious organizations such as the Society of Our Lady of Consolation, the Society of St. Rosario nella Parrocchia di Fiorentino, the Our Lady of Mount Caramel Society, Institute of Our Religious Teachers, and the Guard of Honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There are also several convents and monasteries such as the San Francesco convent of Friars, Convent of the Friars Minor Capuchin, Monastery Santa Maria dei Servi, and Monastery Santa Chiara.

Places of worship

San Marino, with the distinct domination of religious buildings of historic Christian faith, has several churches of note:

Basilica di San Marino

The Basilica di San Marino is the main church of the City of San Marino, located on the Piazza Domus Plebis. It is dedicated to the patron of the city (San Marino diacono) and the state of San Marino. The

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

is built in the neoclassical style, and has a

porch A porch (from Old French ''porche'', from Latin ''porticus'' "colonnade", from ''porta'' "passage") is a room or gallery located in front of an entrance of a building. A porch is placed in front of the facade of a building it commands, and form ...

of eight Corinthian columns. A church was originally erected on the spot in the fourth century which was also dedicated to patron. The first document attesting the existence of the church is 530, in the '' La Vita di San Severino'' by

Eugippius Eugippius (circa 460 – circa 535, Castellum Lucullanum) was a disciple and the biographer of Saint Severinus of Noricum. After the latter's death in 482, he took the remains to Naples and founded a monastery on the site of a 1st-century Roman ...

and the other document is the '' Placito Feretrano'' from 885. The first document that directly relates to the "Pieve di San Marino" is dated 31 July 1113. At the beginning of the 1800s, the church was in critical condition, so in 1807 it was pulled down and the project for the construction of the new church was handed to the Bolognese Achille Serra. On July 24, 1825, the council decided to build a new church in the place where there was the old church. The construction began on 28 July 1826 and was completed in 1838. On February 5, 1838, the church was solemnly inaugurated in the presence of

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

, Crispino Agostinucci and the Captain's-Regent. On July 21, 1926, it was elevated to the rank of

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

. The construction cost 40,150

scudi The ''scudo'' (pl. ''scudi'') was the name for a number of coins used in various states in the Italian peninsula until the 19th century. The name, like that of the French écu and the Spanish and Portuguese escudo, was derived from the Latin ''s ...

and 76 baiocchi. The interior of the basilica consists of three

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

s, composed of sixteen Corinthian columns which form a large

ambulatory The ambulatory ( la, ambulatorium, ‘walking place’) is the covered passage around a cloister or the processional way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar. The first ambulatory was in France in the 11th ...

around the semicircular

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

. The altar is adorned by a statue of the San Marino deacon by the Adamo Tadolini, a student of Antonio Canova. Under the altar are relics of the Saint Marino (San Marino) which were found on March 3, 1586, and some relics on January 28, 1595, were donated to the island of

Rab Rab �âːb( dlm, Arba, la, Arba, it, Arbe, german: Arbey) is an island in the northern Dalmatia region in Croatia, located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea. The island is long, has an area of and 9,328 inhabitants (2 ...

(

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

), the birthplace of the saint. A reliquary bust in

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

dated to September 2, 1602, lies to the right of altar. In the right aisle is a small altar dedicated to the

Mary Magdelene Mary Magdalene (sometimes called Mary of Magdala, or simply the Magdalene or the Madeleine) was a woman who, according to the four canonical gospels, traveled with Jesus as one of his followers and was a witness to his crucifixion and resurr ...

and a painting by

Elisabetta Sirani Elisabetta Sirani (8 January 1638 – 28 August 1665) was an Italian Baroque painter and printmaker who died in unexplained circumstances at the age of 27. She was a pioneering female artist in early modern Bologna, who established an academy fo ...

"Noli Me Tangere." On August 29, 1982, the basilica was visited by

John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

, who blessed the church and the relics related to the deacon of San Marino. The Basilica of San Marino is depicted on the ten cent additions of the

Sammarinese euro coins Sammarinese euro coins feature separate designs for every coin. All the coins are inscribed with the words "San Marino" and the twelve stars of the EU. The Sammarinese euro coins are minted by Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato (IPZS), in R ...

Chiesa di San Pietro

Chiesa di San Pietro, located at the Basilica of San Marino is a small church, which was originally built in 600. It houses a valuable altar with inlaid marble, donated by the musician Antonio Tedeschi in 1689, which is surmounted by a statue dedicated to St. Peter by Enrico Saroldi. In the crypt of this church there are two niches that traditionally were the beds of San Marino and

. Inside is a monument to

Pope John XXIII Pope John XXIII ( la, Ioannes XXIII; it, Giovanni XXIII; born Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, ; 25 November 18813 June 1963) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 28 October 1958 until his death in June 19 ...

, erected by the Government of the Republic.

Chiesa di San Francesco

Chiesa di San Francesco, located in the City of San Marino, was originally built from 1361. The adjoining convent and the church had originally based in Murata, but later

Pope Clement VII Pope Clement VII ( la, Clemens VII; it, Clemente VII; born Giulio de' Medici; 26 May 1478 – 25 September 1534) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 19 November 1523 to his death on 25 September 1534. Deemed "the ...

granted the displacement of the church and convent in the City of San Marino. Construction was started in 1361 and completed in 1400. It was built using the construction materials of the displaced church and convent. The rose window was covered in the seventeenth century but has been unearthed in the latest renovations undertaken by Gino Zani. In the cloister is the tomb of the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...

Marino Madroni, who lived in the fifteenth century. In the adjacent Museo San Francesco are preserved paintings of

Guercino Giovanni Francesco Barbieri (February 8, 1591 – December 22, 1666),Miller, 1964 better known as Guercino, or il Guercino , was an Italian Baroque painter and draftsman from Cento in the Emilia region, who was active in Rome and Bologna. The vi ...

and

Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael (; or ; March 28 or April 6, 1483April 6, 1520), was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His work is admired for its clarity of form, ease of composition, and visual a ...

Chiesa di San Paolo apostolo

Chiesa di San Paolo apostolo, located in the City of San Marino, was built between 1898 and 1916 and consecrated in 1917. The church was designed by the Capuchin friar Angelo Cassano. In 1950 Amedeo Botticelli di Camerano decorated it. There are two beautiful chapels and twentieth century carvings by Amedeo Filipucci.

Chiesa di Sant'Andrea

The Chiesa di Sant'Andrea, located in Acquaviva, is dedicated to St. Andrew the Apostle. It was built in the late Middle Ages on a spot where a previous church dated to the third century lay. The church underwent major renovations over the centuries, particularly in 1679, 1694 and 1933). Inside there are two major paintings, "Presentation of Jesus in the Temple" of the Bolognese school of 600 and St. Andrew the Apostle and San Crescentino from 1761.

Chiesa di Sant'Andrea

The Chiesa di Sant'Andrea, located in Serravalle, is dedicated to

St Andrew Andrew the Apostle ( grc-koi, Ἀνδρέᾱς, Andréās ; la, Andrēās ; , syc, ܐܰܢܕ݁ܪܶܐܘܳܣ, ʾAnd’reʾwās), also called Saint Andrew, was an apostle of Jesus according to the New Testament. He is the brother of Simon Pete ...

and the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

. It was built in 1824 on the ancient city walls and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. There is an ancient fresco in the apse dated to 400 and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The church was completely finished in 1914 and was restored in 1973 under the direction of Luigi Fonti di Rimini.

Monastero di Santa Chiara

The Monastero di Santa Chiara is a modern monastery building, located in

Valdragone Valdragone is a village (''curazia'') in central San Marino. It belongs to the castello of Borgo Maggiore. Geography The village is divided into two areas: Valdragone di Sopra (''Upper V.'') and Valdragone di Sotto (''Lower V.''). It is situated ...

Borgo Maggiore Borgo Maggiore (; rgn, E Bórgh) is one of the 9 communes or ''castelli'' of San Marino. It lies at the foot of Monte Titano and has a population of 6,871 (May 2018), making it the second largest town of San Marino, after Dogana. Etymology From ...

. The construction of the monastery began in 1969 and was opened for worship two years later in 1971. It is home to 17 nuns and was moved from the City of San Marino from an old monastery building built in 1565, thanks the help of Bishop Costantino Bonelli, and the government and citizens of San Marino.

Oratorio di San Rocco

The Oratorio di San Rocco, located in

Cailungo Cailungo is a village (''curazia'') in central San Marino San Marino (, ), officially the Republic of San Marino ( it, Repubblica di San Marino; ), also known as the Most Serene Republic of San Marino ( it, Serenissima Repubblica di San Marino ...

, was built after the plague in honor of

San Rocco Roch (lived c. 1348 – 15/16 August 1376/79 (traditionally c. 1295 – 16 August 1327, also called Rock in English, is a Catholic saint, a confessor whose death is commemorated on 16 August and 9 September in Italy; he is especially invoked a ...

The interior has an oil on canvas painting of Madonna and Child and St. John the Baptist dated to 1594.

Santuario della Beata Vergine della Consolazione

The Santuario della Beata Vergine della Consolazione, also known as "the Church of Our Lady of Consolation" is a

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred place, such as a shrine. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This secondary use can be categorized into human sanctuary, a sa ...

, located in the village of

. It is governed by the Franciscan Order of Marche and Servi di Maria. The place of worship was built by the Italian architect

Giovanni Michelucci Giovanni Michelucci, Italian architect, urban planner and designer, was born in Pistoia, Tuscany, on 2 January 1891 and died on the night of 31 December 1990, two days before his 100th birthday, at his studio-home in Fiesole, in Florence's hills ...

from February 1964, and its consecration took place on 11 June 1967. Michelucci was initially approached by the government of San Marino for a consultation about the transformation of a nursing home. The architect was then asked to draw up plans for the Shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, whose project was presented to the Assembly of the Congregation already in 1961. The sanctuary was built on the existing Romanesque church of Santa Maria, built around the start of the 16th century. It is the only sanctuary of the Republic of San Marino and especially welcomes pilgrims from Romagna and Marche.

Judaism

There has been a

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

ish presence in San Marino for at least 600 years. The first mention of Jews in

dates to the late 14th century, in official documents recording the business transactions of Jews. There are many documents throughout the 15th to 17th centuries describing Jewish dealings and verifying the presence of a Jewish community in San Marino. Jews were required to wear special badges and live by specific restrictions, but were also permitted official protection by the government. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, San Marino provided a harbor for more than 100,000 Italians and Jews (ten times the country's population at the time) from

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

persecution. Today, there are only small numbers of Jews in San Marino.

Protestantism

A Protestant minority exists in San Marino; it largely belongs to the

Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches The Union of Methodist and Waldensian Churches ( it, Unione delle Chiese Metodiste e Valdesi) is an Italian united Protestant denomination. It was founded in 1975 upon the union of the Waldensian Evangelical Church (a Calvinist church with pre ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Religion In San Marino