Facts about San Marino
for Kids

Facts about San Marino: Guaita Tower, Flag and Statue of Liberty

25 Facts about San Marino

San Marino Flag

Here are some interesting facts about San Marino which were chosen and researched especially for kids.

1. San Marino is a small country located on the European continent and the fifth smallest country in the world. The country is located in Eastern Italy about 10 km/ 6 miles from the coastal town of Rimini/ Italy.

San Marino is a micro state and an enclave in Italy.

2. San Marino is a landlocked country within a country.

The tiny country in Southern Europe is located within the country of Italy. San Marino is located between Marche and Emilia-Romagna, two regions in eastern Italy.

The border with Italy is about 40 km/ 25 miles long.

3. San Marino is one of only three countries in the world that are so-called "enclaves". The other two enclaves are Vatican City (also within Italy) and Lesotho (within South Africa).

4. San Marino is referred to as a micro-state due to the tiny size. Only about 34,000 people live in San Marino. There are about 47,000 people who are citizens of San Marino (2025); this means that about a third of the Sammarinese people live in other countries, mainly in Italy, the USA, Argentina and France.

5. The official name is Repubblica di San Marino in Italian which is Republic of San Marino.

6. San Marino is believed to be the oldest constitutional republic in the world and has two heads of state that are elected every six months. San Marino was founded in 301 AD/CE.

3 September is the national day of San Marino.

Chamber of the Grand and General Council - image by Adwo/shutterstock.com

7. The flag and coat of arms of the country depict three towers on three mountain summits of Mount Titano. Thee coat of arms also shows oak and laurel branches and the country's motto.

8. The national motto is "libertas" which is the Latin word for freedom. The national colours are white and light blue.

Mount Titan with Guaita Tower

9. Monte Titano (or Mount Titan) is the highest point of the country with 755 m/ 2,477 ft. On top of this mountain sits the capital of the country, called City of San Marino. You can take a scenic two minute ride up to the op of the mountain with the aerial cable car.

10. The name of the country originates from the founder Saint Marinus who built the first settlement to protect Christians from the Roman persecution. Saint Marinus built a chapel and fort in 301 on top of Mount Titano.

Panorama over San Marino from Rocco della Guaita

11. The landscape of the country is dominated by the Appenine mountains and hills. There are some forests and the hills are dotted with many villages.

12. The country has nine regions called castelli (castles in Italian) with each an administrator that is called castle captain and elected every five years.

San Marino Facts for Kids | Attractions in San Marino

13. San Marino's main landmarks are the three towers, that stand for the freedom of the country. The three towers are called Guaita tower, Cesta tower (also referred to as Fratta) and Montale tower.

San Marino towers with Cesta tower to the front and Guaita tower in the background

Guaita Tower, the first tower, is the oldest tower and dates back to the 11th century.
Cesta (Fratta) Tower is the second tower and is built on the highest peak. This tower houses a museum of ancient weapons.
Montale Tower is the third tower and the smallest of the three towers.

Montale Tower

14. The Piazza della Libertà (Freedom Square) is the centre of the country. Here is also the Palazzo Pubblico, a government building, and the statue of liberty.

Piazza in San Marino - image by Trabantos/shutterstock.com

15. There is no state religion but most of the Sammarinese people are Roman Catholic. The Basilica di San Marino is the main church of the country.

Basilica di San Marino - Roman Catholic Church

Facts about San Marino
People

16. Most of the Sammarinese people live in Serravalle, the country's largest of the castelli with about 11,000 inhabitants. Serravalle is in the northeast of the country.

17. San Marino has very strict citizenship laws—it is difficult to become a citizen unless born to Sammarinese parents or a Sammarinese mother.

Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America was a honorary citizen of San Marino

18. The 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) accepted honorary citizenship of San Marino in 1861 after he was invited to recognise the tiny state and was offered citizenship. He responded in a highly cherished letter, which can be seen in San Marino's Stamp and Coin museum.

19. The official language in San Marino is Italian. The Sammarinese people also speak Romagnol which is an endangered Romance language spoken in Emilia-Romagna and Marche, the Italian regions surrounding the tiny country.

20. The most popular sports in San Marino are football, basketball and volleyball.

The country has some fabulous Olympian athletes in the shooting discipline with Alessandra Perilli and Gian Marco Berti both winning a medal in shooting in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo while Myles Nazem Amine won a medal in wrestling at these games.

Facts about San Marino | Economy

21. San Marino is not part of the European Union but the currency used in San Marino is the Euro. Before 2000, San Marino's currency was the Sammarinese lira that was pegged to the Italian lira.

Typical San Marino souvenirs

22. Tourism and finance are the main economic sectors. The manufacturing sector includes many small textile and ceramics businesses.. San Marino attracts over 2 million visitors every year.

23. There are many events that visitors love to join when in the region, some of the major events are the Feast of Saint Marinus with National Day celebrations and the Mille Miglia, today a parade of historic motorcycles and cars, but formerly a major motor race which attracts many international car enthusiasts.

Facts about San Marino Food

24. The San Marino cuisine is very similar to the Italian cuisine with many local specialties that are also important to the neighbouring Marche and Emilia-Romagna regions.

Typical piadina with ham, cheese and arugula (rocket)

Piadina: This flatbread sandwich popular in San Marino and neighboring Italy. The San Marino piadina is mainly filled with ham, cheese and rocket leaves (arugula) and the flatbread is usually quite thin.

Pasta e Ceci: (noodles and chickpeas) This soup made with chickpeas and pasta noodles is often eaten in colder months.

Torta Tre Monti: The layered wafer cake with three tiers is covered in chocolate and the name reminds of the national symbol of the three towers.

Torta Tre Monti - image by Sanmarinosite.com

Last but not least:
San Marino Facts for Kids

25. The climate of San Marino is Mediterranean and similar to central Italy. There are warm summers from July to September and cool winters from November to February.

July, August and September are the warmest months with temperatures around 24°C/ 75°F whilst in winter, the temperatures in San Marino rarely drop below 2°C/ 35°F.

Facts about San Marino Quiz

Which are the two main colours of the San Marino flag?
What is the motto of San Marino?
Which language is spoken in San Marino?
What's a typical San Marino sandwich called?
What is the name of the highest mountain of San Marino?

Cesta tower on San Marino's highest mountain peak

Answers to the San Marino Quiz:

white and (light) blue
libertà (Italian) or libertas (Latin) or freedom
Italian
piadina
Mount Titan or Monte Titano (Italian)

Facts about San Marino
Resources

Sources for Facts about San Marino for kids page:

San Marino Tourism. "San Marino" VisitSanMarino. Last accessed 20 May 2025
Central Intelligence Agency. "San Marino." WorldFactBook. Last updated 14 May 2025. Last accessed 20 May 2025
San Marino Site. "The 3 Towers of San Marino". SanMarinoSite. Last accessed 20 May 2025
San Marino Site. "Food and Wine". SanMarinoSite. Last accessed 20 May 2025

Image Credits on Facts about San Marino: stockphotos from shutterstock and wikicommons, if not otherwise stated.

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