A Nineteenth‑Century Donation and Its Place in the Museum’s Early Collections
A small yet significant group of Cypriot antiquities is today preserved in the State Museum of the Republic of San Marino. According to the institution, the Cypriot artefacts entered the museum in the 19th century as part of an early donation, forming one of the foundational collections of the State Museum.

San Marino—one of Europe’s smallest and oldest republics—is a fascinating microstate entirely surrounded by Italy, renowned for its continuous independence since antiquity. Its State Museum, housed in the Palazzo Pergami Belluzzi, plays a central role in narrating the cultural history of the republic and its long-standing connections with the wider Mediterranean world.

The Position of the Collection Within the Museum
The Cypriot antiquities are displayed on the First Floor Underground, within the section titled Archaeological Donations and Numismatics. This broader collection includes Egyptian objects, some funerary statuettes or Ushabti, bronze statuettes representing the divinities, amulets and a rare collection of 23 Phials of St. Mena, which come from various donations, a collection of Greek, Etruscan and Italiote vases, mainly coming from Southern Italy, as well as some Roman votive ornamental objects and ceramics (jars, vases, glass objects, oil lamps, necklaces, fibula, etc.).

The Cypriot antiquities at the State Museum include different types of pottery vessels such as amphorae, jugs, juglets and bowls of different ceramic wares. Among the most characteristic are the Bichrome and White-Painted ware amphorae and Plain ware jugs. Decorative motifs of amphorae include the signature Cypriot motifs; horizontal bands, lozenges filled with lattice chequer patterns and concentric circles.

Small artifacts such as lamps, juglets and terracota figurines are also part of the collection. The antiquities reflect the island’s long and rich archaeological history. 

Sources and bibliography:
–https://www.museidistato.sm/museoStato.html
– https://www.visitsanmarino.com/pub2/VisitSM/en/luogo/Arte-e-cultura/Museo-di-Stato.html

Images:
– Cyprus Archaeology Gazette Archive, August 2025