Guaita Tower in San Marino
© Piercarlo Abate/Shutterstoc
In the 'Most Serene Republic'. In the 'Most Serene Republic'
Though some of the details of the founding of San Marino vary depending on who is telling the story, what's certain is that in the 4th century CE, a stone mason built a Christian chapel on a hill near the Mediterranean coast and founded the settlement that would share a name with Saint Marinus. Over the centuries European nations grew, shrank, and changed—but San Marino remained, ultimately bordered on all sides by Italy. Today, this tiny nation, sometimes called the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, celebrates 1,718 years of existence and its continued status as the world's smallest republic—24 square miles of quaint European charm embedded in Italy's northeastern region.
Related Images
A rider hunts with an eagle in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia
Mua Caves in the Ninh Bình province of Vietnam
Shoreline near Tofino on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Rajgad Fort near Pune, India
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Hope Valley, Peak District, England
The Cove of Spires in Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward, Alaska
The village of Aguerd Oudad and the larger town of Tafraout in Morocco
Bing Today Images
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
Sep 03, 2025
Aerial view of Manhattan, New York City
Sep 03, 2023
Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sep 03, 2022
Lujiazui Financial District, Shanghai, China
Sep 03, 2020
The Shanghai World Financial Center in China
Sep 03, 2017
Moscow International Business Center, Russia
Sep 03, 2016
