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Rocce Mura, San Marino

Natally Shirlton

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The Rocca which is properly called Guaita or the First Tower, dates back to the XI century. It was used as a guard tower and also as an initial refuge post and was constructed directly onto the mounts stone surface without the use of foundations, it has a pentagonal shape and the entrance door is surmounted by a baroque coat-of-arms of the Republic which belonged to the old Palazzo Pubblico. The internal town-walls are limited by the bell tower and the tower of penance which was constructed a few centuries later. A few of the Rocca's cells were assigned as prison cells up to October of 1970. From Guaita, across a fascinating panoramic route, you arrive at the Second Tower or Cesta or Fratta that is elevated onto the highest point of mount Titano (756 m.). The Fratta goes back to the XIII century, it also is of a pentagonal shape, and just as the precedent tower this too is home to a few prison cells. The guard-rooms and the castle keepers rooms are today occupied by the San Marino Museum of Antique Weapons that contains approximately 535 objects that range from swords and knives to lances, firearms, bows, crossbows and armour, all dating back to various eras between medieval and the late 800's.
The remaining pieces of the collection, that in its whole boasts over 1550 objects, can be found at "The centre for studies on weaponry from medieval to the nine-hundreds" at Borgo Maggiore. Moving on from the Cesta there is the Third Tower or Montale which also dates back to the XIII century, this to is of a pentagonal shape. The inside contains a prison that is 8 metres in depth and is called "the tower bottom". All around the Montale you can view great masses of very antique rock; these are placed together in a manner that forms a primitive wall system. The stretch of wall that runs from the Second Tower to the parking lot at the old quarry is part of the remains of the second town-walls of the city that was constructed in the XIII century. The city of San Marino was in fact fortified by no less than three lots of town-walls, all three of them constructed at different times and in a large part demolished to permit the continual expansion of the city. More info on: www.eurotravelling.net