San Marino is a small landlocked country with an area of about 61.2 km2 (23.6 sq mi) on a rocky promontory at an elevation of 657 meters (2,156 ft) in centralItaly. In 2023, the population was 33,636.[2] It is the third smallest country in Europe afterVatican City andMonaco. It is traditionally held to have been founded as a republic in 301 AD, was recognized by thePapacy in 1631, and became a member of theUnited Nations in 1992. As of 2009, the ethnic composition was about 84.95%Sammarinese, 14.6%Italians and others.
According to a 2021 report on religious freedom in the country, the population is 91.5% Christian, 5.6% agnostic, 1.9% atheist, and 1% 'other'.[1]
The country does not provide exact statistics of the religious affiliations of its people. However, in the early 2000s, it was inferred that at least 95% of the people wereRoman Catholics, as inItaly,[3][4][5][6][7][8] but with a historicalJewish andProtestant minority.
Estimates in 2020 suggested that 85.45% of the population were Catholic, while 6% belonged to other Christian denominations, 1% were Baha'i and 7.56% had no religion; there were also approximately 10 Muslims in the country.[9]
San Marino's schools are all public and must offer Catholic-based religious education; there are no privatereligious schools.[1]
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 theEuropean Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The traditional formulation was still mandatory in 2006 for other offices like that of theCaptain regent and government minister.[3]
| San Marino religiosity | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catholicism | 97% | |||
| Others | 3% | |||
San Marino is a predominantly Catholic state:[4] 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.[10] There is noEpiscopal see in San Marino. Historically, the various parishes in San Marino were divided between twoItaliandioceses, mostly in theDiocese of Montefeltro, and partly in theDiocese of Rimini. In 1977, the border betweenMontefeltro andRimini was readjusted so that all of San Marino fell within the diocese of Montefeltro. Thebishop of San Marino-Montefeltro resides inPennabilli, inItaly. 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.[1]
TheRoman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic diocese of Montefeltro. It is asuffragan of thearchdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia.[11] The current diocese includes all theparishes ofSan Marino. The earliest mention ofMontefeltro, as Mona Feretri, is in the diplomas by whichCharlemagne confirmed thedonation of Pepin. The first known bishop of Montefeltro was Agatho (826), whose residence was atSan Leo. Under BishopFlaminios Dondi (1724) the see was again transferred to San Leo, but later it returned to Pennabilli. The historic diocese was a suffragan of thearchdiocese of Urbino.[12]
There are at least twelve parishes,[13] 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.[13] 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.[13]
San Marino, with the distinct domination of religious buildings of historic Christian faith, has several churches of note:[14]
TheBasilica di San Marino is the main church of the City of San Marino, located on thePiazza Domus Plebis. It is dedicated to the patron of the city (San Marino diacono) and the state of San Marino. Thechurch is built in theneoclassical style, and has aporch of eight Corinthian columns.A church was originally erected on the spot in the fourth century, also dedicated to the same patron. The first document attesting the existence of a church (specifically, a monastery) in the area is thePlacito Feretrano ostensibly dating from 885, although only known through an 11th-century copy. The first document that directly relates to the "Pieve di San Marino" is dated 31 July 1113.[15]
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 BologneseAchille Serra. On July 24, 1825, the council decided to build a new church in the place where there was the old church.[15] The construction began on 28 July 1826 and was completed in 1838. On February 5, 1838, the church was solemnly inaugurated in the presence ofBishop ofMontefeltro,Crispino Agostinucci and the Captain's-Regent. On July 21, 1926, it was elevated to the rank ofBasilica byPius XI. The construction cost 40,150scudi and 76baiocchi.
The interior of the basilica consists of threenaves, composed of sixteen Corinthian columns which form a largeambulatory around the semicircularapse. The altar is adorned by a statue of the San Marino deacon by theAdamo Tadolini, a student ofAntonio 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 ofRab (Croatia), the birthplace of the saint.[16] A reliquary bust insilver andgold dated to September 2, 1602, lies to the right of altar. In the right aisle is a small altar dedicated to theMary Magdelene and a painting byElisabetta Sirani "Noli Me Tangere."
On August 29, 1982, the basilica was visited byJohn Paul II,[15] 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 theSammarinese euro coins.
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 musicianAntonio Tedeschi in 1689, which is surmounted by a statue dedicated toSt. Peter byEnrico Saroldi. In the crypt of this church there are two niches that traditionally were the beds of San Marino andSan Leo. Inside is a monument toPope John XXIII, erected by the Government of the Republic.
Chiesa di San Francesco, located in the City of San Marino, was originally built from 1361.[17]
The adjoining convent and the church had originally based inMurata,[17] but laterPope Clement VII 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 byGino Zani.[17] In the cloister is the tomb of thebishopMarino Madroni, who lived in the fifteenth century. In the adjacentMuseo San Francesco are preserved paintings ofGuercino andRaphael.
Chiesa di San Paolo apostolo, located in the City of San Marino, was built between 1898 and 1916 and consecrated in 1917.[18] The church was designed by the Capuchin friarAngelo Cassano. In 1950Amedeo Botticelli di Camerano decorated it. There are two beautiful chapels and twentieth century carvings byAmedeo Filipucci.
TheChiesa di Sant'Andrea, located inAcquaviva, is dedicated toSt. 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[19]). Inside there are two major paintings, "Presentation of Jesus in the Temple" of the Bolognese school of 600 and St. Andrew the Apostle andSan Crescentino from 1761.[19]
TheChiesa di Sant'Andrea, located inSerravalle, is dedicated toSt Andrew and theVirgin Mary. 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 ofLuigi Fonti di Rimini.[20]
TheMonastero di Santa Chiara is a modern monastery building, located inValdragone,Borgo Maggiore. 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 BishopCostantino Bonelli, and the government and citizens of San Marino.
TheOratorio di San Rocco, located inCailungo, was built after the plague in honor ofSan Rocco The interior has an oil on canvas painting of Madonna and Child andSt. John the Baptist dated to 1594.[20]
TheSantuario della Beata Vergine della Consolazione, also known as "the Church of Our Lady of Consolation" is asanctuary, located in the village ofValdragone inBorgo Maggiore. It is governed by theFranciscan Order ofMarche andServi di Maria.
The place of worship was built by the Italian architectGiovanni Michelucci from February 1964, and its consecration took place on 11 June 1967.[21] 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 fromRomagna andMarche.
There has been aJewish presence in San Marino for at least 600 years.[22]
The first mention of Jews inSan Marino 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.
DuringWorld War II, San Marino provided a harbor for more than 100,000 Italians and Jews (ten times the country's population at the time) fromNazi persecution. In the early 2000s, there were only small numbers of Jews in San Marino.[23]
A Protestant minority exists in San Marino; it largely belongs to theWaldensian Church.[1]