Discover San Marino

The Second Tower, also known as the Cesta Castle, stands 755 metres above sea level on the highest peak of Monte Titano. It forms the middle section of a panoramic trail connecting San Marino’s three historic towers. The tower is also home to the Museum of Ancient Arms. Around 700 exhibits of different types and periods give the collection its distinctive focus.

The Towers and the World Heritage Site

The three towers can be distinguished by their different historical and architectural roles. The Guaita, or First Tower, is the oldest; around the year 1000, it is said to have served as a refuge for the first inhabitants. A visit includes the prisons and the Mastio, which is reached by a staircase. The Third Tower, Montale, is connected to the other two by a long wall and had a strategic defensive function in the Middle Ages. The Cesta, in turn, combines its place on the panoramic trail with the Arms Museum. Together, refuge, defence and collection emerge as distinct aspects of the tower complex.

The San Marino Historic Centre and Mount Titano World Heritage Site covers 55 hectares. It includes Monte Titano and the historic old town of San Marino. The World Heritage Site also includes defensive towers, walls, gates and bastions. Those interested in history and architecture will find different elements of a fortified townscape brought together here: individual towers, connecting walls and other parts of the fortifications.

Museums with Different Areas of Focus

The Museo di Stato preserves around 5,000 objects of significance to art history, archaeology and numismatics. Many originate from the Republic of San Marino and document its history. The breadth of its collection areas sets the museum apart from the exhibition in the Cesta, which focuses on ancient arms. The San Marino National Gallery is housed in the Logge dei Volontari in the old town.

The Saint Francis Museum occupies the historic rooms of the monastery of the same name, beside the church built in 1361. In the loggias of the historic cloister, it displays paintings by Guercino, Gerolamo Marchesi da Cotignola and Nicolò Liberatore. The museum’s setting is thus linked to a named group of artists, while the Museo di Stato’s collections cover a range of art-historical and scientific fields. The Stamp and Coin Museum displays historical materials used by the San Marino post office from 1877 onwards.

Churches, Routes and Regional Cuisine

The churches also offer specific architectural details: the Basilica del Santo has three naves and six altars decorated with paintings. The Chiesetta di San Pietro contains two stone resting places carved entirely into the rock. They are traditionally attributed to Saints Marino and Leone. Here, the visible design of a basilica sits alongside a traditional attribution in a small rock church.

After crossing the border between Italy and San Marino, the Cammino del Santo Marino leads to the baptismal spring in Castello di Acquaviva and the Sacello del Santo on the rock face of Baldasserona. From there, the route continues towards the old town. These named stops give the route its own sequence, distinct from the panoramic trail connecting the three towers.

San Marino’s cuisine includes regional cured meats, grilled meat, homemade bread and piada, also known as piadina. Dishes made with milk and cheese are also mentioned. For your trip planning, these offer a culinary perspective on the region alongside its towers, collections and sacred architecture.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: San Marino, Serravalle, Borgo Maggiore, Murata, Cailungo, Serravalle, Domagnano and Montegiardino.

Go to the main travel overview: Europe.