Places to go
Urbino: the city that produced Raphael
A UNESCO World Heritage site, a ducal palace regarded as the definition of the Renaissance, and Raphael's birthplace. The most rewarding day trip in the region.
- Distance
- approx. 65 km, a good hour
- Duration
- A full day
- Don't miss
- Galleria Nazionale delle Marche
If you make only one day trip in Le Marche, make it this one. Urbino sits on two hills, is ringed by a wall, and is listed in its entirety as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The Palazzo Ducale
The ducal palace was built under Federico da Montefeltro, who ruled the duchy from 1444 to 1482: a military leader, humanist and one of the most significant patrons of his age. Three architects worked on it: Maso di Bartolomeo of Florence, Luciano Laurana of Dalmatia and Francesco di Giorgio Martini of Siena.
The result is regarded as a model of Renaissance building. And it is not only the state rooms that repay a visit: you can also see the stables, the kitchen and the storerooms below the noble floors. That is the part that actually explains how such a court functioned.
The Galleria Nazionale delle Marche
Housed in the palace is the region's most important art collection, with works by Raphael, Titian and Piero della Francesca. The collection alone justifies the drive.
Raphael
Raffaello Sanzio was born in Urbino in 1483. You find his trace in two places: in the Galleria, where his paintings hang beside those of his contemporaries, and in the Casa Natale di Raffaello on Via Raffaello, the house regarded as his birthplace, now a small museum.
Practicalities
Urbino is steep. If walking is difficult, plan for it: there is real elevation between the car park and the old town. Allow a full day, if only because of the drive through the hills, which is half the attraction in itself.
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