{"id":543,"date":"2018-08-23T11:55:36","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T11:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/?p=543"},"modified":"2018-08-23T11:55:36","modified_gmt":"2018-08-23T11:55:36","slug":"historic-centre-of-urbino","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zainoo.com\/blog\/en\/2018\/08\/23\/historic-centre-of-urbino\/","title":{"rendered":"Historic centre of Urbino"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Historic

\u00a9Bigstock.com\/Veniamin Kraskov<\/p><\/div>\n

When it comes to Italy\u2019s largest Renaissance centres, your first thought will probably be Florence, a world-famous city with equally world-famous buildings and pieces of art. However, this era of art and culture also blossomed rather fascinatingly outside of Tuscany. Urbino is a small, friendly town in the hills of the Marche. It saw a genuine building boom during the Montefeltro reign in the 15th<\/sup> century and adopted its Renaissance look which it still managed to retain to this very day. The historic centre was even declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.<\/p>\n

Federico da Montefeltro\u2019s influence<\/strong><\/p>\n

Having been sold to the pope after the Gothic Wars, the former Roman town Urbino repeatedly sought to become independent. Emperor Frederick I declared Antonio da Montefeltro imperial vicar of Urbino in 1155. His son Montefeltrano I became count, while Federico da Montefeltro even rose to the status of duke. Federico\u2019s 38-year reign saw a genuine boom throughout the Duchy that left its mark on the town to this very day.<\/p>\n

Being a very enterprising patron of the fine arts, Federico attracted some of the major Renaissance names of art and culture, such as Leon Battista Alberti, Piero della Francesca, Girolamo Genga, Luciano Laurana, Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Giovanni Santi, Raphael\u2019s father. Bramante\u2019s and Raphael\u2019s artistic careers originally began in Urbino, too. The town\u2019s architecture was moulded strongly after Renaissance ideals mostly keeping its classic look to this day due to economic stagnation after Federico\u2019s death. His son Guidobaldo became the final duke of Urbino from the Montefeltro line. After his banishment around 1502, the della Rovere family assumed power until Urbino became part of the Papal States in 1631.<\/p>\n

Palazzo Ducale<\/strong><\/p>\n

A brief walk through Urbino\u2019s historic centre leads you to a great number of architectural highlights. To this very day, the former Ducal Palace of the Montefeltro line remains the town\u2019s main attraction, and with good reason. Palazzo Ducale unites everything that makes the Renaissance town so unique in one phenomenal, magnificent building, its fa\u00e7ade majestically looming high above Urbino virtually luring you to its historic centre.<\/p>\n

Walls of a count\u2019s palace, likely from the late 14th<\/sup> century, were used when constructions for this magnificent building began in 1463. Initial construction was slow until Federico da Montefeltro managed to win over the former Este master builder Luciano Laurana in 1466. He designed the pillar arcades in the atrium and the western tower fa\u00e7ade. Francesco di Giorgio Martini took care of the interior fittings of the chambers. Fully stuccoed, high-ceilinged rooms and rich ornaments give the palazzo a distinctive Renaissance flair. The palace remained a government building deep into the 20th<\/sup> century before being opened to the public in the mid-1980s after extensive renovations.<\/p>\n

Your tour through Palazzo Ducale will introduce you to the scholar Federico da Montefeltro. His interest in humanistic and classical studies is expressed in numerous rooms including the Studiolo, conceived by Laurana in 1472. Musical instruments, scientific devices and countless books grace this ideal of the educated Renaissance man. Additionally, we recommend stopping by Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. Various portraits of regents and the royal household aside, you\u2019ll come across works by Raphael, Titian and Piero della Francesca.<\/p>\n

Other Renaissance highlights in Urbino<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Historic

\u00a9Bigstock.com\/eddygaleotti<\/p><\/div>\n

While your main focus understandably lies on the imposing Ducal Palace, Urbino\u2019s historic Renaissance centre has so much more to offer. You should set aside at least one full day to extensively enjoy all aspects of the town. But where to go on your town walk, you wonder? Well, we might just have a few ideas for you:<\/p>\n