Photo: Commonists · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Seconda Torre – Museo delle Armi Antiche

La Cesta, on the highest point of Monte Titano, has housed the Museum of Ancient Weapons since 1956, with around 700 pieces from the 13th to the 19th century.

Opening hoursAdmission €11

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About the museum

The Seconda Torre, also called the Cesta or Castello della Cesta, stands at 755 metres above sea level on the highest peak of Monte Titano. It forms the middle section of the panoramic path that runs along the mountain’s ridge, linking the three ancient towers of San Marino, and can be reached from the Prima Torre via the so-called Passo delle Streghe. The name recalls its function as a watchtower already in Roman times; under its present name the fortress is mentioned in a document of 1253.

In 1320 the Cesta was given a tall outer wall and linked to the city’s second line of fortifications, a role it kept until the end of the 16th century. The keep, with its pentagonal base, retains the typical look of medieval towers, with machicolations and arrow loops; the entrance portal dates from the 16th century and was rebuilt in 1596, as shown by the date carved beside the Republic’s coat of arms. Fallen into disuse in the 17th century, the fortress underwent a radical restoration in 1924–25.

Since 1956 the tower has housed the Museum of Ancient Weapons, which presents in four rooms part of the collection acquired by the State between 1956 and 1972: around 700 pieces from the 13th to the 19th century, from pole weapons (war axes, halberds) and armour to matchlock, wheellock and flintlock firearms and the breech-loading weapons of the late 19th century.

Highlights

13th-century fortress at 755 metres on the summit of Monte Titano
Museum of Ancient Weapons with around 700 pieces in four rooms
Pole weapons from the 15th to 17th centuries, from war axes to parade halberds
Italian, English and German armour (1490–1630), including a rare child’s breastplate from around 1540
Panoramic path linking the three towers of San Marino

Permanent exhibition

Museo delle Armi Antiche – Four rooms with around 700 pieces from the 13th to the 19th century: pole weapons, armour, matchlock, wheellock and flintlock firearms, through to breech-loading weapons of the late 19th century.

Founded: 1956
Operated by: Repubblica di San Marino – Istituti Culturali (Musei di Stato)

Admission & discounts

Adults	€11
Reduced	€8Groups of more than 25 people, over-65s, university students with student card
Children & teens	freefree up to age 18 · Free admission for children and young people up to the age of 18.
Seniors	€8Pass Ridotto ticket for over-65s.
Visitors with disabilities	freecompanion free · Free admission for visitors with disabilities who are not self-sufficient, and for one companion.
Students & apprentices	€8Pass Ridotto ticket for university students with student card.
Groups (26+ people)	€8 per personPass Ridotto ticket for groups of more than 25 people, per person.
Biglietto Unico Ultima Fascia	€5Sold only in person at the museum ticket desks shortly before closing; valid until the end of the day.

Free admission: 5 February, 7 July, 3 September, 27 September and European Heritage Day (according to the annual calendar)

The Pass Intero (full price, €11) and Pass Ridotto (reduced, €8) tickets are valid for all Musei di Stato (State Museums): Prima Torre, Seconda Torre, Palazzo Pubblico (when open to visitors), Museo di Stato, Museo Pinacoteca San Francesco, Galleria Nazionale and Museo del Francobollo e della Moneta. Admission is also free for school groups, teachers with a certificate form, ICOM members and journalists with a press card.