October 18th
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of
Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable
historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the
patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482. The
town, nestled on a high sloping hillside, retains much of its picturesque
medieval aspect, only slightly marred by the large car parks below the town. It
hosts the University of Urbino, founded in 1506, and is the seat of the
Archbishop of Urbino. Its best-known architectural piece is the Palazzo Ducale,
rebuilt by Luciano Laurana. Urbino
experienced a great cultural flowering in the 15th century, attracting artists
and scholars from all over Italy and beyond, and influencing cultural developments
elsewhere in Europe. Owing to its economic and cultural stagnation from the
16th century onwards, it has preserved its Renaissance appearance to a
remarkable extent.
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