A few meters from the San Marino cable car, it is possible to observe a quarry called Cava dei Balestrieri, a real quarry that was built in the last years of the nineteenth century by the architect Gino Zani to quickly extract materials for use in the renovation of the actual public palace. A few dozen meters away, the open space was then used for crossbow competitions. The crossbow has always been a constant part of San Marino's history, because it was often the preferred weapon in the defense of the Republic, and therefore every day on the 3rd of September every year, a crossbow competition is held at this place.