The Oldest Republic – Episode 9

A small republic on a mountain. Poor soil, hard work, little hope for the future.

In this episode of The Oldest Republic, we explore one of the most important and emotional chapters in San Marino’s modern history: emigration. Between the nineteenth century and the middle of the twentieth century, thousands of Sammarinese left their homeland in search of work, stability and dignity.

At first, migration was seasonal. Workers travelled on foot from the mountain to the plains of Romagna, the Marche or Lazio, looking for temporary jobs as labourers and peasants. But as poverty persisted and new routes opened through railways and steamships, migration became global.

From Argentina and Brazil to France, Belgium and the United States, entire communities of Sammarinese emigrants formed abroad. Some became miners, construction workers and factory labourers; others opened restaurants, workshops and small businesses, building new lives far from Mount Titano.

The episode follows this long journey across borders and oceans, exploring not only the economic causes behind emigration, but also the emotional dimension of departure: the letters sent home, the families divided for years, the uncertainty of travel and the dream of returning one day.

We also explore the impact of Fascism, restrictive immigration laws and post-war migration agreements, as well as the gradual reversal that transformed San Marino, from a land of departure into a country attracting workers from abroad.

At the heart of this story lies a profound contradiction: in order to survive, many Sammarinese had to leave their Republic behind — while continuing to carry it with them everywhere they went.

A small state whose history travelled far beyond its borders.

#SanMarino #History #TheOldestRepublic #Emigration

Welcome to the history of the oldest republic in the world.

Subscribe to our channels to follow the full series:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@storiainflanella/featured
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This podcast is sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs of San Marino, with the support of the San Marino Centre for Historical Studies (University of San Marino).

The texts are based on L. Gorgolini, S. Pivato (eds.), History of San Marino, 2026. This episode is based on chapter 9: P. di Luca, Emigration Between the 19th and 20th Centuries.

Author: Giuseppe Giardi
Hosts: Carlotta Serra Ciotti and Federica Ghirotti
Video: Luca Zucchi

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:01 The Horizon of Departure
04:12 Emigration: from “mount to plain”
06:47 Across the Ocean and across the Border
09:55 Latest Journeys and Returns
11:23 The Legacy of an Exodus

The Oldest Republic – Episode 8

1950s. Around the world, women are gaining political rights. In nearby Italy, women have already voted for the first time. In San Marino, however, change arrives slowly.

In this episode of The Oldest Republic, we explore the long and difficult struggle for women’s suffrage in the Republic of San Marino — a story shaped by political tensions, social conservatism and determined activism.

The episode follows the gradual path that led Sammarinese women from exclusion to participation: from the first campaigns for the right to vote, to the creation of women’s committees and popular petitions, all the way to the historic reforms of the 1970s.

But this story is also full of contradictions. During the years of the social-communist government, it was often the left-wing parties that resisted women’s suffrage, fearing the influence of the Church on female voters. At the same time, many Christian Democratic women became leading voices in the fight for political rights.

From the debates surrounding legal equality and citizenship to the disappointment of delayed reforms, the Republic slowly opened its institutions to women. The right to vote arrived in 1959, but women had to wait until 1973 to gain the right to stand for election.

The episode also traces the emergence of the first female political leaders, from Myriam Michelotti, Clara Boscaglia and Fausta Morganti to Maria Lea Pedini, the first woman Captain Regent in San Marino’s history.

Behind these milestones lies a broader transformation: the gradual change of Sammarinese society itself, as education, work and public life increasingly reshaped the role of women within the Republic.

A small state confronting one of the great civil rights struggles of the twentieth century.

#SanMarino #History #TheOldestRepublic #Women #CivilRights

Welcome to the history of the oldest republic in the world.

Subscribe to our channels to follow the full series:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@storiainflanella/featured
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4zuAthwqVO4rRJffD6yzkr?si=3fff127dd1a3495f

This podcast is sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs of San Marino, with the support of the San Marino Centre for Historical Studies (University of San Marino).

The texts are based on L. Gorgolini, S. Pivato (eds.), History of San Marino, 2026. This episode is based on chapter 8: V. Rossi, Sammarinese Women and The Attainment of Women's Suffrage.

Author: Giuseppe Giardi
Hosts: Carlotta Serra Ciotti and Federica Ghirotti
Video: Luca Zucchi

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:00 The Historical Context
03:10 The Struggle for the Right to Vote
09:18 A Greater Participation
13:56 The First Woman to become Captain Regent

Dopo la tempesta dei Gracchi, a Roma sembra tornare la calma.
Le assemblee si riuniscono, i magistrati vengono eletti, la Repubblica ritrova una superficie di normalità. Ma sotto le ceneri, il fuoco continua a bruciare.

In questo finale di stagione raccontiamo la figura di Quinto Cecilio Metello, protagonista di una fase di restaurazione politica in cui la nobiltà senatoria sembra riprendere il controllo della Repubblica.

Tra la guerra in Numidia, la frattura con Gaio Mario e il tentativo di riaffermare il prestigio dell’élite tradizionale, la sua vicenda mostra una Roma solo apparentemente stabilizzata.

È il trionfo della nobiltà, ma solo per un momento.
Perché la crisi della Repubblica non è finita: sta solo cambiando forma.

Grazie di cuore per aver seguito questa stagione. Torneremo presto con la terza, per continuare a raccontare la storia della Repubblica romana, passo dopo passo.

I testi sono tratti dal libro "Roma Repubblicana: una storia in 40 vite" di Federico Santangelo, edito da Carocci editore nel 2019 👉 https://amzn.eu/d/244ueFU

Autori del podcast: Federico Santangelo e Giuseppe Giardi.
Video e grafiche: Luca Zucchi.

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Capitoli
00:00 Una Restaurazione
02:54 I Metelli
05:30 Metello in Numidia
09:19 La Rottura
12:32 Numidico