Saint Marinus was a stonemason by profession from the island of Rab, which is now in modern day Croatia. After having accused of being an estranged husband of a woman, Marinus fled to Monte Titano and lived as a hermit. He built a chapel and monastery. He was later canonised as a saint and the principality of San Marino grew from the place of the monastry he established. His last words were – “Relinquo vos liberos ab utroque homine.” (“I leave you free from both men” referring to both the Emperor and the Pope)
The national holiday of San Marino is 3 September as it honours the day, in 301 when Saint Marinus founded what we know as ‘San Marino’. San Marino happens to be the world’s oldest surviving republic.
