451 m above sea level, surrounded on three sides by the river Metauro, rises Urbania, the ancient Casteldurante of the Dukes of Urbino.
In the province of Pesaro and Urbino, the city is full of attractions.
Above all: the Ducal Palace, only 15 km far from that of Urbino.

Small capital of Massa Trabaria in the Middle Ages, known all over Europe as Casteldurante for its ceramics in the Renaissance, today is known for producing jeans.

Ancient Roman municipium, Guelph in the Middle Ages therefore struggling with Urbino - that destroyed it twice – it reached the splendour with Frederick of Montefeltro and as the residence of Francesco Maria II Della Rovere.

Animated the toponymy: in the Roman age it was called perhaps Urbinum Metaurense, then Castel delle Ripe, from 1284 Casteldurante – by Monsignor Guillaume Durant who had to rebuild it - and since 1636 Urbania, by Pope Urban VIII who made it diocese and city.

The Ducal Palace, built in brick, is a masterpiece.
Already Brancaleoni Palace, it was transformed in the fifteenth century by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, for Frederick of Montefeltro’s will, then remanié by Gerolamo Genga.
Of great charm the walkway on the river, the loggia and the helicoidal ramp.
Today it hosts: the Civic Museum, the valuable Library, the Picture-gallery with the very important gallery of drawings, the modern ceramics and the globes of Marcatore; in the cellars the Museum of history of the agriculture.

The Episcopal Palace hosts instead the Diocesan Museum, with an extraordinary collection of ceramics of Casteldurante, from the fourteenth to the twentieth century.

Places of worship: a lot and rich of works of art.

Among the sights: the Cemetery of mummies sets out 18 bodies that have naturally become dry.

1 km far from the centre, stands the magnificent Barco Ducale, former summer residence and place of hunting of the Dukes of Urbino.
Built in 1465, designed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and remanié by Girolamo Genga, it is embellished by the church of Vanvitelli.
Today it has a green area to relax (with pool, tennis, bar) and is home of the Association Friends of ceramics.

For people who love nature: in the valley, among oak trees, some paths are tracked to go up the hills and the mountains.

Events: from 2 to 6 January the Great Feast of Epiphany, with games, the flight of the “befana” and fireworks.
At Easter challenge with “punta e cul”: who has the hard-boiled egg that keeps undamaged wins the beaten and dented eggs.
At the end of April A Flower City.
In June the Celebration of ceramics.
On July 25 the Feast of St. Christopher Patron, with the custom to bless the cars.
The rich summer musical bill culminates in the Opera Concert of the feast of the Assumption.
In September the International Festival Polyphonic Chorus.
In October the Old Fair of St. Luke and of Women’s with the Mycological Exhibition.
In November the prestigious Metauro Poetry Prize.

For gourmets: excellent restaurants and taverns where you can eat the “coratella” of lamb for breakfast.
In the typical menu: “porchettina” snails, “crostoli” (similar to “piadina”), mixed roast and pigeon with filling. Truffle, black or white, at will (S. Angelo in Vado and Acqualagna are round the corner)!
Among the first courses “lumachelle della Duchessa”.
Among the sweets: “bostrengo”, “miaggio”, “bastoncelli”.

Curios: The House of the “Befana” PO Box open 61049 Urbania (Pu) Italy, to write the “befana”!
An illustrious fellow-citizen was also Bramante.
He is dedicated the Theatre, a bonbonnière of the nineteenth century.

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

On two hills, 551 m above sea level, between the valleys of Metauro and Foglia rivers, Urbino rises.
Today, with Pesaro, the capital of a province of the Region of Le Marche, it has been, with the Montefeltro, the ideal city of the Renaissance.
Its historic centre has been recognised world heritage by UNESCO.
The Ducal Palace is a miracle of architecture and the façade “dei Torricini”, symbolically turned to Tuscany, has no equal in Italy.

In the area, inhabited since prehistoric times, the Roman settlement of Urvinum Metaurense probably rose in the third century b.c.
The name derives from the Latin urvum, curved handle of the plough.

In the Middle Ages, the city suffered many attacks by Goths, Byzantines, Lombards.
The Carolingians donated it to the Church.
When the Ghibellines prevailed, they enfeoffed the Montefeltro, Counts of Carpegna.

In 1444 came to the throne Frederick of Montefeltro. With him the golden age.
Enlightened ruler, leader of success, friend of Lorenzo de’ Medici, enthusiast patron, he did raise the superb palace and called him the best scholars and artists of the time.
Then Urbino influenced the cultural development of all Europe.

In 1508, extinguished the Montefeltro’s descent, the Della Rovere inherited the Duchy.
It was an equally enlightened government, but when they transferred the seat to Pesaro, for Urbino was the decline.

In 1631, with devolution to the Church, the Ducal Palace experienced a real dispossession.
Only in the early eighteenth century with Pope Clement XI, of the Albani family of Urbino, the city flourished again.

The Ducal Palace is the work of the Dalmatian architect Luciano Laurana who was able to incorporate admirably the preexistent buildings and to build on the differences of level of the land.
We owe to him the façade “dei Torricini” (almost 60 m high), the Courtyard of Honour and the monumental staircase leading to the main floor.
We owe to him the architectural jewel of the Renaissance art, then finished by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Girolamo Genga.

Today, the Ducal Palace hosts: the Archaeological Museum, the Museum of Ceramics and the National Gallery of Le Marche with the “Muta” by Raffaello Sanzio, “The ideal city” and masterpieces by Piero della Francesca, Tiziano, Paolo Uccello, Luca Signorelli, Justus of Ghent, Pedro Berruguete.

Sights: the House of Raffaello Sanzio (known as just Raphael) and, on the highest point of Urbino, the Albornoz fortress.

Noble buildings: Bonaventura Odasi Palace, that hosts the University (founded in 1506), and Albani Palace, the seat of the Diocesan Museum.

Places of worship: the Cathedral, the churches of the Holy Spirit, St. Francis, St. Dominic, the oratories of St. Joseph, St. John and of the Holy Cross.
A little outside the Church of St Bernardino, the Mausoleum of the Dukes, wanted by Frederick.

Specialized museums: Plasters Museum, Botanic Garden, Engraving Museum, Cabinet of Physics.

For people who love nature: ascent in the green until the Hill of the Capuchins, sung by Giovanni Pascoli in the poem “L’aquilone” (The kite).
Excursions into the hills of Cesane or in the Natural Reserve of the Furlo Gorge.
The guides of the Center for Environmental Education “Casa delle Vigne” are useful.

Events: in June Urbino Jazz.
In July the International Festival of Ancient Music.
In August, the Duke Day.
In September the Festival of the kite.
September is the month of Ars libraria.
Between September and November Autumn desires.
In October Words games.

City of students, Urbino has a lively cultural and night life.

Rich the playbill at the Sanzio Theater.

For gourmets: “cappelletti” or “passatelli” soup, “ravioli”, roast, rabbit “in porchetta”, “trippa alla biccichina”, and the “crescia sfogliata”, excellent with the “caciotta” of Urbino, the local ham and the rustic vegetables.
Ancient tastes like the “braciola all’urbinate” and the dish of the Duke.
Sweets: tarts and “ciambellone”.

Curio: the windy Urbino is very fine even in the modern city.
It is all ups and downs of lanes and staircases and has evocative glimpses of landscape.
The historic centre, built entirely in brick, at sunset seems to assume a golden hue.
Urbino is the birthplace of Raphael, Clement XI, Paolo Volponi, Valentino Rossi.

Visualizzazione ingrandita della mappa

Riccione is one of the main sea holiday resorts in Italy but also offers a wide range of nature and culture tours all year round.

The area inland at Riccione has, for many years now, attracted cycle tourists from all over Europe  due to its breath-taking landscapes, the stunning tours of varying difficulty on offer and genuine, delicious gastronomy.

But a holiday at Riccione is more besides: you can discover the history and culture of the people that live in the villages and towns of a region rich in grand monuments, folklore and art crafts.

You can visit important historical buildings, masterpieces such as the majestic forts that symbolize the power of two great seigniories of the Middle Ages and Renaissance: Malatesta and Montefeltro.

Sigismondo Malatesta and Federico da Montefeltro were responsible for much cultural and artistic development, countless works for tourists to discover on a fascinating and exciting “treasure hunt” around Romagna and Le Marche: the Caccia delle Signorie (The Seigniory hunt).

Valmarecchia: Malatesta’s reign
Le Marche: Montefeltro’s cradle

To discover the prominent traces left by the Montefeltro family you need to go to San Leo (PU), situated atop an enormous insurmountable rocky outcrop: the only way to get there is via a road cut into the rock.

At the very top of the spur is the impregnable Fort built on the orders of Federico III da Montefeltro; it was converted into a prison during papal rule and the count Cagliostro and Felice Orsini were imprisoned there.

Famous visitors to the town were Dante and St Francis of Assisi: you can still view the room where the two men conversed.

There is no end to the architectural wonders: the Pre-Romanesque parish church, a XII century Lombard Romanesque Cathedral, the fort; the Museum of sacred art recently installed in Palazzo Mediceo, the ruins of several castles, including those of Pietracuta and Piega, the Monte di Pietracuta Dominican convent, and Montemaggio church with its magnificent lacunar ceiling.

San Leo offers one of the region’s most beautiful and characteristic panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and down the Marecchia valley to the sea.

Urbino (PU), cradle of the Renaissance, also offers valuable works attributed to Montefeltro’s times: the entire town, a world heritage site boasting some of the most famous and talked about masterpieces in the world, still greatly retains the magnificence enjoyed by Federico and his court.

History can be relived at the Rimini’s striking Malatesta Fort (Castel Sismondo). It originally served various functions: it was the Prince’s Castle, a fort, the barracks of the garrison town and a prison; and now it is an historical monument housing various exhibitions.

The splendid Gradara, which can seen from the A 14 motorway, comprises the Malatesta castle mentioned in Dante’s Inferno.

Mondaino with its seventeenth century colonnade and Malatesta Fort, which draws millions of visitors in August due to its famous “Palio del daino” (deer ‘race’).

Montegridolfo, instead, is in an idyllic setting, nestled among olive groves and vineyards, and its fortified historical centre is still remarkably intact and well restored.

Montefiore Conca, a lively fortified medieval village classified as one of the most beautiful villages in Italy on account of its dominating Malatesta Fort and architecture, offers superb food.

Near the border with Le Marche, the Karst caves in the Onferno Natural Reserve are also well worth a visit.

Nearby is Montescudo, a small town with civic tower and crumbling walls.
It is famous for its rich production of terracotta objects and potato cultivation (there’s a potato festival in August).

You should also visit Gemmano if you fancy a walk in the lush Malatesta Valleys.

Verucchio, ‘Malatesta’s cradle’, was the town of Villanova culture, finds of which are now kept in the Museo Civico Archeologico (Civic Museum of Archaeology), and features late medieval buildings such as the Parish church and Franciscan Convent where you can admire an enormous cypress over seven centuries old.

The town produces an excellent Cagnina, a sweet wine that goes perfectly with roasted chestnuts. Beautiful crafts shops are full of printed cloths, embroidery and rustic organic furniture.

Next, at Santarcangelo, you can admire the hundred or more grotte di Giove (Jupiter’s Caves), tuffaceous caves where it is believed Sangiovese wine was conserved.

Slightly to the right is a panoramic road that takes you to the splendid Torriana and Montebello forts still bearing signs of the Malatestas’ relentless battles.
You can also visit the Torriana-Montebello Fauna Oasis to take in its pristine nature.

Food is simple and genuine, such as the home-made strozzapreti and tagliatelle pasta. As for wine, Sangiovese and Trebbiano are produced throughout the region.

The printed cloths, ceramics and rustic terracotta products make especially good souvenirs.