Liberty Dreamt in Stone: The (Neo)Medieval City of San Marino

Abstract

This article presents a first comprehensive evaluation of the medievalizing phenomenon in the Republic of San Marino from a comparative perspective, with a particular focus on the period between 1884 (date of the construction of San Marino’s new town hall) and the years of Fascism (1922-1943), the most significant phase of San Marino’s transformation into a neomedieval city. Nowadays, San Marino possesses not only a medieval history, but also a neomedieval identity. The recognition of this identity was made clear in 2008, when the historic center of San Marino was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.