San Marino: Tiny State, Big Baggage

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/san-marino-former-head-of-state-piero-berti-on-trial-a-956684.html



The trial of a former head of state has brought unwanted media attention on the often overlooked San Marino, the world's oldest Republic. The nation, which is already reeling from the financial crisis, is not amused.

San Marino: Tiny State, Big Baggage
By Walter Mayr
March 07, 2014 – 02:04 PM

San Marino, the world's oldest republic, celebrates its independence on February 5, a holiday called the Feast of Saint Agatha. On this day, even the occupants of the country's six prison cells -- located in a converted horse stable of a former Capuchin monastery at the top of a cliff -- are allowed to enjoy an expensive meal. This year, the holiday meal was delivered to the prison shortly before 1:30 pm. It consisted of risotto with parmesan, followed by roasted turkey with seasonal vegetables, and fruit for dessert. It was accompanied by wine.

At least one inmate, Piero Berti -- a former head of state of San Marino who has been incarcerated here for the past five weeks -- is accustomed to fine foods. He's enjoyed many meals with other dignitaries at Ritrovo dei Lavoratori (the name means "Workers' Meeting Place&quot , the upscale restaurant in San Marino's capital that supplied the prisoner's holiday meal. It was one of his favorite local restaurants before he landed in prison.

Berti, 46 years old and a doctor by profession, was arrested on January 21 under suspicion of having sexually harassed female patients. It's likely that he will contest the charges against him, but regardless of how the case is resolved it's already managed to land the Republic of San Marino -- a microstate tucked away in the countryside along Italy's Adriatic coast -- in the international spotlight against its will.

Italy's national television station broadcast live interviews from San Marino using the prison as a backdrop. Newspapers, including the Jornal do Brasil, followed. And as a result, approximately 32,500 Sammarinese -- proud inhabitants of the world's fifth-smallest country -- are once again seeing themselves labeled as exotic oddballs with strange customs.