What title is given to San Marino's two elected heads of state?

San Marino’s two elected heads of state are called the Captains Regent.

They jointly represent the Republic of San Marino and are elected by the Grand and General Council, the country’s unicameral legislature. Each pair serves a six-month term, beginning on 1 April or 1 October, after which a new pair takes office.

The institution has medieval roots. The first two known officeholders were elected in 1243, and the arrangement reflects the Roman Republic’s tradition of collegial leadership by two consuls. The modern title combines the older ideas of a captain and a regent, rather than describing a hereditary rank.

The Captains Regent are heads of state, but executive government is exercised by the Congress of State. They are therefore not equivalent to grand dukes or ordinary consuls general. Their shared office is one of the most distinctive features of San Marino’s political system, which preserves a long-running tradition of dual leadership.