Editing History of San Marino (section)

===Napoleonic Wars===
After [[Napoleon]]'s [[Italian campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars|campaign of Italy]], San Marino found itself on the border between the [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Kingdom of Italy]] and long-time ally the [[Papal States]]. On 5 February 1797, when, with the arrival of a letter from General [[Louis Alexandre Berthier]] addressed to the Regents, it was required to arrest and consign the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Rimini|Bishop of Rimini]], Vincenzo Ferretti, accused of instigating crimes against the French Empire, who fled with all his possessions to San Marino and refusal would result in the immediate intervention of French troops.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

The Government of San Marino replied that it would do everything possible to fulfill the request, even though, in reality, the bishop was able to flee across the border.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

A solution was found by one of the Regents, [[Antonio Onofri]], who inspired in Napoleon a friendship and respect toward the sovereign state. Napoleon was won to the commonality in cause with the ideals of liberty and humanity extolled in San Marino's humble founding and wrote in recognition of its cultural value in a letter to [[Gaspard Monge]], scientist and [[Commission des Sciences et des Arts|commissary of the French Government for the Sciences and the Arts]] who was at the time stationed in Italy;<ref>Alain Queruel, Les francs-maçons de l'Expédition d'Egypte, Editions du Cosmogone, 2012.</ref> further promising to guarantee and protect the independence of the Republic even so far as offering to extend its territory according to its needs. While grateful for the former, the offer of territorial expansion was politely declined by San Marino.<ref>Nevio and Annio Maria Matteimi ''The Republic of San Marino: Historical and Artistic Guide to the City and the Castles'', 2011, p. 27.</ref>

Napoleon issued orders that exempted San Marino's citizens from any type of taxation and gave them 1,000&nbsp;[[quintal]]s (over 2,200&nbsp;lb or 1,000&nbsp;kg) of wheat as well as four cannons; although for unknown reasons, the cannons were ultimately never brought into San Marino.<ref>{{cite web|title = From XVI to XIX century, Napoleon in San Marino|website = sanmarinosite.com|url = http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/napoleone.html|date = 25 November 2014|access-date = 11 May 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090518123316/http://www.sanmarinosite.com/eng/napoleone.html|archive-date = 18 May 2009|url-status = dead}}</ref>

Napoleon's treatment of San Marino may be better understood in light of the ongoing [[French Revolution]] (1789–1799) where France was undergoing drastic political reform. Being a surviving example of republican institution, not only under threat of Papal interference but also not hostile to the French Republic (as Venice Genoea, or Switzerland) may have gained enough sympathy to secure independence. The state was recognized by Napoleon by the [[Treaty of Tolentino]], in 1797.
Onofri will keep negotiating favourable terms with the Northern Italian "Sister Republics" and later [[Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)|Kingdom of Italy]].