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San Marino with a difference
In the Republic of San Marino, the veneration of the Saint who, according to the legend, founded the Republic, is extremely deep-rooted and widespread. The legend tells how this master stone-cutter left his native island of Arbe in Dalmatia and came to Mount Titano to establish a small community of Christians anxious to escape the persecutions of emperor Diocletian. In 301 A.D., the first community from which the Republic of San Marino originated, formed. What is certain is that the area had been inhabited since prehistoric times, but the first document confirming the existence of an organized community on Mount Titano is the Placito Feretrano, a parchment dating back to 885 d.C. , preserved in the State Archives. The territory of San Marino (61 sq. km), 10 km as the crow flies from the Adriatic Coast, is mostly hill country, roughly square-shaped with Mount Titano in the centre.