REDISCOVERING THE RENAISSANCE

Rewind the clock to the days of lords and dames on this full-day excursion to two delightful towns in northern Le Marche. Visitors will relive the glories of the region’s Renaissance heyday as they wander through Urbino’s atmospheric centro storico and explore the fairy tale castle of Gradara.

Tucked away in the hills of Le Marche, UNESCO-listed Urbino has changed little since the 15th century when, under the rule of the enlightened Duke Federico da Montefeltro, the town thrived and rejoiced in its golden age. Driven by the intention of rivalling and outshining prestigious Italian royal households, ambitious Federico established one of the country’s most illustrious courts here. He called upon the greatest artists and architects of the time and set about transforming medieval Urbino into a model city and perfect embodiment of humanist planning principles of balance and harmony.

Robust walls protect a beautifully preserved historic centre, crossed by winding streets and punctuated with a collection of charming palazzi. Your guide will meet you in Piazza Mercatale and lead you on a tour of Urbino’s best-loved landmarks. Take the very same secret route once used by the duke as you climb up a spiral staircase that leads to the old town. Here you will visit the sprawling Palazzo Ducale, described by its contemporaries as “a city in the shape of a palace”. Built at the request of Federico, the complex amply fulfilled its function as a stately residence whose sheer magnificence would affirm the duke’s unshakeable wealth and power as well as Urbino’s uncontested reputation as one of Europe’s major cultural capitals. We owe this masterpiece of civil and military engineering to Luciano Laurana and Francesco di Giorgio Martini, among the most talented architects of the Quattrocento. Although the interior today is mostly bare, grand halls and elaborate doorways and fireplaces are an indication of the splendour that must have reigned at court. Among guests’ favourites are the perfectly proportioned arcaded courtyard, the private apartments and exquisite studiolo, the duke’s personal study decorated with wooden trompe-l’oeil panels featuring cabinets filled with books, armour, musical and scientific instruments. The premises also house the National Gallery of Le Marche, showcasing a remarkable collection of paintings and sculptures from the 1300s to the 1700s. Your guide will point out famous Renaissance masterpieces, including The Last Supper by Titian, Piero della Francesca’s Flagellation and the Portrait of a Gentlewoman by Raphael, Urbino’s most famous son, born here in 1483.

A leisurely stroll through town, up and down its iconic piole, will allow you to discover many of Urbino’s picture-postcard sights. Highlights include the Neoclassical-style facade of the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta and Piazza della Repubblica, formerly the market square and today a favourite meeting spot with the locals who gather here for ritual evening aperitivi. Not to be missed is also the Oratory of San Giovanni, known as the “Sistine Chapel of Le Marche”. Step inside to admire the fresco cycle that adorns its walls, depicting a Crucifixion and Scenes from the Life of St. John the Baptist. The intricate detail of the compositions and the emotional intensity of the characters, together with the masterful use of a brilliant palette, attest to the skill and artistic heights reached by the Salimbeni brothers, fine exponents of the 15th century Gothic style.

After some free time for lunch rejoin your guide and driver and reach Gradara, a quaint little town, oozing old-world charm and character, located near the border of Emilia Romagna. A jumble of stone houses huddles at the base of a hilltop fortress, protected by well preserved walls and watchtowers. The town flourished during the Middle Ages and Renaissance era when it became the object of dispute between powerful noble families, owing to its strategic position along the ancient Via Flaminia, once an important route for trade and travel. The castle of Gradara is one of Italy’s most noteworthy examples of medieval military architecture and perfectly combines the functions of a defence fortress and a stately mansion. Its first nucleus dates to the 12th century when the De Grifo lords marked their hegemony over this feud by building a defence tower on this site. But it is to the Malatesta, Sforza and Della Rovere dynasties, who in turn came into possession of Gradara between the 13th and 17th centuries, that we owe the castle as we know it today. All these families set out to transform the stronghold into a magnificent princely residence that would proclaim their prestige.

Your guide will show you around the halls that served as the private quarters of illustrious personages and paint a vivid picture of courtly life back in Gradara’s olden days. These mighty walls, still surprisingly intact, have witnessed some eight centuries of Italian history. You will hear stories of sieges, learn of the disputes that inflamed rival dynasties, conjure up an image of Lucrezia Borgia, dissatisfied and longing for her festive Roman lifestyle, and listen to the moving tales of two star-crossed lovers whose tragic fate was sealed within these rooms. The castle of Gradara is indeed inextricably linked to the legend of Paolo and Francesca, the protagonists of the 5th canto of Dante’s Inferno, who fell madly in love and were murdered by her husband Gianciotto.

After the tour of the castle and a leisurely stroll through Gradara your private chauffeur will drive you back to your accommodation.