Montegiardino

Montegiardino is the smallest of the nine castelli by population, a village on a hill in the southeast that kept its medieval plan more completely than most: a single street running up to the church with the remains of the walls and a gate, and the ground dropping away on both sides. Pope Pius II gave it to the republic in 1463, together with Fiorentino and Serravalle. Around a thousand people live in the castello. The village council still meets in the castello and each of the nine has its own captain and elected body. Its walls were rebuilt in the twentieth century after long neglect.

History

San Marino held only Monte Titano until 1463, when Pope Pius II gave it Fiorentino, Montegiardino and Serravalle, and its borders have not changed since. The castello covers 3.31 km2 and had 1,015 people in 2023, the smallest of the nine by both area and population (Wikipedia, Montegiardino).

What you'll find

• The medieval plan - a single street running up through the walls.
• The gate and walls - the fragments of the village defences.
• The hill position - the ground dropping away on both sides.
• The scale - the smallest of the nine castelli.

When to go

April to October is the mild season. The village is quiet year round. Its festa falls in the summer.

What to expect

The village is very small and an hour covers it. There is little arranged for visitors. Parking within the walls is difficult.

Nearby

Fiorentino is west, and Faetano is north.

Key facts