San Leo - Driving itineraries

San Leo: the former capital of Italy
Dante Alighieri celebrated San Leo in his Divine Comedy, since he needed the image of an impressive rock spur to describe the mountain of the Purgatory. San Leo is dominated by an imposing fortress which leans out over a deep precipe and boasts breathtaking views over the underlying landscape

San Leo is an ancient city which experienced plenty of glorious historical vicissitudes. Legend has it that the story of its foundation can be compared to San Marino's one, since the two saints Leo and Marino, who were both expert stonecutters, came to Romagna in the years of the Late Roman Empire. Unlike the nearby San Marino, San Leo played a fundamental role in the history of the surrounding area, since its fortress hosted the most illustrious personalities of the Italian Middle Ages. During the Ottonian Period, Berengario II appointed it capital of the Italian Kingdom, and in the first years of the thirteenth century even Saint Francis flocked here.

Today, San Leo has lost part of its political prestige, even if it retained its military power up to the Twentieth century. Its castle achieved international fame in the XVIII century, when it was used as a prison for Giuseppe Balsamo, Count of Cagliostro, a magician, alchemist and important Mason. Alexandre Dumas wrote two romances about Cagliostro, which were both partially set in San Leo.

San Leo's most representative monument is its fortress, whose impressive structure boasts breathtaking views over the underlying landscape. In the XV century, Frederick III from Montefeltro commissioned extensive restoration works, which were carried out by the genial military architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini, one of the main exponents of the Renaissance style from Florence. Apart from being a fortress, San Leo's castle is one of the most representative masterpieces of the Italian architecture.

The heart of San Leo's medieval village is occupied by two ancient churches: the pre-Romanesque Parish Church, which dates back to the IX century, and the XII-century Duomo, which was realized according to the architectural canons of the Lombard Romanesque style. The Parish church is San Leo's most ancient monument, as evidenced by the inscriptions found on the four sides of its tabernacle. Note that on the summer solstice, the Church is perfectly oriented toward the east-west

San Leo is situated about 30 kilometres far from Rimini. It can be reached through the SS 258 "Marecchiese" A-road, in the direction of Pietracuta. The street crosses outstanding natural landscapes and a glorious countryside, and boasts sweeping views over the surrounding area. Those travelling by car can reach the medieval village, cross an ancient bridge and then drive along San Leo's only street, which is cut into the rock and boasts breathtaking views over the underlying landscape.