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SPEECH BY THEIR EXCELLENCIES THE
CAPTAINS REGENT ON THE OCCASION OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE
VOLUME ON THE HISTORY OF THE GUARD OF THE GREAT AND GENERAL
COUNCIL
The Captains Regent are pleased to welcome
today the Senior Officers of the Guard of the Great and
General Council, together with those of the High Command of
the Militia, and express great satisfaction at the
publication of the volume on the history, institution and
development of this corps.
This audience, which the Captains Regent have favoured at
the conclusion of the work, offers us the opportunity to
thank you personally and through you all the Guards of the
Council who, in over 260 years, have served the Captains
Regent and the members of the Great and General Council and
performed their representation and security functions with
prestige and dignity.
The attachment of volunteer citizens to the most
representative institutions and traditions of our history
and culture is greatly appreciated by the Captains Regent
and we believe that the great affection felt by all San
Marino people for this corps, once called “Noble Guard”, is
self-evident.
The vitality of this Corps over the years is testified to by
its ability to transmit a sense of belonging to the State
and an attachment to the institutions and the symbols of
sovereignty so strong as to attract new young volunteers.
We have encouraged this audience because we believe that
your work is praiseworthy and today we have also had the
opportunity to appreciate the high quality of this
publication, which has already stirred the interest and
curiosity and gained the recognition of those who have read
it.
In order to understand the meaning and value of an elite
Corps, specifically responsible for the protection of the
Great and General Council, one must be acquainted with the
historical context in which it was established.
It is well-known that Cardinal Alberoni’s attempt to occupy
the Republic was the immediate cause of the creation of an
armed corps for the defence of the members of the Great and
General Council. At that time, this body was responsible for
ensuring, also physically, to the members of the Council the
freedom necessary to make ordinary and extraordinary
decisions.
The architrave of one of the entrance doors to the Council’s
Hall bears the words “Animus in consulendo liber”. This
concept is not a rhetoric ornament of the policy culture in
the late 1800s when the Government Building was erected.
Indeed, the inscription refers to the community ideals, at
the origin of our Republic.
The Guard of the Great and General Council, established in
the circumstances exhaustively and simply illustrated in the
publication, has been able to maintain its original spirit
in the various and conflicting vicissitudes of its history.
The rich iconographic documentation, besides demonstrating
the patient and accurate archival research, emphasizes the
relationship between this body, the political institutions
and the citizens. Still today, in an ideal visual
representation of the institutional events, marked by our
most important dates, the Guard of the Great and General
Council, commonly referred to as the “Noble Guard” by the
population, is the military corps expressing more than any
other the sovereignty of the Republic.
This visibility is testified to by the often scrupulous
attention paid to the evolution of uniforms reflecting a
higher sense of dignity and order, also as a result of the
opening of the Republic to the outside world. Also a
volunteer military corps contributed and still contributes
to transmitting those values on which our State is based.
The Captains Regent wish to reiterate their sincere
appreciation for this publication, prompted by the
conviction that its circulation within San Marino community
will not only be useful to learn the Republic’s history but
also to encourage new generations to enter volunteer
military corps. At the same time, this publication will
reinforce a sense of identity and belonging today more than
ever necessary to strengthen the very structure of our
country.
(San Marino, 21 January 2004) |
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