Urbino (Urbìn in Gallo-Piceno dialect) is an Italian town of 14 106 inhabitants in the province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Marche region. It was one of the most important centers of the Italian Renaissance, of which it fully preserves the architectural heritage. Since 1998 its historic center has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given its importance, the city is mentioned in the series of sculptures of the Vittoriano, dedicated to the fourteen noble cities of united Italy.
Here are the reasons that justify the inclusion of the historic
center of Urbino among the World Heritage Sites:
«Criterion II:
During its brief cultural pre-eminence, Urbino attracted some of the
most distinguished humanists and artists of the Renaissance, who created
an exceptional urban complex of remarkable homogeneity, whose influence
in Europe reached far.
Criterion IV: Urbino represents a pinnacle of
Renaissance art and architecture, is harmoniously adapted to the
landscape and blends in an exceptional way with the pre-existing
medieval structures.»
(Reasons for the inscription of the historic
center of Urbino in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
Urban churches
The cathedral of Urbino. Built in neoclassical
style (architect Giuseppe Valadier) between the 18th and 19th centuries,
it contains some canvases by Federico Barocci. Closed for restoration in
2016 and reopened in 2020.
The former monastery of Santa Chiara. It
is one of the most important monuments of the city. Built in its current
form towards the end of the 15th century, based on a design by the
Sienese architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The convent church
became a ducal mausoleum in the first half of the 16th century, with the
burial of various members of the Roveresca dynasty. Since the seventies
of the 20th century this building has been home to the Istituto
Superiore per le Industrie Artistiche (ISIA).
The church and convent
of San Francesco. This is the church and convent of the Conventual
Friars Minor; the latter was significantly reduced by the confiscations
suffered following the annexation to the Kingdom of Italy. The church
dates back to the 13th century, but was placed in its current form in
1742 by the architect Luigi Vanvitelli.
The church of San Domenico.
Dating back to the 14th century, but internally rebuilt in 1729. It has
retained the remains of the Gothic church on the outside and a notable
Renaissance portal with a lunette by Luca della Robbia, built in 1450.
Originally, the convent of the Dominican Fathers, both structures had
their main entrance on the current Piazza Rinascimento (in front of the
eastern side of the Doge's Palace). In the second half of the 19th
century the convent was demolished to build the diocesan seminary;
However, some parts of the ancient building have survived, on the rear
side, towards Via Santa Chiara and Piazza Pompeo Gherardi. It served as
cathedral from 2016 to 2020.
The church of San Sergio. Located in via
Raffaello about halfway up the mountain. It was the city's first
cathedral.
The former convent of the Discalced Carmelites and the
church of the Santissima Annunziata intra muros. It is located at the
top of the hill of Mt. The building dates back to the 14th century, but
was rebuilt in the 17th century; houses the main headquarters of the
Academy of Fine Arts.
The former convent of San Girolamo. It is
located in the street of the same name, in the San Polo district, on the
south-eastern side of the Poggio; it borders to the north with the
former monastery of Santa Chiara. It is a large structure, whose current
form dates back to the first half of the 18th century. The church has a
single hall with three altars (the main one and two lateral ones, one on
each side), interspersed with pilasters that support a cornice on which
the barrel vault rests. The presbytery is closed by a circular apse. The
exterior of the church and convent is made of brick. During the 20th
century it was used as a prison, then after a long period of
abandonment, restoration work is now underway to accommodate the
libraries of the University's humanistic centre.
The former convent
of Sant'Agostino. It is located on the south-western side of the Poggio
hill, between via Saffi and via Matteotti. It dates back to the 13th
century, but was radically renovated in the first half of the 18th
century.
The monastery of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria. It is the
only cloistered monastery currently present in the historic center of
Urbino. It is located on the top of the Poggio hill (one of the two
hills on which the historic center of Urbino stands), in one of the
oldest parts of the city, in the San Polo district.
The church of
Santa Maria della Torre. It is located in via Francesco Budassi, on the
eastern side of the Poggio hill. It was built in the first half of the
14th century together with the adjacent convent, to house the
Augustinian nuns; above a tower, probably belonging to the ancient
medieval city wall, from which it took part of its name. It was
consecrated in 1518, the era in which the beautiful Furlo stone portal
was perhaps built, bearing the coats of arms of the Guidalotti family,
who then lived in a nearby house[30]. The church was renovated
internally in the 18th century. The interior has a single rectangular
hall, covered by a barrel vault. In the convent there was a small
stained glass window by Timoteo Viti, depicting an Annunciation with the
Guidalotti coats of arms, today preserved in the National Gallery of the
Marche. The convent was quite large but, after being requisitioned by
the State (together with the church) following Italian unification, it
was demolished in the 1930s. It is open to the public.
The church of
Sant'Andrea Apostolo. Located on the corner between the street and the
eponymous square, in the Lavagine district. It develops on the east-west
axis and has a single room. It is linked to the nearby Rossi De Pretis
palace, via an elevated and covered passage that goes over the steps of
the piola. It was built in the first half of the 17th century and is
rather anonymous from an architectural point of view. Inside, we can
point out the large altarpiece of the main altar, Christ and Saint
Andrew, a work of uncertain attribution between the Urbino painters Gian
Ortensio Bertuzzi and Giovan Battista Urbinelli, both profoundly
influenced by Barocci's style, starting from the subject of the painting
, partially taken from a Baroque original, painted in 1583 for the
confraternity of the same name in Pesaro. It is currently closed to the
public and unused.
The church of San Bartolo or Bartolomeo. Located
on the eastern slopes of the Poggio hill, at the end of the eponymous
district and near the city walls. It was a parish church until the
mid-20th century. Probably dating back to the 15th century. The original
structure, however, was different, smaller, with three naves and a Greek
cross, and oriented in the opposite direction (entrance to the east and
altar to the west) to that of today. The remains of the medieval church
can be seen on the rear facade, the ancient main facade, with a central
oculus and two large lateral infilled windows, the sides of the latter
are decorated with brick half-columns with stone capitals; however, the
ancient main entrance is no longer visible because it is covered by the
raising of the garden land of the former rectory. Precisely in this last
garden there is another remnant of the original church, the stone base
of a polystyle pillar, similar to the half-pillar still visible in the
first span of the current church. The interior and the main facade are
the result of a nineteenth-century renovation, which also led to the
closure of the portico on the western upstream side, to expand the
interior; a pillar of the portico is still visible near the church on
the facade of the adjacent former rectory. The current interior has a
single hall with three altars (the main one and two lateral ones). The
church hosted two important works of art, the Martyrdom of San
Sebastiano by Giovanni Santi and the polyptych of the Madonna del Latte
with scenes from the life of San Bartolomeo and Christ (early 15th
century) by an anonymous artist from the Marche, both now preserved in
the National Gallery of the Marche.
The church of Santo Spirito.
Located on the south-eastern side of the Monte hill, on the corner
between Largo Clemente XI (main facade) and the eponymous steps, in the
Santa Lucia district. It was a parish church, so much so that to the
right of the church is the building of the ancient rectory. The interior
has a single rectangular hall with three altars (the main one and two
lateral ones). The church was built in the mid-16th century, to which
the portal should date, while the rest of the building was redone in the
following century, including the decoration around the window on the
main portal. The interior is adorned with a rich seventeenth-century
decorative apparatus, starting from the mirrored vault embellished with
frescoes by Girolamo Cialdieri from Urbino and his workshop, who
created, within panels with elaborate frames, the Seven Gifts of the
Holy Spirit alternating with scenes taken from the Holy Scriptures and
in the corners four Prophets. The walls, however, are punctuated by a
tight series of painted Doric pilasters, supporting a painted
entablature along the upper edge of the walls. Between the pilasters, in
addition to inserting long, narrow windows closed by round arches, six
on the left side (divided into two blocks of three, on the sides of the
side altar) and three on the right side (to the left of the side altar)
, beneath them there are a series of canvases depicting the Virgin,
Magdalene and the Apostles, again the work of Cialdieri and his
workshop. On the main altar there is an altarpiece depicting Pentecost,
attributed to Federico Zuccari; originally on the sides of this there
were also two canvases by Luca Signorelli, a Crucifixion and a
Pentecost, then transferred to the Palazzo Ducale in the 1860s.
Signorelli's canvases constituted a single processional banner,
commissioned at the end of the 15th century by Filippo Gueroli from
Urbino for the Fraternity of the Holy Spirit, at the time housed in the
nearby church of Santa Lucia. Signorelli's paintings were divided in the
18th century; in their place in the church there are two canvases from
the deposits of the National Gallery of the Marche, a Madonna of the
Veil, attributed to Sermoneta, and a Deposed Christ by Schaufelein. On
the side altars there are two paintings by Claudio Ridolfi, the
Presentation of Mary in the Temple (on the right) and San Carlo Borromeo
tempted while adoring the Crucifix (on the left). The church is always
open, as perpetual adoration is held there.
The former church of
Santa Maria della Bella. It is located halfway along Via Saffi, in the
San Polo district, on the southern slope of the Poggio hill. It develops
on the east-west axis, on the downstream corner with via San Girolamo.
The church dates back to an oratory built on the site in the early 15th
century, becoming from the beginning one of the most important religious
buildings in the city, as demonstrated by the artistic commissions,
starting from the fresco by Antonio Alberti from Ferrara, depicting a
Crucifixion, some fragments were detached at the beginning of the 20th
century and transferred to the National Gallery of the Marche.
Furthermore, the original oratory had a ship's hull ceiling. Towards the
second half of the 15th century, the interior was enriched by the
altarpiece of the main altar, created by Fra Carnevale and representing
the Presentation of the Virgin in the Temple, which after the devolution
of the Duchy, was removed and moved to Rome in the collection of
Cardinal Antonio Barberini; the latter took care to replace this panel
in the oratory with a canvas by Claudio Ridolfi, then stolen by French
troops at the beginning of the 19th century, moved to the Pinacoteca di
Brera and finally given in storage to the parish church of Groppello
d'Adda. Towards the middle of the 16th century, a convent community
settled in the church and the adjacent hospital, thanks to the ducal
support. The convent underwent a major renovation in the 18th century,
which gave the church its current appearance. In the mid-19th century
the convent was abolished and replaced by a female orphanage, which
continued until the mid-20th century. Between the sixties and seventies,
it passed to the city University, which decided to house the teaching
faculty there, entrusting the renovation project to the architect De
Carlo. The intervention involved the demolition of a large part of the
convent, only the part overlooking Via Saffi survived (although
profoundly renovated), including the former church, reconverted and
divided inside with metal mezzanines, to house a lecture hall and the
library.
The former church of San Polo or Paolo. It stands with its
high mass on the upstream corner between via Saffi and via San Girolamo,
on the upper part of the southern slope of the Poggio hill; but the main
facade faces upstream (on the opposite end) onto a small recessed
square, overlooking Via Saffi. It develops on the north-south axis, with
a single room with a barrel vault. It was a parish church (which gave
its name to the entire district in which it is located), dating back to
the 14th century, which was built on a section of the Roman city wall
near the Porta Minor (the southern end of the cardo maximus), of which
they preserve some remains in the basement and on the external walls. As
regards the original decorative apparatus, only a cuspidate panel
depicting a Madonna del Latte remains, attributed to Andrea da Bologna,
today preserved in the Albani diocesan museum. The church was rebuilt
from scratch in the first half of the 17th century, but its appearance
was modified by a renovation at the end of the 19th century, which
involved the reconstruction of the main facade and the alteration of the
interior with heavy repainting. Towards the middle of the 20th century
it was deconsecrated and destined for other uses, up to today, namely as
a restoration laboratory. No canvas of the seventeenth-century
decorative apparatus remained in the church, which preserved a series of
monochrome paintings by Girolamo Cialdieri and Claudio Ridolfi,
depicting six stories linked to the life of Saint Paul and ten
medallions with busts of the Apostles and Saints Peter and Paul,
transferred to the National Gallery of the Marche. On the main altar
there was an altarpiece depicting Saint Paul, which was moved to a side
altar in the nearby former church of Sant'Agostino. While two other
canvases with Saint Andrew and Saint Peter were moved to the Albani
diocesan museum.
The former convent of San Pietro Celestino. What
remains of the building is located in the upper part of via Saffi (San
Polo), between Palazzo Bonaventura and the monastery of Santa Caterina.
The city's cult of the Saint is very ancient, even dating back to the
last years of his life; so much so that a convent on today's site must
have dated back to the end of the 13th century. In the mid-16th century,
the Bonaventuras, residents of the nearby palace, decided to place their
tombs in the church. The convent was suppressed towards the middle of
the 17th century and in the following century the church was renovated,
hosting other congregations, from that of San Venanzio, then that of San
Liborio and finally that of the Holy Guardian Angels. But the complex
was gradually abandoned until it was deconsecrated. Very little remains
of the convent, due to the many subsequent interventions, but the stone
portal and a commemorative epigraph on the façade of the former church
have survived, as well as, on the façade facing Via Saffi, traces of
large trefoiled infilled windows, probably dating back to the 14th
century and bearing the initials F C (Fratrum Coelestinorum) on the
stone frames. In the second half of the 20th century, one last important
renovation was carried out to accommodate some of the University's
technical-administrative offices.
The church of Santa Maria degli
Angeli. It is a small church, at the end of via Cesare Battisti, close
to the Porta di Lavagine.
The oratory of San Giovanni. It was the seat of the confraternity of
the same name, to which that of Sant'Antonio Abate was also joined at
the beginning of the 20th century due to the demolition of the Oratory
of the same confraternity located near Borgo Mercatale. Inside it is
possible to admire an impressive cycle of frescoes representing the
Crucifixion of Christ, on the wall behind the main altar, and the Story
of the Life of Saint John the Baptist, along the side walls, considered
one of the most important examples of the Gothic style international.
The frescoes were created by the brothers Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni
from San Severino Marche between 1415 and 1416.
The oratory of San
Giuseppe. It is one of the most important speakers in the city,
especially from a historical-artistic point of view; as it was enriched
with valuable decorations and works of art in the first half of the 18th
century, thanks to the commissions and donations of various members of
the Albani family, exponents of the brotherhood of the same name. The
sculptural complex depicting the Nativity of Christ, a work by Federico
Brandani, is preserved in this oratory.
The oratory of Santa Croce.
Located in via Santa Chiara on the top of the Poggio hill, it has two
entrances, one on this last street and another older one, with a pointed
arch portal, on a short stretch of what remains of the eponymous street
(closed in mostly at the end of the 19th century). It is an important
religious building, which gave its name to the ancient medieval
neighborhood (Quadra). Inside there are some baroque stucco statues,
created in 1657 by the famous Tommaso Amantini. In 2022 it became the
seat of the diocesan delegation of the Equestrian Order of the Holy
Sepulcher of Jerusalem.
The oratory of the Santissimo Crocifisso
della Grotta. It is located under the cathedral basilica, dating back to
the 16th century, consisting of four chapels, once home to the
Confraternity of the same name; worth mentioning is the wonderful
"Pietà" by Giovanni Bandini known as dell'Opera
The oratory of Corpus
Domini or church of San Francesco di Paola. Seat of the still existing
brotherhood of the same name. It is located in the Valbona district, on
the corner between Via Giuseppe Mazzini (main facade) and Via delle
Stallacce. The interior has a single rectangular hall, with the main
altar within a quadrilateral apse and two side altars. It was built by
the city community to honor a vow made to God, so that he would grant
Duke Francesco Maria II the much-desired heir. The brotherhood moved to
this church at the beginning of the 18th century, when it had to leave
its headquarters in Pian di Mercato for the construction of the Palazzo
del Collegio Raffaello.
The Oratory of Death. Seat of the brotherhood
of the same name. It is located on the top of the Poggio hill, in via
Porta Maia, near the Archbishop's Palace. The interior has a single
rectangular hall with an altar within a semicircular apse. On the altar
there is Federico Barocci's altarpiece depicting a Crucifixion.
The
oratory of the Five Wounds. It was the seat of the brotherhood of the
same name, merged with that of San Giuseppe. It is located in via
Federico Barocci and has a single rectangular hall with three altars
(the main one and two lateral ones).
The Oratory of the Visitation.
It was the seat of a brotherhood of the same name, now joined to that of
San Giuseppe. It is located in via Pozzo Nuovo, on the eastern side of
the Poggio hill, in the Lavagine district. The interior has a single
rectangular hall structure with a single altar.
The oratory of
Sant'Andrea Avellino and San Sebastiano. It was the seat of the
brotherhood of the same name, now also joined to that of San Giuseppe.
The main facade overlooks a small piazza in via Francesco Budassi, on
the corner with via San Bartolo, on the eastern side of the Poggio hill.
The interior has an octagonal plan with a single hall with three altars
(the main one and two lateral ones).
The former oratory of Santa
Margherita d'Antiochia. Located halfway along the eponymous street, on
the south-western side of the Monte hill. The oratory had an internal
structure with a single rectangular hall, on the north-south axis, with
a single altar. The oratory dates back to the first half of the 14th
century and was the first seat of the Corpus Domini confraternity, then
after its transfer to Pian di Mercato (today's Piazza della Repubblica),
during the 17th and 18th centuries it hosted other congregations,
undergoing several renovations, such as the portal which was rebuilt in
the seventeenth century. Starting from the 19th century it was used by
the noble Venezianelli family, who lived in the adjacent palace. In the
second half of the 20th century it was deconsecrated and converted into
a private home.
The former oratory of San Gregorio Magno. It is a
small oratory in the Valbona district, overlooking Via Giuseppe Mazzini,
on the corner with the Piola di San Giovanni. Dating back to the early
17th century. The oratory preserved a rich baroque decoration inside,
with a wooden seat that covered the base of the side walls, above it
there were two oblong canvases (one on each side), depicting two
episodes from the life of the titular Saint, the work of the Senigallian
Giovanni Anastasi. While on the wooden altar there was the altarpiece of
the Madonna with Child and the saints Gregory and Anthony the Abbot by
Girolamo Cialdieri; on the sides of this there were two canvases (one on
each side), a Virgin of the Annunciation and the archangel Gabriel,
mirror images of the latter, on the sides of the entrance, there were
two other canvases, Saint Peter and Saint Paul, also works they of the
Anastasis. Now the paintings and the wooden altar are preserved in the
Albani diocesan museum.
The former oratory of San Luigi Gonzaga. It
is located on the top of the Poggio hill, in via Federico Veterani.
Dating back to the 18th century. During the 20th century it was
converted into a cinema.
The Mausoleum of the Dukes. This church is also called San Bernardino
and is part of a convent complex to which the city cemetery is attached.
Located just outside the city walls, it was probably built by Francesco
di Giorgio Martini in the second half of the 15th century at the behest
of Duke Federico III da Montefeltro, to house his own tomb and those of
his successors; or Guidobaldo I Da Montefeltro, the last duke of the
dynasty. Originally, on the main altar, the famous altarpiece by Piero
della Francesca was kept there, depicting the Madonna, Frederick III and
some saints, now in the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan (having been stolen
by Napoleon's troops in 1797).
The new monastery of Santa Chiara. It
is home to the Poor Clare nuns and is one of the two cloistered female
monasteries in the city. It was built at the beginning of the 20th
century, on the Ca'Grillotto farm, donated by Count Filippo Viviani. It
is located in front of Porta Nuova / Barriera Margherita, on the
southern side of the state road 73 bis.
The Church of the Santissima
Annunziata. Located outside the historic center, in via Ottaviano Nelli,
it is a single-hall church, with only the main altar, built in 1957. On
this site there was already a much older church, dating back to 1389,
which replaced a previous one outdoor chapel. The fresco depicting the
Annunciation also dates back to this era, created between the 14th and
15th centuries, the attribution of which is uncertain between Ottaviano
Nelli and Antonio Alberti da Ferrara; this fresco is important, not only
for its historical-artistic value, but above all because it was the
object of great popular devotion. This church was sold in 1456 to the
Fraternita di Santa Maria in Piandimercato which, from 1514 to 1571,
granted it for use to the company of the Servites, led by Antonio
Cotignola. He founded the Company of Death in this church in 1577, which
subsequently moved within the city, to the Oratory of the same name. It
was this Company that commissioned the decoration and still existing
stucco and frescoes in 1581, in the small chapel which represents the
only surviving remnant of the previous church, located below the current
one, and used by the adjacent House of the Clergy built in the nineties
of the 20th century. The fresco decoration representing Stories of the
Virgin is the work of Antonio Viviani, with the collaboration of other
painters, including Filippo Bellini. In 1796, the parish that belonged
to the disappeared church of Santa Maria in cella di pietra moved to
this church.
The church of the Madonna dell'Homo. It is a small
church located on the outskirts of the city, in via Luca Pacioli, about
2 km, north-west, from the historic centre. It has a single hall with a
single altar; externally the wall surfaces are not plastered, but leave
the bricks visible. It was originally an open-air chapel, then was
transformed into a church in 1557. It preserves a notable pictorial
cycle from 1417, by Ottaviano Nelli or Antonio Alberti da Ferrara. It
was restored in 2003, but cannot be visited.
The church of the
Madonna di Loreto. It is located on the top of a hill about 1 km
north-west from the historic centre, in via Federico Comandino. It has a
single hall with a single altar and has a pronaos on the façade, open on
the sides; both internally and externally it is not plastered, leaving
the brick visible. It was built in 1720 by will of Fulvio
Corboli-Aquilini and his family, in the same dimensions as the Holy
House of Loreto. After a long period of abandonment, it was donated to
the City in 1934 to be restored and dedicated to the memory of the
fallen of the First World War, together with the eastern slope of the
hill, renamed the Remembrance Park. It can only be visited on rare
occasions, while the nearby park is open every day, according to a
specific timetable.
The church and the former convent of the Capuchin
friars. Located on the top of a hill south-west of the historic centre,
on the road from Urbino towards Urbania and Tuscany. In the immediate
vicinity of the former convent, stands the vast architectural complex of
Giancarlo De Carlo's university colleges. The church and convent date
back to 1588, while the current church was consecrated in 1690. The
convent hosted the Capuchin fathers until 1869, when it was sold to the
municipality, which used the building as a retirement home for the
elderly; this use was maintained until 1996. Part of the former convent
was the subject of a recent restoration, which also allowed the
restoration of the masonry roof of the church, which collapsed following
the exceptional snowfall of February 2012; becoming the headquarters of
the diocesan Caritas. The rest of the building is owned by the city
university.
The sanctuary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It stands on
a hill, in the Ca' Staccolo area, and was born from the vision of Don
Elia Bellebono, at the end of the sixties of the twentieth century,
during a stay in Urbino. The construction works began towards the end of
the nineties and ended with the solemn consecration of the building,
which took place on 4 September 2021, with a mass presided over by
Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti. The building was designed by the Japanese
architect Yasuo Watanabe and the artist Walter Valentini, in particular
the latter created the altar, the tabernacle, the baptismal font, the
ambo, the seat for the celebrant and the main doors . Inside, there is
also a fragment of a fresco dating back to the first half of the 16th
century, depicting a Madonna with Child and attributed to Timoteo Viti,
taken from the painter's birthplace and granted to the sanctuary by the
Confraternity of Corpus Domini (owner of the 'Opera). It is also a
parish church.
The church of San Donato
The church of Santa Maria
Assunta (Gadana)
The church of Santa Maria de Cruce (Mazzaferro)
The church of San Cipriano
The church of San Giovanni Battista in
Crocicchia
The church of Sant'Eufemia
The church of San Marino
The church of Christ the King (Trasanni)
The parish church of San
Cassiano (Castelcavallino)
The church of San Michele Arcangelo
(Montecalende)
The church of San Giovanni Battista (Pieve di Cagna)
The church of Santa Apollinare in Girfalco (Pieve di Cagna)
The
church of San Giovanni in Pozzuolo
The church of San Giovanni
Battista (Schieti)
The church of San Tommaso (Tower)
The church of
Santa Maria Assunta (Canavaccio)
The church of Santo Stefano in Gaifa
(Canavaccio)
The church of Santa Maria delle Selve (Tower)
The
church of San Paterniano (Ca' Mazzasette)
The church of Santa Barbara
in Campitelli (Pieve di Cagna)
The church of San Martino (Pallino)
The synagogue
The Ducal Palace. Very well known, it is an example of Italian
Renaissance architecture and art. The palace is home to the National
Gallery of the Marche, and is characteristic for the small towers that
delimit its rear part.
The Date and the Helical Ramp. The ducal
stables (or Data) could contain up to 300 horses and together with the
nearby tower of the spiral ramp are the work of the architect Francesco
di Giorgio Martini; both commissioned by Duke Federico III da
Montefeltro in the second half of the 15th century, as parts connected
to the complex of the nascent Palazzo Ducale. The helical ramp tower is
an imposing architectural structure that stands on the north side of the
Data, on the corner between the latter and the walls of Porta Valbona.
Its function was to guarantee passage for the Duke and his court from
the Palace to the Ducal Stables and vice versa. In the second half of
the 19th century, the Sanzio Theater was built on the upper part of the
Ramp, designed by the architect Vincenzo Ghinelli. From the second half
of the 16th century, due to abandonment following the decline of the
city, the roof of the former ducal stables collapsed. From that moment
they were used as a vegetable garden, owned by the Albani family, and
the nearby structures, in the upper part of the Rampa, as city
granaries, in fact they were called the Warehouse of Abundance, the
latter were demolished in the second half of the 19th century, during
the theater construction. By extension, Data also acquired the name
Garden of Abundance. Only in the second half of the 20th century were
the Rampa and the Data subject (at different times) to a recovery
project curated by the architect Giancarlo De Carlo. This project led to
the complete restoration of the Helical Ramp in 1977, in the urban
recovery project of the entire Mercatale area, and to the start of the
much discussed restoration work of the former Ducal Stables in the
nineties.
Raphael's house. It is located in the street of the same
name, at number 57. Here you can admire a fresco by a young Raphael, as
well as paintings by his father Giovanni Santi, the rooms and
furnishings of the house where the famous painter lived.
Palace of
the Raphael College. The Raffaello college was established at the behest
of Pope Clement XI at the beginning of the 18th century; it was governed
by the Scolopi fathers and had its headquarters in Piazza della
Repubblica, in the building specially designed by the architect
Alessandro Specchi. Giovanni Pascoli studied and stayed in this boarding
school until the age of 12. This building houses the city council hall
and some offices of the Prefecture; furthermore, in the rooms on the
ground floor, overlooking the courtyard, there are various commercial
activities. While in some rooms on the second floor the following have
been set up: the University Physics Cabinet museum and the Urbinate
Engraving museum.
Palazzo Nuovo Albani
Town Hall
Archbishop's
Palace
Albani Palace
Palazzo Montefeltro-Bonaventura
Palazzo
Corboli Aquilini
Palazzo Bonaventura Odasi
Passionei Paciotti
Palace
Justice palace
Barocci House
Veterans Palace
Peroli
Palace
Battiferri Palace
Palazzo Galli-Palma
Palazzo
Giovannini-Luminati
Palazzo Sanfreoli-Mauruzi-Gherardi (former Court)
Riviera-Ubaldini Palace
Palazzo Biancalana-Leoni-Luminati
The Sanzio theatre. This is the main theater in the city; built towards the middle of the 19th century, on the bastion of the spiral ramp. In 1897 it was decorated by the painter and ornamentalist from Ferrara. Diomede Catalucci. The theater underwent a radical renovation between the seventies and eighties of the twentieth century, by the architect De Carlo.
Villa Paciotti (also called Ca' il Paciotto or Cal Paciotto)
Ca'
Condi. Located along Via Francesco di Giorgio Martini (SS 73 bis),
between the Mercatale square and the crossroads for the Capuchin church;
on the south-western side of the Vigne hill.
Villa Quattroventi. It
stands on a hill between F. Commandino and Y. Gagarin streets.
Villa
of the children of the people. The ancient noble casino houses the
"Villa del Popolo" nursery school, part of the "Paolo Volponi"
comprehensive institute. The villa was bequeathed to the "Lorenzo
Valerio" nursery school by Giuseppe Fiocchi Nicolai in 1912, so that it
could be used for the children of the common people, that is, for the
children of the poorest families and those most in need of care, in
particular healthy air and sunlight. The kindergarten only came into
possession of this legacy in 1924 and in the summer of two years later
it hosted its first children, who numbered around forty in the early
days. It is located on a hill, close to the Montefeltro stadium, between
Via Santissima Annunziata, Y. Gagarin and G. Rossini.
Villa Pavilion.
The noble casino was demolished in 2015 and was located behind the city
hospital. The portal and the church of the Madonna di Loreto remain.
Villa Maria. It is located on a hill and the villa area overlooks via
Bonconte da Montefeltro. The ancient noble casino (privately owned) was
separated from the portal, following the construction of the
headquarters of the "Book School" art high school. The portal is
attributed to Bartolomeo Ammannati.
Villa Tortorina. It stands on a
hill, squeezed between Via Bonconte da Montefeltro, E. Bernini and O.
Petrucci, overlooking the Piantata district.
Villa dell'Orologio.
Located on a hill along the road (Provincial Road 9) which leads from
Urbino to Gadana and the Foglia valley. Built in the 18th century as a
country residence for the archbishops of Urbino. The portal is now in an
advanced state of abandonment, on Provincial Road 9, from which an
avenue developed that led to the noble casino, but the avenue has now
disappeared, swallowed up by the nearby fields.
Cal Duca
The
Montale
College Building
Villa Giunchi
The walls of Urbino are the ancient defensive circle of the city.
Created with the city itself, there have been four different routes, the
last of which dates back to the first half of the 16th century.
Porta Valbona. This is the main gateway to the city. Erected in its
current form in 1621 on the occasion of the wedding of the future Duke
Federico Ubaldo Della Rovere with Claudia de' Medici.
Porta Santa
Lucia
Porta Lavagine
Porta del Monte (demolished)
Porta San
Bartolo
Porta Nuova or Barriera Margherita
Porta Santa Maria
Porta San Polo
Bastion of Santa Lucia
Bastione del Monte (semi-destroyed)
Bastion of San Bartolo
Bastion of Santa Chiara
Bastion of
Belisarius
Bastion of San Polo
Bastion of Sant'Agostino
Bastion
of Santa Caterina
Bastion of the Holy Trinity
Bastion of the
Friars
Albornoz Fortress. It was built by Cardinal Anglico de
Grimoard, between 1367 and 1371, on the site where one of the
Montefeltro residences stood. The construction of the fortress was due
to the need to better control the city, after some riots had occurred
there. It was strengthened in the same century by the Spanish cardinal
Egidio Albornoz. Finally it was renovated, in its current form, in the
second half of the 16th century. In 2010 the building became home to a
museum of 15th century weapons and armour, called the Ducal Armoury -
Bella Gerit. From the top of the building you can enjoy a beautiful view
of the city and the surrounding hills.
Piazza Duca Federico (formerly Piazza Maggiore)
It is a small
square, quadrilateral in shape, located on the top of the Poggio hill.
This square leads to the main entrance of the Ducal Palace, whose mass
dominates the southern and western sides. While the northern side is
dominated by the cathedral, whose side, which overlooks the square, is
adorned by the Loggia del Grano, which guarantees access to the Oratorio
della Grotta. Finally, on the eastern side the square borders the
adjacent Via Puccinotti. This square can be considered the "heart" of
Urbino, as it represented the fulcrum around which the city was born and
developed; representing, for centuries, its political and religious
centre; since Roman times, when the forum was to be built in the area.
This square hosted, from 1897 to 1947, the monument to Raffaello Sanzio,
by Luigi Belli, then moved to the top of via Raffaello (Monte).
Piazza della Repubblica (formerly Piazza 8 Settembre, formerly Piazza
Nuova, formerly Pian di Mercato)
The current square, trapezoidal in
shape, was born in the 19th century, with the expansion on the southern
side, due to the construction of the Palazzo Nuovo degli Albani and then
the opening of Corso Garibaldi. Five streets converge on the square (via
Raffaello, via Battisti, via Veneto, via Mazzini and corso Garibaldi)
and its center is dominated by a fountain, designed by Diomede Catalucci
in 1908, eliminated in 1927, and reintroduced in the nineties. The
current name dates back to 1946, while the previous one commemorated the
entry into the city of the first soldiers of the Kingdom of Sardinia, in
1860. The square, before the nineteenth-century expansion, was narrower
(a sort of slight expansion of the neighboring Via Raffaello ) and was
called Pian di Mercato, as this toponym reflected the role that the
square had as the seat of the city market, which it retained until the
18th century. It will maintain its social role, i.e. that of a meeting
point for the Urbino population, being favored in this by its position;
as the square is located on the easiest point, a small plateau, to move
on one of the two hills (the Poggio and the Monte) on which the city
rests. Furthermore, almost all the main streets coming from the major
city gates converge on the square, thus contributing to making it the
true center of the city.
Piazza del Rinascimento (formerly Piazza
Vittorio Emanuele, formerly del Poggio or del Gioca Balloon)
This
square was born in 1563, by will of Duke Guidobaldo II della Rovere. The
square looks like a long sloping rectangle; whose western side (long
side) is occupied for its entire length by the façade of the Palazzo
Ducale. While the opposite side is occupied by the church of San
Domenico, the building of the former seminary and Palazzo Petrangolini.
Instead, the southern side is closed by via Saffi, flanked by the
Vecchiotti-Antaldi and Montefeltro-Bonaventura buildings; while, on the
opposite side, the southern one borders via Puccinotti. The square
partially corresponds to the route of the Cardo Massimo, of the ancient
Roman Town Hall. Since the 16th century this square hosted "the ball
game" (from which the square took its original name), which was
initially identifiable with Florentine football and the Aita game; then,
between the 18th and 19th centuries, it became identified with the game
of Balloon with the bracelet. Ball games with the bracelet were
initially prohibited in the aforementioned square on 18 August 1813 by
the vice-prefect of the Metauro department. Although the practice of
gaming continued until the ordinance of the municipal police of 15 July
1875. These limitations (aimed at prohibiting this practice within the
city walls) were due to respond to numerous complaints from citizens,
who complained of damage to people and buildings. After the last
ordinance, the game was moved to the Mercatale square. Between the 19th
and part of the 20th century, the usual city market took place in this
square. In the square there is, towards the northern side, an Egyptian
obelisk, a gift from Pope Clement XI.
Piazzale del Mercatale
The square, with a quadrilateral shape, was built at the end of the
fifteenth century by Francesco di Giorgio Martini. This square serves as
the main access point to the city, together with Porta Valbona. It was
called this because the livestock market was originally held there, but
it was also used for other purposes. Towards the end of the twentieth
century, the square was redesigned by Giancarlo De Carlo.
Via Vittorio Veneto (formerly Francesco Puccinotti, formerly Strada
del Duomo)
It is one of the main streets of the historic center and
plays an important role in the city, as it connects the two centres, the
political-religious one (Piazza Duca Federico) and the socio-commercial
one (Piazza della Repubblica). Furthermore, this route corresponds
approximately and partially to one end of the Cardo Maximus; as
evidenced by, on one side of the street, against the wall of a house, a
small stone boulder, the last remnant of Porta Maia (most likely
deriving from the Latin Mayor), one of the four entrances to the ancient
Roman town hall. From the end of the 19th century until 1922, this
street was named after the Urbino doctor Francesco Puccinotti; then from
1922 this name was maintained only for the stretch between Piazza
Rinascimento and the Town Hall, as the remaining stretch was named after
the city of Vittorio Veneto, to commemorate the decisive battle of the
First World War. Shortly before the junction of this road with Via
Puccinotti, a small, steeply sloping square opens up, originally called
Piazza Farina and renamed, in 2009, Largo San Crescentino; for the small
monument to the Patron Saint present on the site, composed of an altar
and a stone column that support a small eighteenth-century statue of the
Saint. Also on Largo San Crescentino stands the eighteenth-century
façade of the Town Hall.
Via Francesco Puccinotti (formerly
Piazza del Duomo)
This street almost seems like a sort of extension
of Piazza Duca Federico, as its respective entrances overlook it: the
Palazzo Comunale, the cathedral and, via Piazza Giovanni Pascoli, the
Palazzo Arcivescovile. It also roughly coincides with a segment of the
ancient Cardo Maximus.
Via Giuseppe Mazzini (formerly Valbona)
Popularly called Valbona, given that it is the main street of the
district of the same name. While to the north the street flows into
Piazza della Repubblica. The road is marked by a sharp slope. It assumed
its current name at the beginning of the 20th century. This street
represented, together with the Gate, the entrance of honor to the city,
and it is no coincidence that all the facades of the buildings
overlooking it are among the most elegant in Urbino. According to
tradition, all the new archbishops of Urbino enter the city via this
route. In ancient times this road was the access route into the city for
those coming from the west, in particular from the Tuscany road. Along
this road is the oratory of Corpus Domini (or church of San Francesco di
Paola), the Lucciarini-Luminati palaces (whose architecture has clear
references to the style of Francesco di Giorgio Martini) and
Galli-Palma.
Via Raffaello (formerly Il Monte)
The street is
characterized as one of the steepest in Urbino, perhaps also for this
reason it is popularly called Monte. It develops on the southern slope
of the eponymous hill. The road was closed at the top by the bastion and
the city gate of the same name, demolished at the beginning of the 20th
century; now there is, in a more advanced position with respect to the
walls, a park in the center of which the monument to Raphael stands out.
While at the bottom, the street ends in Piazza della Repubblica. On this
road are Raphael's birthplace, the Palace of Justice, the churches of
San Francesco and San Sergio (the first cathedral); furthermore, from it
you can reach the park of the Albornoz Fortress. This is the main street
of the Monte district.
Via Cesare Battisti (formerly Lavagine)
Popularly called Lavagine, it is also marked by a sharp slope, closed to
the east by the gate of the same name, while to the south it flows into
Piazza della Repubblica. This is the main street of the Lavagine
district. Originally this road was the direct access to the city for
those coming from Pesaro. Around 1919, it was named after the
irredentist Cesare Battisti. On this street are the main headquarters of
the Raffaello Academy, inside Palazzo Viviani (not far from the Porta
urbica), and the ancient Fountain of the Lion, halfway along the road at
the fork with Via Sant'Andrea; it is a source of considerable size
created close to a section of the retaining wall of the Botanical
Garden. Furthermore, leaning against the internal part of the Porta
urbica, there is the small church of Santa Maria degli Angeli. The
street, at its confluence in Piazza della Repubblica, is flanked on one
side by the church of San Francesco and on the other by the building of
the former Raffaello college.
Via Donato Bramante (formerly Santa
Lucia)
The slightly sloping stretch of this street is popularly
called Santa Lucia, like the Porta urbica which delimits its northern
end; the other end marks the confluence with via Raffaello. In ancient
times this road guaranteed direct access to the city for those coming
from the north. In fact, in 1860, the first Piedmontese troops entered
the city, right through the aforementioned gate and street. The name
Santa Lucia derives from the ancient monastery dedicated to the
homonymous Saint, which was located on the corner between Largo Clemente
XI and Via Viti; the church and monastery no longer exist. On this
street is the church of Santo Spirito, which has its entrance on Largo
Clemente cardinal Annibale Albani in 1739; from this Largo a fork forms,
on the left the street goes up to the Porta urbica while on the right
you arrive in front of the "Giovanni Pascoli" elementary school, which
stands on the site where, until 1932, there was the garden of Santa
Lucia. Along the road, not far from Largo Clemente XI, are Palazzo
Albani, the Botanical Garden and the headquarters of the Liceo Artistico
Scuola del Libro.
Via Aurelio Saffi (formerly San Polo)
Popularly called San Polo, from the former church of San Paolo, which is
located in the upper part of the street, owned by the University which
transformed it into a restoration laboratory. The current name dates
back to the beginning of the 20th century. It represents the main street
of the San Polo district. The street is characterized in the city as one
of the steepest, together with the Monte; it develops along the southern
slope of the Poggio hill, descending from north to south. The road is
closed to the south by the bastion of the same name, while to the north
it flows into Piazza del Rinascimento. The highest part, located on the
top of the Poggio, represents one of the oldest areas of the historic
center; in it there are: Palazzo Montefeltro-Bonaventura, the monastery
of Santa Caterina and the former church of San Pietro Celestino V; while
at the beginning of the descent, there is the former convent of San
Benedetto - Palazzo Battiferri (now the Faculty of Economics) and the
aforementioned former church of San Paolo. The street corresponds,
approximately, to the southern end of the ancient Cardo Massimo of the
Roman city. Halfway along the street, at the confluence with via San
Girolamo, you can see the remains of the Porta di Belisario, the ancient
southern access to the medieval city walls. Other monuments in this
street are the Decarlian building of the former Faculty of Teaching,
born from the demolition of the convent of Santa Maria della Bella,
whose deconsecrated church was incorporated into the new building;
another monument is the church of Sant'Agostino, which has a Gothic
facade on the outside while the interior is the result of the
eighteenth-century renovation wanted by Pope Albani, for the main city
churches; linked to this church there is also the former convent (now
the Faculty of Law), which has its own entrance at the back, towards the
walls. At one end of the street, at the bottom of the slope, there is
the house where the writer and poet Paolo Volponi lived; right on the
site where this house stands, there was the passage that connected San
Polo to the city gate of the same name, no longer usable but still
exists. This passage was closed in the 19th century, following the
construction of the toll barrier and the new road along the walls.
Via Federico Barocci (formerly San Giovanni)
Popularly known as
San Giovanni. The street develops transversally, on the south-western
side of the Monte hill, in an intermediate position between the area
above the Albornoz fortress and the underlying Via Mazzini (Valbona).
Due to its position, it has a flat layout, characterized only by slight
slopes. The current name dates back to the early 20th century. This
street has a purely historical-artistic importance in the city. Since
many illustrious men were born and lived along this road, including
Federico Barocci himself and his brothers, famous watch makers (Simone,
Giovanni Battista and Giovanni Maria); but not only: Giovan Battista
Comandino (military architect) and his son Federico (mathematician),
Lorenzo Vagnarelli (builder of mathematical instruments) and his brother
Pietro (military architect), Pompilio Bruni (builder of mathematical
instruments), Marco Montano (literate) and Pier Girolamo Vernaccia
(historian). Furthermore, on this street there is the oratory of San
Giovanni, that of San Giuseppe and that of the Five Wounds. From this
road you can enjoy a broad view of the Palazzo Ducale, with its famous
Torricini, and the cathedral.
La Piola is a typical alley of the city, characterized by particular ramps, punctuated by rows of bricks in relief, parallel to each other and perpendicular or oblique to the rainwater drainage channel, similar to a ladder. They act as a support for the feet, especially if the flooring is particularly slippery due to rain or snow. This particular type of ramp is found in the narrowest alleys, accessible only on foot or too steep, or on the sides of some main streets, in the steepest points, flanked by metal handrails. The Volta, on the other hand, is a partially or totally covered alley between buildings, often with barrel-vaulted ceilings (hence the name) or even architraves. In many cases the vaults have Piola flooring.
Egyptian obelisk. One of the twelve original Egyptian obelisks in
Italy, it is located in Piazza Rinascimento, in front of the eastern
side of the Palazzo Ducale and in front of the church of San Domenico.
Made up of four overlapping blocks and with a bronze cross on the top,
it dates back to the time of Hofra or Apries. It arrived in Urbino in
1737, brought by Annibale Albani, a cardinal relative of Clement XI.
The Raphael Monument. Created by the sculptor Luigi Belli between 1883
and 1894. It was inaugurated on 22 August 1897 in Piazza Duca Federico,
in front of the main entrance of the Palazzo Ducale. In 1947 it was
moved to the top of via Raffaello, where it still stands today.
Statue of Saint Peter Celestine (Pope Celestine V). The monument is
located in Largo Clemente XI, near the church of Santo Spirito. The
statue, the work of the Roman artist Bartolomeo Bincillotti, was erected
in 1737. Originally it was supposed to represent Pope Alexander VIII, as
a tribute from Cardinal Annibale Albani, to thank him for the
meritorious works carried out in favor of the city. However, during the
French occupation (1797-1801), the then archbishop Spiridione Berioli,
for fear that the statue would be destroyed, given that it represented a
pontiff, decided to have it modified and dedicate it to the city's
co-patron Saint Peter Celestine V.
Fonte del Leone or Barberina. It
represents the terminal of an underground conduit of the ancient
aqueduct, of Roman origin. This is the main city fountain, used around
the 15th century also as a wash house, according to the latest research.
The monumental façade was created at the beginning of the 18th century,
by order of Cardinal Annibale Albani, close to the retaining wall of the
Botanical Garden, the ancient vegetable garden of the Franciscan
convent. It was restored at the end of the nineties of the twentieth
century, on that occasion a copy of the statue popularly called
Barberina was placed in the central niche, depicting an allegorical
figure of the Metauro or a Nymph; the original from the Roman era,
placed there after the renovation wanted by Albani, was removed towards
the end of the 19th century and is now preserved at the University
Institute of Archeology of Palazzo Albani.
Monument to San
Crescentino. Located in the ancient Piazza Farina (now Largo San
Crescentino), in front of the eighteenth-century façade of the town
hall. It was built in 1737 and consists of an altar and a stone column,
coming from the church of the Santi Apostoli in Rome, a gift from
Cardinal Annibale Albani. On the top of the monument, a small bronze
statue of the Saint was placed, created by Camillo Mariani. This
sculpture was then removed and, to better protect it from atmospheric
agents, moved inside the National Gallery of the Marche. Since 2009, a
copy of the statue has been relocated on top of the monument, which has
been restored since 2010; in the same year the place in which it is
located was named after the saint of the same name.
Fountain of Pope
Benedict XIII. It is located in via Bramante, in front of the main
entrance of Palazzo Albani. It was built in 1729 by the city community
as thanks to the pontiff for the meritorious works carried out in favor
of the city. It drew water from the underground Santa Lucia pipeline of
the ancient city aqueduct.
Fountain in Piazza della Repubblica. It is
located in the center of Piazza della Repubblica. It was built in 1908,
based on a design by Diomede Catalucci. It was removed in 1927 and
reintroduced in the second half of the nineties.
Exedra of Corso
Garibaldi. It was built in conjunction with the construction of the
adjacent Sanzio Theater, as part of the architectural-urban planning
interventions for the surrounding area, designed by Vincenzo Ghinelli.
The exedra in particular was built to facilitate the maneuvering of the
carriages of people going to the theatre.
The new Magisterium (Faculty of Sociology) and Palazzo Battiferri
(Faculty of Economics)
They are examples of balanced modern
architectural interventions in an ancient urban fabric, without creating
anachronisms or historical forgeries. The design of which was carried
out by the architect Giancarlo De Carlo.
University colleges
Located on the Capuchin Hill, they are considered worldwide masterpieces
of the architecture of the seventies, due to the density of meanings
they contain (architect Giancarlo De Carlo).
Resistance Park
Remembrance Park
Cesane Park
Monumental
trees
In the municipal territory there are three trees included in
the national list of monumental trees by the Ministry of Agricultural,
Food and Forestry Policies:
A ginco in the city Botanical Garden, 28
meters tall and with a trunk circumference of 314 centimetres.
Furthermore there is also a beech tree, dating back to 1809.
The
plane tree of the "Lorenzo Valerio" nursery school, dating back to
around 1700, is 28 meters high and has a trunk circumference of 500
centimetres.
The oak of Palazzo del Piano.
The entire municipal territory of Urbino develops
in an area classified as a medium-high seismic risk. In the
earthquake database elaborated by the National Institute of
Geophysics and Volcanology, 65 seismic events that affected the
municipality of Urbino between 26 March 1511 and 26 March 1998 are
reported. Among them, the strongest tremors were that of the VIII
degree of the Mercalli Scale of 24 April 1741 which had its
epicenter in the Fabriano area (where it reached 6.08 of the Richter
Scale and the IX degree of Mercalli), that of the VII degree of the
Mercalli Scale of 23 June 1781 which had the epicenter in Cagliese
(where it reached 6.23 on the Richter scale and the IX-X degree of
the Mercalli), that of the VII degree of the Mercalli scale of 21
September 1897 which had its epicenter at sea in the central
Adriatic and that of the VI-VII degree of the Mercalli scale of 12
March 1873 which had its epicenter in the southern Marche (where it
reached 5.88 of the Richter scale and the eighth degree of
Mercalli); In addition, nine different earthquakes were recorded in
the same period analyzed, reaching the VI degree of the Mercalli
Scale in Urbino.
Seismic classification: zone 2 (medium-high
seismicity), PCM 3274 Ordinance of 20/03/2003.
The name Urbino is of uncertain origin, according to some it derives from the Latin name Urvinum Mataurense. Urvinum (or Urbinum) would derive from the noun Urvum (or Urbum), which designated the handle of the plow, whose shape resembled the Poggio hill (on which there was the primitive nucleus of the city); while the term Mataurense (or Metaurense) derives from the geographical proximity to the river Mataurus (or Metaurus), to distinguish it from another city of the same name in the same Augustan region, Urvinum Hortense, whose name also seems to derive from the conformation of the land on which this latter city had been built. According to an alternative hypothesis, the toponym Urbino derives from the Latin urbs-urbis ('city') and refers to its nature as a double city (urbs bina), because it developed on two hills. Another hypothesis holds that the name has a pre-Roman origin.