Mount San Paolo and its Garibaldi Memorial: The History

Who, passing over the summit of Mount San Paolo—whether on foot, by MTB, or by car—has not noticed the Garibaldi Memorial? At first glance, it may seem like any other marker, but this spot holds a far greater significance than one might imagine.

It is July 1849, and the Garibaldi column is in the Montefeltro region during the final bloody clashes of the First War of Independence against the Austrians. But let us take a step back.

The Race Toward Venice and the Battle Against the Austrians

Having left Rome at 8:00 PM on July 2, 1849, Garibaldi—with approximately 3,983 men and 819 horses—managed to evade the pursuit of the Austrians for an entire month. Commanded by Marshal Radetzky, the Austrian forces had orders to kill him and his men on sight. His goal was to reach Venice, which was still resisting the Austrians. However, as the days passed and battles took their toll, his regiment progressively lost men.

Garibaldi and Mount San Paolo: The Gateway to San Marino

It was specifically in the Montefeltro region that the enemy front became even bloodier, with dramatic outcomes (including the immediate execution of prisoners) in the areas of Sant’Angelo in Vado, Pian di Petra, and Piandiprete. Yet, on Mount San Paolo (known as Mount Tassona at the time), a turning point occurred that saved many lives.

"...After midnight, precisely at one o'clock, under the light of a splendid moon, passing first over meadows and then along a carriage road, at dawn they found themselves on the eastern slope of Mount Tassona. And there, 'the ethereal vision of San Marino' appeared before them!"

This is how some of Garibaldi’s soldiers described the location in their memoirs. San Marino, being a free state, played a fundamental role in the struggle against the Austrians. Indeed, the Sammarinesi orchestrated a pact between the Garibaldians and the Austrian army to allow the few remaining men to reach Venice without being killed on sight. The agreement required them to lay down their arms and disband the legion. At the time, Mount Tassona (Mount San Paolo) was not the open-spaced mountain we see today; it was home to a farming village, of which some ruins can still be seen...

In the area adjacent to the current Memorial, right next to the village, Garibaldi disbanded the legion to secure safe passage first toward San Marino and then toward Venice for himself and his men. The story continued far beyond Mount San Paolo and Monte Grimano Terme, which today are no longer lands of bloody battles, but rather places to regenerate body and mind in close contact with nature.