Urbino is the capital (with Pesaro) of Pesaro and Urbino Province. It is the most famous city of le Marche in the world, well known for being the cradle of the Renaissance. Famous is the Ducal Palace, residence of the Marche National Gallery, with an important collection of art works made by artists including: Raffaello Sanzio, Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello and other famous names. Birthplace of Raffaello Sanzio, Urbino owes its fame to Federico da Montefeltro, who made the culture a way of life, thanks to him, in the fifteenth century Urbino became the art reference point for all Western civilization. Lots of great architects worked for him revolutioning the military architecture of the period. The first experiment was the “testuggine” of Sassocorvaro, followed by the fortresses of Mondavio, Cagli, Fossombrone and San Leo. Not to be missed is the St. Giovanni Oratory from the second half of the fourteenth century, which host the great fresco of the crucifixion and the Cathedral of Urbino, a beautiful building attributed to Bramante, another great son of the ​​Montefeltro’s area. Historically famous for the Free University founded in 1506, Urbino is also residence of a renowned Academy of Fine Arts and an Institute for books illustration.

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