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All San Marino San Marino Cistern of the Convent of San Francesco
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Cistern of the Convent of San Francesco

A historic cavernous cistern lies hidden behind a wall at San Marino’s stamp and coin museum.

San Marino, San Marino

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Fred Cherrygarden
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The hidden cistern.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Take a glimpse of the cistern from the museum.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
The museum with a window overlooking the cistern.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
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About

At the time of its establishment in 301, the Republic of San Marino had only one public cistern, located near the First Tower. To accommodate the ever-increasing population, new cisterns were later built or dug directly into the rock, forming a network of water supply systems hidden inside Mount Titano. By the 18th century, there were 61 water wells and 34 cisterns, in addition to natural springs and wash houses.

Among the private cisterns was that of the Convent of San Francesco, part of which is now exhibited at the Stamp and Coin Museum behind a glass window, serving as a pleasant surprise that can easily be missed among all the unique Sammarinese stamp displays.

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Underground Wells Rocks Water

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The Stamp and Coin Museum (Museo del Francobollo e della Moneta) is located at the end of Via Donna Felicissima, in a neighborhood where many of San Marino’s museums can be found. It’s open from 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., with entry costing from €4 to €9. The window overlooking the cistern is in the philatelic gallery on the second floor.

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Fred Cherrygarden

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July 15, 2024

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Cistern of the Convent of San Francesco
5 Piazzetta Giuseppe Garibaldi
San Marino, 47890
San Marino
43.935443, 12.447206
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