Saint Marinus Founds the World's Oldest Republic
Marinus, a Christian stonemason from the island of Rab (in modern Croatia), fled to Monte Titano on the Italian peninsula in 301 AD to escape Roman persecution under Emperor Diocletian. The small community he established on the mountain survived the fall of Rome, the Lombard invasion, and the Napoleonic Wars to become the Republic of San Marino, the world's oldest surviving sovereign state and the oldest constitutional republic. San Marino has an area of 24 square miles and a population of roughly 33,000. Its constitution, dating to 1600, is the world's oldest written constitutional document still in effect. Napoleon offered to expand the republic's territory during his Italian campaign, but San Marino wisely declined, preferring to remain small and inconspicuous.
September 3, 301
1725 years ago
Key Figures & Places
San Marino
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republic
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Saint Marinus
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List of countries by area
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San Marino
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List of countries and dependencies by area
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Republic
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Saint Marinus
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National day
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Independence
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301
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Zwergstaat
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