Patron saint festival In 290 days
Saint Leo and Saint Francis's stay
📅 Every year, on 1 August
San Leo celebrates Saint Leo on 1 August. The town holds the memory of a stay by Saint Francis of Assisi in May 1213.
The rock was called Mons Feretri, and from that name comes Montefeltro. Between the ninth and the tenth century the town took instead the name of the hermit Leo, a Dalmatian companion of san Marino, and left the old name to the whole region: San Leo is its historical capital. The «feretro» would be the shape of the crag, high at one end and low at the other like an old funeral bier.
Between 961 and 963 Otto I besieged up here Berengario II, king of Italy. In the convent of sant'Igne a piece is kept of the elm under which saint Francis preached, and the saint with the elm are on the arms of the comune. In the fortress, much later, Cagliostro was a prisoner.
🎉 Festivals and feasts in San Leo 1
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Straight-line distances from the town centre. Tap a point to open its page.
Near San Leo
The closest destinations covered by our editors, with straight-line distance.
Places to see within 25 km
Outside San Leo, but an easy day trip away.
Royal Palace of Caserta 📍 Caserta · 21 km The Bourbon palace: 1,200 rooms, 1,742 windows and three kilometres of fountains uphill. Ponte Leproso 📍 Benevento · 17 km Roman bridge over the Sabato where the Via Appia entered Benevento, rebuilt in 1712; UNESCO site. Basilica del Corpus Domini 📍 Maddaloni · 17 km Maddaloni's main church, with a high altar designed by Luigi Vanvitelli and panels by Pompeo Landolfo. basilica della Madonna delle Grazie 📍 Benevento · 17 km Neoclassical Greek-cross basilica to the patron Madonna of Benevento, with a Franciscan convent. teatro romano di Benevento 📍 Benevento · 17 km Roman theatre inaugurated under Hadrian between 125 and 128, with a 98-metre cavea; still used for shows. duomo di Benevento 📍 Benevento · 17 km Cathedral rebuilt after its destruction in 1943, keeping the Romanesque façade, bell tower and ancient crypt.