Order of Knights of San Marino
The Order of Knights of San Marino, also known as the Order of Saint Marinus , was created on March 15, 1860 by the Great Council of the Republic of San Marino in two departments - as Civil Merit and Military Merit Order - in memory of the founder of the republic, Saint Marinus of Rimini , donated.
It serves as an award for services to the state, art, science and "charity" as well as for military services. The order is conferred by the Grand Council and the two heads of state , the Capitani Reggenti , are grand masters of the order.
Order classes
The order has five classes and the statutes of September 27, 1868 limits the number of bearers of the individual classes as follows
-
Grand Cross on 50 carriers -
Grand officer on 100 carriers -
Commander on 200 carriers -
Officer on 400 carriers -
Knight on 2000 carriers
The order was later expanded to include a medal of merit in three levels (gold, silver and bronze).
Order decoration
A white enameled gold-rimmed cross, rounded on the outside of the cross arms and the tips set with small golden balls. There is a golden tower in each of the cross corners. A closed golden crown hangs over the medal; above the ring to which the ribbon is attached. The obverse of the medallion shows the coat of arms of the republic (three silver towers on a blue background). All around the Civil Merit Cross in gold letters MERITO CIVILE , the Military Merit Cross MERITO MILITARE . The image of Saint Maurinus can be seen in the reverse and S. MARINO PROTECTOR in a blue ring around it . The size of the decoration is determined depending on the order class.
With the introduction of the 2nd model of the order, both departments were combined and the obverse is inscribed with MERITO CIVILE E MILITARE .
Ribbon and way of wearing
The ribbon is striped four times in blue and three times in white and the grand cross is carried with the sash from the right shoulder to the left hip. Grand officers and commanders wear the medal as neck medals and knights either on the left breast or in the buttonhole. The officers have a rosette on the ribbon.
The Grand Cross and Grand Officer also wear an eight-pointed star, although the design of the latter is somewhat smaller. The star of the order has four golden, brilliant bundles of rays in the corners and four silver bundles of the same kind. The latter are also equipped with small silver balls. A white cross is placed on the star and is wrapped in an olive and oak branch. The blue enameled medallion shows the motto of the order relinquo VOS LIBEROS AB utroque HOMINE .
Other medals
In San Marino, in addition to the order of St. Marinus described here, only a second order, the Order of St. Agatha, is awarded.
literature
- Gustav Adolph Ackermann: Order book of all in Europe flourishing and extinct orders and decorations. Annaberg 1855.
- Maximilian Gritzner : Handbook of the knight and merit orders of all civilized states in the world. Leipzig 1893.
- Arnhard Graf Klenau: European Order from 1700. Klenau, Fridingen 1978, ISBN 3-921566-05-3 .