Republic of Cospaia: The Italian Hamlet That Became an Independent State For Four Centuries Due to Surveying Error

Nuzzled next to Tuscany, in northern Umbria, lies a small Italian village called Cospaia. For nearly four centuries, this territory of just over three square kilometers was an independent republic, without any government, or laws, or taxes, or anything that makes a nation. This peculiar political situation arose during Renaissance, which makes it even more remarkable for at that time Italy was a mismatch of Papal states, family estates, and foreign kingdoms, embroiled in petty vendettas and trade feud. A lawless territory without a ruler was unheard of. The story begins in 1431, when Pope Eugene IV, strapped for cash, took a loan of 25,000 gold florins from the Duke of Florence who ruled next door. Nine years later, unable to return the borrowed amount, the Pope pledged to transfer the town of Borgo San Sepolcro and its district in the northern Papal States over to the Duke. Both parties agreed that the new border would follow the course of a small river named “Rio” on the upper Tiber. However, “Rio” is a pretty common name for a river. It literary means “river” in Latin. There are hundreds of small streams all over Italy called Rio, and in this particular area, there happened to be two of them flowing just half a kilometer apart. The surveyors employed by the Pope and the Duke were not aware of this, probably being unfamiliar to the region. So both parties plotted out the borders to their closest respective Rio unaware they are not the same. As a result of this, a tiny piece of land sandwiched between the two rivers was left out of jurisdiction of both the Papal States and the Republic of Florence. On this land stood the hamlet of Cospaia. Related: Hess Triangle: The Smallest Piece of Private Property in New York City The villagers of Cospaia jumped at the opportunity and immediately declared themselves an independent Republic.