San Marino Travel Information, San Marino Tourism & Tourist Attractions, San Marino Grand Prix

By car
Exit the A14 for Rimini-Sud and follow the highway until you reach San Marino.

By public transportation
Take a train or bus from Rimini to reach San Marino.

The chief attractions at San Marino are the three fortresses, the castles on top of cliffs of Monte Titano and the museum of weapons. The view from the castles is spectacular and you will be treated to large expanses of lush greenery and the Adriatic coastline. The San Marino Grand Prix is the biggest event in the country. Apart from there is also a celebration of the town’s history every July with processions, crossbow competitions, historic games, nightly feasts, etc running for a week.

The State Museum of San Marino was established in 1899. It was initially housed in the Palazzo Valloni, part of the State Library. In 1982 it moved to Palazzo Pergami-Belluzzi once it became an autonomous institution. It was inaugurated in March 2001 after extensive refurbishment to the structure. The nearly 5000 artefacts on display in this museum were accumulated as donations from all over the world between 1865 and today.

Collections

The Museum gathers:

• Archaeological finds, from the Neolithic to Early Middle Ages, some of which well-renowned, such as the votive bronze statuettes from “Tanaccia” and the gold stud from the “Treasure of Domagnano”, all found on San Marino territory.
  
• Architectural remains of the ancient Basilica (Pieve), with the 16th century polyptych by Francesco Menzocchi.
  
• Paintings and objects from the 17th century convent of the Clarisse.
  
• Works of art of the Republic, including paintings and sculptures by the Guercino, Pompeo Batoni, Elisabetta Sirani, Stefano Galletti and others.
  
• Ancient San Marino coins and medals (1865 – 1938).
  
• Egyptian, Etruscan and Roman archaeological finds donated to the State.
  
• Art objects and paintings of different provenance and periods, including masterpieces by Michele Giambono, Baccio Bandinelli, Tiburzio Passerotti, Bernardo Strozzi.
  

The exhibits in the museum as well as the building that houses the museum are of great importance; a 14th century Franciscan monastery built the Comacine masters. As this structure has been renovated several times over the years (especially in the 1700s) the only feature that has been preserved is the outer wall. The Museum itself was opened in 1966 and has a fabulous collection of paintings – both panel and canvas. There are also two small halls that have on display paintings and sculptures by Emilio Ambron.

The biggest event in San Marino is the Grand Prix. Thousands of people come here for the event and at this time the atmosphere is pumped with adrenalin. Though you probably wont miss even one second of the action on television, you have to be here to actually see the cars burning rubber on the streets of San Marino. This Grand Prix is definitely one of the toughest races of the season and every year many drivers fail to finish the race. Make sure to book your tickets well in advance, as there is a huge demand even for the practice sessions. If you are one of the lucky ones, you can relax on the deck of a yacht and enjoy the race. Apart from watching the race, you will be able to work on your tan and rub shoulders with the rich and famous.