The Column of Hospitality, also known as the Column of Rings, is the most eloquent symbol of the ancient custom of hospitality in Bertinoro, a tradition that has made the village famous over the centuries.

The earliest evidence of its existence, dates back to the fourteenth canto of the Purgatorio in the Divine Comedy, where Dante meets the judge Guido del Duca, a historical figure closely connected to the city. Guido del Duca served as a judge in Bertinoro between 1202 and 1218 and, together with his friend Arrigo Mainardi, conceived the construction of the column to put an end to the constant disputes among the noble families of the time over the hosting of travelers. The solution was as simple as it was revolutionary: each noble family set its own ring into the column—twelve in total—to which travelers could tie their horses. Through this symbolic gesture, the traveler thus became the guest of one of the twelve families, welcomed in a spirit of shared responsibility and mutual respect.

The column was removed during renovations of the square and later repositioned on September 5, 1926, resting on a base made of San Marino stone: a tribute from the Republic of San Marino—an ancient land of Liberty—to Bertinoro, recognized as the town of Hospitality. Since then, every first Sunday of September, the city renews the Rite of Hospitality, a celebration that keeps this tradition alive within a large public festival.

The Column of Rings affirms that a person’s worth does not lie in origin or belonging, but in the way one lives and relates to others. In Bertinoro, this principle has not remained merely a story, but has been put into practice: for centuries, diverse communities—including the Jewish one—have found on this hill a space for coexistence founded on respect and hospitality.