Holy Year 2025 – Pilgrims of Hope

At centre, a depiction of Mary as Stella Maris, the Star of the Sea, leading the Christ Child by the hand, set against an anchor and a calm sea surface beneath a brightly shining star — an emblem of hope. To the left: the issuing state "SAN MARINO" and the "R" of the Rome mint; to the right: the commemorative inscription "IUBILAEUM" and the year "2025". The designer Gabriele Di Maulo's initials "DI MAVLO" complete the design along the lower edge.

The Holy Year, referred to in Church Latin as the "Annus Sanctus," traces back to a papal tradition established in 1300 by Boniface VIII with the first jubilee year. Originally proclaimed every hundred years, the interval was shortened over the centuries to twenty-five years; extraordinary Holy Years can also be called for special occasions. The 2025 jubilee is held under the guiding theme "Pilgrims of Hope" and was proclaimed by Pope Francis. At its center is the invitation to pilgrimage to Rome, where the four papal basilicas serve as the main churches of Christendom and central destinations. For believers, the jubilee year has traditionally been linked to indulgence — a canonical practice rooted in early medieval penitential discipline that became, during the Reformation era, one of the sharpest points of conflict between Rome and the Protestant movements.

San Marino, the oldest surviving microstate in the world and, by its own claim, the oldest republic, maintains close historical and geographic ties to the Holy See. The 61-square-kilometer republic lies entirely within the Apennines, surrounded by Italian territory, and cultivates a living connection to Catholic tradition. San Marino is not a member of the European Union but has concluded a monetary agreement with the EU, allowing it to mint euro coins with its own national designs. For the 2025 Holy Year, San Marino draws on the depiction of the "Stella Maris" — Mary as Star of the Sea, one of the oldest Marian titles — a symbol firmly anchored in the Christian visual canon since the early Middle Ages.