With the memory of a glorious past in its fortified villages, connected with the name of Duke Federico to whom we owe that “palace-shaped town” that is Urbino, Montefeltro is the symbol of a Renaissance as severe and gentle as the painting of Raphael, who was born there.
Day 1
An Evening Walk Through the Town’s Streets
From the Ancona airport we reach Urbino. After checking in at the hotel, we go to “L’Angolo Divino”, a restaurant of typical cooking of the Marches where we will have dinner, followed by a walk through the town’s streets. Overnight stay.
2
A “Palace-Shaped Town”
After breakfast we will visit the Ducal Palace, the residence of Federico da Montefeltro which today houses one of the most
important Italian museums: the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. After lunch at the wine cellar “Magia Ciarla”, where we can taste the wines of the Marches accompanied by cheeses and typical products, we will visit the historic center, with Piazza Rinascimento and the Cathedral, the oratories of San Giovanni Battista and San Giuseppe, and the house of Raphael’s birth. We will have dinner in the ancient rooms of the “Il Cortegiano” restaurant, specialized in truffle dishes. Overnight stay.
3
The Fortresses of the Condottiere
After breakfast we go to San Leo, a medieval village dominated by the fort of the same name restructured by Francesco di Giorgio Martini for Federico da Montefeltro. Used as a prison, in 1795 Giuseppe Balsamo, Count of Cagliostro, condemned as a heretic and conspirator, died there. After lunch at the “Castello”, and excellent restaurant in the center of San Leo, we will visit Sassocorvaro, “the sentinel of Montefeltro” with its characteristic fortress designed by Martini in the shape of a ship. After returning to the hotel, we will enjoy the excellent fresh pastries of the “Nene” restaurant. Overnight stay.
4
The Fortune of the Montefeltro Family from Urbania to Carpegna
After breakfast we will visit Urbania, the ancient Castel Durante, renamed in honor of Pope Urban VIII, famous during the Renaissnance for its production of majolica. The visit includes the Ducal Palace, a 3rd-century edifice completed by Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Girolamo Genga; the Cathedral of San Cristoforo, which holds masterpieces such as the Crucifix on a panel by Pietro da Rimini; the monumental complex of Santa Chiara, recently restored. After lunch at the “‘Osteria del Cucco” we go on to Carpegna, which owes its name to the family from whom the Montefeltro family itself is
believed to descend: standing out in the main square is Palazzo Carpegna, also called “of the Princes”, erected in 1675
for Cardinal Gaspare. We will also visit the Church of San Sisto, the town’s oldest place of worship, dating from the 12th
century. Departure from the Ancona airport.
