The Oldest Republic – Episode 12

Before chronicles, before documents, even before words, there were traces.

In this episode of The Oldest Republic, we travel deep into the ancient past of San Marino, exploring what archaeology can reveal about the people who lived on Mount Titano long before the Republic emerged in written history. Through excavations, accidental discoveries and forgotten artefacts, a story of settlements, cults and cultural transformations gradually comes to light.

We begin with the history of archaeological research itself, from the first discoveries made by nineteenth-century scholars to the more systematic excavations carried out during the twentieth century. What initially appeared to be an isolated mountain soon revealed itself as part of a much larger historical landscape.

The episode then takes us to Tanaccia, a remarkable sanctuary carved into the rock near the summit of Mount Titano. Used for centuries as a sacred site, it preserves evidence of ancient rituals, healing cults and contacts between local communities and the wider Roman world.

From there, we explore the Roman period, when the territory of San Marino became integrated into the economic and cultural networks centred on nearby Ariminum, modern Rimini. Villas, farms and productive settlements transformed the landscape, linking the mountain to the wider Mediterranean world.

Finally, we move into Late Antiquity, an age of crisis, migration and transformation. Through discoveries such as the famous Domagnano Treasure, one of the most important archaeological finds in San Marino’s history, we encounter the Gothic elites, the spread of Christianity and the complex world from which the medieval community would eventually emerge.

Archaeology does not tell us everything. But through fragments, ruins and forgotten objects, it allows us to glimpse a past that existed long before the oldest republic in the world took shape.

A journey beneath the surface… to discover the deepest roots of San Marino.

#SanMarino #History #TheOldestRepublic #Archaeology #AncientHistory

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This podcast is sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs of San Marino, with the support of the San Marino Centre for Historical Studies (University of San Marino).

The texts are based on L. Gorgolini, S. Pivato (eds.), History of San Marino, 2026. This episode is based on chapter 12: V. Casali, B. Gruska, Archaeological Discoveries: Settlements in Antiquity.

Author: Giuseppe Giardi
Hosts: Carlotta Serra Ciotti and Federica Ghirotti
Video: Luca Zucchi

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:02 Research in San Marino Territory
04:51 A Sanctuary in the Rock
09:04 The Romans on Mount Titano
12:58 Late Antiquity
16:07 Conclusion