On Thursday, 1 October, San Marino’s historic centre will once again come alive for the ceremony that has marked the rhythm of the Republic for centuries: the investiture of the new Captains Regent. Gerardo Giovagnoli and William Casali will take the oath of office and receive the insignia of power for the six-month term running from 1 October 2026 to 1 April 2027, taking over from Alice Mina and Vladimiro Selva.
For both men, this marks their first time holding the Supreme Magistracy. Giovagnoli, born in San Marino on 31 May 1976, is an electronic engineer and a member of the Party of Socialists and Democrats (Partito dei Socialisti e dei Democratici), of which he has served as political secretary. A member of the Grand and General Council (Consiglio Grande e Generale), he has built much of his career in the field of international relations, rising to the vice-presidency of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and leading the Sammarinese delegation to that same Assembly. Casali, born in San Marino on 15 November 1976, is a businessman with a background in accounting. He has been a member of the Sammarinese Christian Democratic Party (Partito Democratico Cristiano Sammarinese) since 2007 and has sat on its executive board since 2017. A Council member since 2019, he serves on the Finance and Budget Committee, is part of the parliamentary delegation to the OSCE, and has focused primarily on technological innovation and digital transformation.
The Official Oration will be delivered by Imma Tor Faus, Andorra’s Minister of Foreign Affairs — a choice that carries weight beyond mere ceremony. Andorra and San Marino have for years shared the negotiating table on the Association Agreement with the European Union, which is due to be signed on 19 October in Brussels. The six-month term beginning Thursday will therefore be the one in which the Republic puts in writing the most significant step in its recent history of relations with Europe — and it will be opened by the voice of the only other country to have walked the same path.
The ceremonial, whose outline dates back to the Statutes of the seventeenth century, remains unchanged. In the morning, the Military Corps line up in Piazza della Libertà for the flag-raising, then again in front of Palazzo Valloni in Contrada Omerelli. From there, the procession of the newly elected Captains Regent moves toward Palazzo Pubblico, where, in the Hall of the Council of Twelve, they pay homage to the outgoing Regents. The procession then continues to the Basilica of San Marino for the religious rite, with the Chaplain and the Massari awaiting them on the church square. The return to Palazzo Pubblico marks the heart of the ceremony: the Official Oration, the oath, the investiture, and the National Anthem performed by the Military Band. The day concludes with the procession back to Palazzo Valloni and the lowering of the flag in Piazza della Libertà.
The ceremony can be watched from the surrounding streets and small squares of the historic centre, and it is one of the elements that in 2008 helped secure San Marino’s place on UNESCO’s World Heritage list. The earliest known document mentioning two Captains Regent — then called Consules — dates back to 12 December, either 1243 or 1244; the condition of the parchment makes it impossible to determine the exact year.
