Day 28 – June 16, 2025 – Foiano, Italy
After a quick breakfast, we started our day trip to San Marino. It is a lovely drive through twisty, curvy scenery, which is why it takes so long to get there. You really can’t speed up in the mountains, lol! A little history on San Marino with the help of Chat GPT.
“San Marino, one of the world’s smallest and oldest republics, traces its origins back to 301 AD, when it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus. According to legend, Marinus fled religious persecution under the Roman Emperor Diocletian and established a small, independent community on Mount Titano. Over the centuries, San Marino preserved its autonomy through diplomacy and strategic alliances, even as surrounding territories were absorbed into larger states. It proudly maintained its independence during the unification of Italy in the 19th century, gaining recognition from the Kingdom of Italy. Despite its size, San Marino has remained a sovereign state, governed by its own constitution—one of the oldest still in effect, dating back to 1600. Today, it is known for its historic legacy, medieval architecture, and status as a symbol of enduring self-governance.”
After finding parking, and we got so lucky with that, we were able to quickly get tickets to ride the cable car up to the top. The views are just amazing!!! There are three towers perched on top of Mount Titano and John and I walked to all three. The third one was a bit out of the way with lots of steps, so Catherine and Scott passed on that one and found some shade. It was cooler than back at the villa, but the sun was very intense.
The oldest tower was built in the 11th century and served as a watchtower and a prison. The one located on the highest peak dates to the 13th century and houses a museum of ancient weaponry. The smallest one and least accessible was built in the 14th century and is noted for its pentagonal shape. We chose not to take the time to go through the museums as they did cost to get in and we were trying to be conscious of the time, especially with the drive back.
As we had been walking up towards the towers, Catherine saw a place that looked like it would be good for lunch as it had open seating with a lot of shade and a good view. We popped in there and enjoyed some wine and pizza, that had an incredible thin crust, which I love.
After lunch, we walked a bit more then headed for the car. We took a different way back, which seemed quicker to us, but was still just as beautiful. John had been wanting to buy some local steaks, so we decided to stop at the local butcher (Fierli) in Foiano to buy some steaks to cook on the grill tomorrow night. Fierli practices organic farming and has all different types of cold cuts, olive oil, cheeses, wine, and Chianina steaks. John also made a reservation for us to tour the farm on Saturday and have lunch afterwards.
We bought some chicken cutlets earlier so decided to do those with a salad and some veggies to make up a quick meal. We also included our meats, cheese, and bread as it is Italy, lol! We introduced Catherine and Scott to Vin Santo wine and cantucci for dessert and it was a hit.
Tomorrow, we have a tour with Barbara who will be taking us to Civita di Bagnoregio, the “dying city” and then on to a winery in Orvieto that will also provide us lunch. Our last stop will be to the town of Orvieto to look around. A fun day today and tomorrow looks fun as well – ciao!
