Gerardo Giovagnoli and William Casali have been sworn in as San Marino’s Captains Regent, taking over the microstate’s joint head-of-state office for the six months ending April 1, 2027. Both men are serving in the supreme magistracy for the first time.
The inauguration followed San Marino’s established ceremonial sequence. Proceedings began with the national flag being raised in Piazza della Libertà to the national anthem. A military procession then moved to Palazzo Valloni, where the incoming Captains Regent received representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps accredited to the republic.
Apostolic Nuncio Edgar Peña Parra delivered a greeting that emphasized peace, dialogue, human dignity and solidarity. Giovagnoli and Casali used their inaugural address to set out priorities for the coming semester, including San Marino’s relationship with Europe, multilateral cooperation, institutional responsibility, innovation and the role of younger generations. Their remarks framed change as something the country must manage without surrendering its distinct identity.
The procession continued through the historic centre to Palazzo Pubblico, where the incoming leaders met the outgoing Captains Regent, Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva. Both pairs then travelled to the Basilica del Santo for a solemn Mass celebrated by Domenico Beneventi, bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro.
Back at Palazzo Pubblico, Andorran Foreign Minister Imma Tor Faus delivered the official address. Introduced by San Marino’s Foreign Secretary Luca Beccari, she discussed the similarities between the two small European states, their support for international law and multilateralism, and their shared paths toward association agreements with the European Union. Her presence also highlighted the longstanding diplomatic relationship between San Marino and Andorra.
The constitutional handover culminated in the reading of the Latin oath by Internal Affairs Secretary Andrea Belluzzi. The transfer of the collar of Grand Master of the Order of San Marino symbolized the formal passage of authority. The national anthem concluded the ceremonies and the new regents began their term.
San Marino’s system deliberately divides the head-of-state role between two officeholders and renews it every six months. The frequent rotation and paired leadership are central features of the republic’s institutional structure. In this term, the inaugural programme placed particular attention on European engagement at a time when San Marino and other small states are defining their formal relationships with the European Union.
Giovagnoli and Casali now carry the representative and constitutional responsibilities of the regency until next spring. Their stated agenda joins immediate institutional duties with longer-running questions about integration, innovation and how a small republic exercises influence through diplomacy and multilateral forums.
