San Marino is a small landlocked country with an area of about on a rocky promontory at an elevation of in central Italy. In 2023, the population was 33,636. It is the third smallest country in Europe after Vatican City and Monaco. It was founded as a Republic in 600 AD and recognized by the Papacy in 1631, and became a member of the United Nations in 1992. As of 2009, the ethnic composition is about 84.95% Sammarinese, 14.6% Italians and others.
According to a 2021 report on religious freedom in the country, the population is 91.5% Christian, 5.6% agnostic, 1.9% atheist, and 1% 'other'.
The country does not provide exact statistics of the religious affiliations of its people. However, in the early 2000s, it was inferred that at least 95% of the people were Catholics, as in Italy, but with a historical Jewish and Protestant minority.
Estimates in 2020 suggested that 85.45% of the population were Catholic, while 6% belonged to other Christian denominations, 1% were Baha'i and 7.56% had no religion; there were also approximately 10 Muslims in the country.
San Marino's schools are all public and must offer Catholic-based religious education; there are no private religious schools.
The oath of loyalty as prescribed in 1903 demanded that it is to be sworn on the "Holy Gospel". Those rules were changed in 1993 to give Parliamentarians the choice to replace the phrase of "Holy Gospel" to "on my honor". This legal "formulation" has been upheld by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The traditional formulation was still mandatory in 2006 for other offices like that of the Captain regent and government minister.
Catholic Church
San Marino is a predominantly Catholic state: over 97% of the population profess the Catholic faith, but Catholicism is not an established religion. Approximately half of those who profess to be Catholic practice the faith. There is no Episcopal see in San Marino. Historically, the various parishes in San Marino were divided between two Italian dioceses, mostly in the Diocese of Montefeltro, and partly in the Diocese of Rimini. In 1977, the border between Montefeltro and Rimini was readjusted so that all of San Marino fell within the diocese of Montefeltro. The bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro resides in Pennabilli, in Italy. However, there is a provision under the Income tax rules that the tax payers have the right to request the allocation of 0.3% of their income tax to the Catholic Church or to "other" charities. The Churches include the two religious groups of the Waldensians and Jehovah's Witnesses.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro was until 1977 the historic diocese of Montefeltro. It is a suffragan of the archdiocese of Ravenna-Cervia. The current diocese includes all the parishes of San Marino. The earliest mention of Montefeltro, as Mona Feretri, is in the diplomas by which Charlemagne confirmed the donation of Pepin. The first known bishop of Montefeltro was Agatho (826), whose residence was at San Leo. Under Bishop Flaminios Dondi (1724) the see was again transferred to San Leo, but later it returned to Pennabilli. The historic diocese was a suffragan of the archdiocese of Urbino.
There are at least twelve parishes, and many Catholic religious organizations such as the Society of Our Lady of Consolation, the Society of St. Rosario nella Parrocchia di Fiorentino, the Our Lady of Mount Caramel Society, Institute of Our Religious Teachers, and the Guard of Honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. There are also several convents and monasteries such as the San Francesco convent of Friars, Convent of the Friars Minor Capuchin, Monastery Santa Maria dei Servi, and Monastery Santa Chiara.
Places of worship
San Marino, with the distinct domination of religious buildings of historic Christian faith, has several churches of note:
Basilica di San Marino
The Basilica di San Marino is the main church of the City of San Marino, located on the Piazza Domus Plebis. It is dedicated to the patron of the city (San Marino diacono) and the state of San Marino. The church is built in the neoclassical style, and has a porch of eight Corinthian columns.
A church was originally erected on the spot in the fourth century which was also dedicated to patron. The first document attesting the existence of the church is 530, in the La Vita di San Severino by Eugippius and the other document is the Placito Feretrano from 885. The first document that directly relates to the "Pieve di San Marino" is dated 31 July 1113.