Vita Sancti Marini
Facsimile of the Vita Sanctorum Marini et Leonis manuscript
Discover the facsimile of the Vita Sancti Marini, a prestigious reproduction of the medieval manuscript Vita Sanctorum Marini et Leonis, preserved at the National University Library of Turin with shelfmark Ms. F.III.16. This facsimile tells one of the most fascinating stories of medieval tradition: the story of Marino and Leone, two friends who arrived in Rimini in Roman times, destined to become saints and founding figures of the Republic of San Marino and the city of San Leo. A work of great historical, spiritual, and symbolic value, Vita Sancti Marini addresses universal themes such as friendship, migration, freedom, and faith. The connection to San Leo makes this manuscript even more evocative: it was here, many centuries later, that Count Cagliostro was imprisoned. The facsimile of the Vita Sancti Marini thus represents a unique opportunity for collectors, scholars, and medieval manuscript enthusiasts to rediscover a precious testimony to Italian culture and memory.- Limited edition designed for collectors
- Facsimile of a medieval manuscript registered in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register
- Testimony to the origins of the oldest Republic in the world
- Accompanied by critical commentary and certificate of authenticity
- A valuable work to be preserved and passed down over time
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899,00 €
- Description
Description
With your copy you receive:
- the complete facsimile of the manuscript
- the critical commentary
- an eco-friendly luxury box or, as an option, a plexiglass case
- the certificate of authenticity (colophon)
- Antiquus reserved access to dedicated digital content
- the certificate of the olive tree donated to Salento, a symbol of custody and continuity
Technical data
- Original manuscript: 10th–11th century AD
- Page size: 20 × 30 cm
- Volume dimensions: 21 × 31 × 3 cm
- Weight: about 1.1 kg
- Binding: wood and leather
- Number of pages: 18
- Publisher: Imago, Rimini
- Condition: new
- Warranty: 60 mounth
- Right of withdrawal: 30 days
Why buy
You own a rare and distinctive work
The facsimile of the Vita Sancti Marini is offered in a limited edition, designed for those who desire an authentic collector’s item and not just a simple book.
You come into contact with a historical testimony of high value
The manuscript reproduces a medieval source of extraordinary importance, linked to the spiritual and civil origins of the Community and later of the Republic of San Marino.
You are purchasing a facsimile of great cultural prestige
The original code is preserved at the National University Library of Turin and is recognized as a testimony of international importance to be included in the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.
You will receive an edition that is also carefully curated in terms of materials and presentation
The binding, slipcase, commentary, and certificate of authenticity make the work suitable for both conservation and display.
Make a purchase that combines collectibles, beauty and identity
This edition offers not only bibliographical value, but also a strong symbolic charge, ideal for those seeking a work to preserve and pass on.
A manuscript that tells of origins, community and memory
The Vita Sancti Marini, also known as the Vita Sanctorum Marini et Leonis, is one of the most fascinating texts for those wishing to explore a medieval manuscript of great historical, spiritual, and civic value. Codex F.III.16, preserved in its entirety in Turin, provides the oldest known account of the story of Marinus and Leon, figures linked to a narrative of travel, faith, and community building, who later became saints.
A collectible facsimile
This facsimile edition offers a faithful reproduction of a work dating from the late 10th to the early 11th century, created to offer the contemporary reader the material charm of the ancient manuscript along with a powerful cultural and aesthetic experience. The Antiquus page presents the volume in a limited edition of 1,000 copies, 200 of which are exclusive to Antiquus.
An internationally recognized work
The Vita Sanctorum Marini et Leonis manuscript was registered in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Programme in 2025. The UNESCO listing highlights its historical importance in the European context and the shared cultural value of Croatia, Italy, and the Republic of San Marino. This further enhances the work’s prestige for those seeking a rare, authoritative, and highly distinctive facsimile.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Vita Sancti Marini manuscript
Because the manuscript Ms. F.III.16 was inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2025. UNESCO describes it as the oldest known testimony on the lives of Marino and Leone and as a document of great European historical significance, linked to the founding of the Republic of San Marino and to values ​​such as inclusion, openness, and solidarity.
According to the UNESCO factsheet, Marinus and Leon are two stonemasons who arrived on the Italian Adriatic coast from the Croatian island of Rab; the Antiquus page presents them as the two friends who became saints at the center of the Vita Sanctorum Marini et Leonis.
Because the narrative proposed by Antiquus focuses on the bond between Saint Marinus and Saint Leo as an “unbreakable friendship” between two men who later became saints. This makes the facsimile not only a historical work, but also a symbolic tale of brotherhood and shared destiny.
The Antiquus product page also interprets the manuscript as the journey of a man leaving his homeland to build a new home elsewhere; UNESCO confirms that Marino and Leone arrived in the Italian Adriatic from the island of Rab, in present-day Croatia. Therefore, the facsimile can also be read as an ancient story of migration, crossing, and rebirth.
Antiquus presents the manuscript as a tale of the “origin of freedom” and the birth of a community founded on solidarity and freedom; UNESCO connects it to the pillars of the Republic of San Marino, emphasizing inclusion, openness, and solidarity as values ​​embodied by the saints in their idea of ​​community.
UNESCO explicitly states that the Vita recalls the founding of the Republic of San Marino; furthermore, SanMarino.it recalls the tradition that dates the founding of the state to September 3, 301 AD, linking it to the figure of San Marino. The facsimile therefore has a strong identity value for those seeking a work linked to the origins of the world’s oldest republic.
The official website of San Leo recalls that, at the end of the 3rd century, Leo and his companion Marinus arrived in Montefeltro from Dalmatia, and that Leo is traditionally credited with playing a key role in the religious and urban history of the area. For this reason, the city of San Leo represents the other major symbolic hub of the story narrated in the manuscript.
Because the manuscript connects two figures and two territories that tradition considers profoundly connected: on one side, the Republic of San Marino, on the other, the city of San Leo. Antiquus emphasizes this symbolic closeness, while the story of San Leo reaffirms the joint arrival of Leo and Marino in Montefeltro.
Because, according to UNESCO, the Vita Sanctorum Marini et Leonis represents an important step in intercultural dialogue and in building a shared legacy between Croatia, Italy, and the Republic of San Marino. Its relevance lies precisely in its connection with memory, identity, mobility between peoples, and community values.
Because it is not just a facsimile of a medieval manuscript, but a work that combines UNESCO recognition, the memory of the origins of the Republic of San Marino, a connection to the city of San Leo, and universal themes such as friendship, migration, openness, and freedom. In this way, the facsimile becomes a collector’s item, a cultural testimony, and a symbol of identity.
