Antonio Onofri

Who is Antonio Onofri?

Antonio Onofri was a Sammarinese statesman and diplomat who served as one of San Marino's two Captains Regent seven times between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, becoming the dominant political figure of his era. He is best remembered for his handling of Napoleon Bonaparte during the French Revolutionary Wars. In 1797, while camped near Pesaro during the Italian campaign, Napoleon sent his envoy Gaspard Monge to offer San Marino an enlargement of its small territory. Onofri, acting as Captain Regent, respectfully declined the offer on the Republic's behalf, accepting instead a gift of wheat, reasoning that lasting peace with one's neighbours mattered more than temporary territorial gain. This calculated restraint is widely credited with sparing the tiny republic from later reprisals after Napoleon's eventual downfall, when larger states that had expanded under his patronage lost their gains. In 1805, again serving as Captain Regent, Onofri travelled to Milan to attend Napoleon's coronation as King of Italy and was received in a cordial private audience. His long record of prudent, patient diplomacy in defense of San Marino's independence earned him the informal title 'Father of the Country' and a statue in the Republic's Public Council Hall, where he is still honored as the statesman who preserved San Marino's sovereignty through one of the most turbulent periods in modern European history.

Sources: Wikipedia, "Antonio Onofri" (accessed 2026) · sanmarinosite.com, "From the 16th to the 19th century: Napoleon in San Marino" · Wikipedia, "History of San Marino" (Napoleonic period overview)