THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



149 



wome'n. Needless to say, there is no 

 woman's suffrage movement in San 

 Marino. 



From the same sixty councillors an- 

 other nine are chosen for the Economic 

 Committee. There is also a Secretary of 

 Foreign Affairs and a Secretary of Home 

 Affairs. 



Justice is administered by three foreign 

 judges, changeable every three years. 

 San Marino's love of justice is reflected 

 in this judiciary system, for the employ- 

 ment of foreign judges, a custom from 

 early times, precludes prejudices and fa- 

 voritism, which might arise in a commu- 

 nity where nearly every one is related 

 either by blood or interests. As for the 

 jury system, San Marino regards its 

 dangers as too obvious. 



Geographically speaking, there is noth- 

 ing on the level about San Marino. Life 

 is one continuation of ups and downs. 

 The daily excitement of meeting the auto 

 which plies — in summer twice a day, in 

 winter once — between Rimini and the 

 Republic would be breathless if the in- 

 habitants were not accustomed to climb- 

 ing. Life is as peaceful as Saint Marino 

 could have wished. It is possible to walk 

 up and down the steep, winding streets, 

 flanked by their quaint old stone houses, 

 without meeting a stray pedestrian. That, 

 of course, is during ordinary hours, for 

 all San Marino turns out for the arrival 

 of the auto. Housewives who have given 

 commissions to buy supplies in Rimini 

 are always in evidence. Then, too, the 

 post arrives and the whole population 

 seems to congregate in the Piazza della 

 Liberta for its distribution. 



CITIZENS FOLLOW THE OCCUPATION OF 

 MARINO 



The quiet of San Marino is proverbial. 

 From the slopes beneath the ancient for- 

 tress the sound of the stone-cutters at 

 work in the quarries recalls the story of 

 the Republic's founder even into the 

 heart of the capital. The Sammarinesi 

 of today follow assiduously their found- 

 er's occupation, which is their principal 

 industry. Stone is carted to Rimini, 

 Forli, and all the neighboring towns and 

 countrysides. 



In this tranquillity there is small need 

 )f a police force, and even the militia of 

 he fortress, now used as a prison, was 



recently .disbanded. The public force, 

 with the exception of several carabinieri, 

 whose duty seems to be to make pictur- 

 esque details in the narrow streets, con- 

 sists of the gendarmes and the Noble 

 Guard, now called Guard of the Coun- 

 cil. It is their duty to act as escort of 

 honor for the captains regents on days 

 of civil and religious solemnity, and espe- 

 cially to guard regents and councillors 

 when in public session. The brigadier of 

 gendarmes, or carabinieri, during these 

 war days examines passports and decides 

 whether strangers may remain in the Re- 

 public. 



As for the national defense, every citi- 

 zen between 18 and 60 years of age is 

 enrolled for military service in case of 

 the country's need. There is no conscrip- 

 tion, the Sammarinesi of all centuries 

 recognizing their obligations of defense 

 as a matter of course. 



SAN MARINO'S GREAT EE A ST DAYS 



On its great days, October 1, April I, 

 and September 3, how San Marino 

 changes from its accustomed calm! To 

 the outside visitor, who escapes from the 

 direct impressions and thoughts of war 

 into this little community, the festal days 

 seem like a moving picture of the middle 

 ages. The truly medieval ceremonies on 

 the evenings of September 15 and March 

 15, and the winter fcsta of February 5, 

 the fete of St. Agatha — the last named 

 dear to every Sammarinese heart as the 

 anniversary of the final liberation from 

 the Alberoni occupancy — are of only 

 slightly less importance. 



On the 15th of September and the 15th 

 of March, at the hour of Ave Maria, the 

 bells of the government palace and the 

 fortress announce the hour of electing the 

 new regents. San Marino flocks to the 

 Piazza della Liberta. Within, the Coun- 

 cil is in session, the regents having been 

 escorted from their homes in picturesque 

 cortege to the palace. 



The ceremony of choosing the new re- 

 gents is an ancient one. First of all, by 

 extracting names, 12 nominators are 

 chosen. Each of these must name a 

 candidate, one in whom he has full faith 

 and also one who has not for three years 

 held that office. The 12 names are then 

 voted upon by the white and black ball 



