Cava dei Balestrieri, the quarry where San Marino shoots crossbows

The Cava dei Balestrieri is one of those places in San Marino people walk past without knowing what it is. It looks like a sunken square between walls of rock, with a few sculptures on the rim, and it’s actually a quarry turned into a crossbow range. For me it’s the most genuine thing in the historic centre, because the tradition here isn’t staged for tourists; it’s practised.

A quarry for the Palazzo Pubblico

The Crossbowmen’s Federation tells the story plainly. The quarry was opened in the 19th century to extract the stone needed to restore the Palazzo Pubblico. The crossbowmen trained in various places until, in 1965, this quarry became their range, and on 3 September 1971, the Republic’s founding day, it was officially opened as the Cava dei Balestrieri. It was later fitted out for Italian great crossbow competitions, and in 1981 the Federation opened its own museum of costumes, trophies and equipment in the historic centre.

The crossbowmen, from 1339 to today

The crossbow has deep roots here. The oldest document the Federation cites dates from 7 February 1339 and required each Regency to buy, at public expense, a sturdy crossbow with 25 bolts. Another, of 3 September 1537, set the rules for the Palio shot with arquebus and crossbow. For centuries a corps of crossbowmen guarded the walls and also served as a town police force.

The modern Federation was founded in 1956, driven by Professor Giuseppe Rossi, to revive the old palio. Its first public outing was on 31 July 1956, marching up to the Cesta tower with nine squads of five shooters, one per castello, each in its flag’s colours. Flag-wavers joined in 1982, and in 1966 it co-founded the Italian Crossbowmen’s Federation with Gubbio, Sansepolcro and Massa Marittima.

What the shooting is like

They use the Italian great crossbow, a bench-mounted weapon so heavy it was useless for attack but ideal for defending a wall. According to the Federation, the bow delivers 500 to 600 kg of force and the bolt, the verretta, flies at 150 to 200 km/h. The target is set 36 metres away. To me, watching it live is the best way to understand why this weapon kept the city safe, far better than a display case.

When to go

The Federation has three fixed events, the Palio delle Balestre Grandi, the Medieval Days and the Torneo dei Castelli, where the five best shooters from each castello compete for a silver cup that can only be kept by winning three years running, which no one has done. In 2025 it took place on Saturday 31 May at 15:30. For 2026, the news on its website records a palio for the SUMS society’s 150th anniversary on 28 June, the Federation’s 70th anniversary evening on 26 July and the «Uniti nell’Amicizia» palio on 12 September, all at the Cava. The 2027 dates haven’t been announced, so check the Federation’s site before you book.

In winter the Cava changes role. The Natale delle Meraviglie puts an ice rink in it, which I cover in San Marino at Christmas. Since 2015 it has also been one of the approved venues for getting married in San Marino, with the green hollow as the backdrop for the photos.

What’s nearby

Wikipedia lists three 20th-century Italian sculptures by the Cava, Minguzzi’s «Pietà», Crocetti’s «Ballerina» and Emilio Greco’s «Pattinatrice», part of what San Marino calls its open-air museum. A few minutes away are the National Gallery, in the Logge dei Volontari, and the State Museum. With only a morning, I’d pass through the Cava on the way between the two.