A journey to discover the northern part of the Marche, the only Italian destination among the 30 world destinations indicated by the Lonely Planet magazine, with the Best in Travel 2020 award: from Urbino to the Adriatic coast, a territory with Renaissance charm and unspoiled nature, to be explored calmly and calmly.
The hinterland, villages and castles
The Montefeltro area is a historical land formed between the end of the Roman era and the beginning of the Middle Ages, in Italy of the Lordships, when the noble families traced the ranks of these territories.
Urbino and Montefeltro, a territory rich in history and culture to discover and admire for its authentic beauty, immersed in genuine nature, between the valleys of the Metauro and Foglia rivers. If you stay at Kunst Haus Ducci, you will certainly want to take a tour of the surroundings and the things to see in this part of the Marche are endless.
Urbino, just 15 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci, has always been called the ideal city of the Renaissance, it was built by Duke Federico da Montefeltro, a great patron who summoned the most famous artists of the period to his court to create in perfect perspective rigor a city whose urban structure would remain perfect even in the centuries to come. Arriving at the foot of the city you will surely be blown away by the timeless beauty of the Torricini and the Palazzo Ducale: simply calling it a palace is rather reductive, it is a small fortified city desired by Duke Federico with the aim of overcoming, in beauty, all the others princely residences of Italy. The aim was to make Urbino “Ideal City” of which the Palace was to be the highest expression. The National Gallery of the Marche is housed inside the building, which houses one of the most beautiful and important art collections of the Italian Renaissance: you will find works by artists such as Raffaello, Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Tiziano and Melozzo da Forlì. Among the rooms there is a wonderful place where Federico used to spend his time: the duke’s study holds valuable stuccos on the vault and is covered in the lower band of woods inlaid by Baccio Pontelli on drawings by Sandro Botticelli, Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Donato Bramante.
And of course the House of Raffaello: the house was purchased by Giovanni Santi, father of Raffaello, born in the nearby village of colbordolo, poet and painter at the court of Federico da Montefeltro, who organized his own workshop where Raffaello (1483-1520) learned the first notions of painting.
Climbing to the top of the city of Urbino, along the steepest street, you arrive at the Albornoz Fortress, from which you can admire a breathtaking view and enjoy a little relaxation on the lawn: this is the most panoramic point of the city from which it is possible admire all the forms of the Renaissance fortress that blend with the soft hills behind.
From Kunst Haus Ducci it is possible to reach, in just an hour’s drive or a little more, some fortified cities and castles of remarkable beauty, such as Montegridolfo, Mondaino, Saludecio, Montefabbri, Fiorenzuola, Casteldimezzo, Novilara, Candelara, Gradara, San Marino, San Leo.
Gradara
Gradara (15 minutes): the hill of Gradara is dominated by the majestic Rocca and surrounded by a small medieval village; the castle hosted the main families of the medieval and renaissance era: Malatesta, Sforza, Borgia and Della Rovere, and was the scene of great historical and legendary events, including the love affair of Paolo and Francesca, the unfortunate lovers immortalized also by Dante in the Divine Comedy.
San Leo
San Leo (about 1 hour): San Leo, whose ancient name is Montefeltro, is located in the Val Marecchia road that from Rimini moves on the Apennine slope of Monte Carpegna towards Villa Verucchio, Santagata Feltria, and Pennabilli, suggestive places of our Community Montana. San Leo stands on a huge, impassable rocky boulder, at 600 meters above sea level. For its impregnable position, it lived important civil, military, religious and political facts. In the fourth century it was evangelized by San Leone. After the fall of the Roman Empire, it was disputed between: Goths and Greeks, Lombards and Franks, then passed to the Church in 962-64 Berengario II, who elected it the capital of Italy, at the time the Fortress sustained hard battles against Otto I, emperor German. In 1155, Montefeltrano I gives origin to the Montefeltro family here. San Leo was then held by the Malatesta family, conquered by the future Federico III from Montefeltro, then again by Lorenzo dè Medici in 1516, successively by Francesco Maria I Della Rovere in 1527. In the years 1631 to 1860 by the Church. In this period of time in 1790 one of the darkest events carried out by the Court of the Inquisition of the Church with its trials against heretics was the imprisonment in the Fortress of Giuseppe Balsamo called the Count of Cagliostro condemned as conspirator, heretic, alchemist, where his days ended. His penitentiary cell inside the fortress is still interesting today, built specifically with a skylight suitable only for the gaze of the three religious symbols located in San Leo: the Cathedral, the Church and the Convent so that he could redeem himself to the perpetual gaze of the “Trinity”.
Umberto Eco, the famous italian writer, was a frequent visitor of San Leo in the recent 1980s, especially since he resided, until his last days, in a nearby town; surely taken from the place so Esoteric wrote and elaborated in the quiet of the place his best novels: “The Name of the Rose” and “The Pendulum of Foucault” defining San Leo the most beautiful city in Italy.
The most important monuments are: The Fort (15th century) by Francesco di Giorgio Martini is now home to the Museum and Pinacoteca; the Pieve (IX-XI century); the Duomo, year 1173; S. Igne, year 1243 which hosted Dante Alighieri and St. Francis.
San Marino
San Marino (about 1 hour): San Marino is one of the oldest republics in the world; The historic center of San Marino stands on Mount Titano and includes all the elements that illustrated its identity at the time of its foundation and during the medieval period, typical of the Italian city-states. Numerous elements of the historic center that have been preserved or that have been restored, are part of a long tradition.
The Adriatc Coast – The sea
Now we come to the sea, starting from Kunst Haus Ducci, in just 15 minutes you can get to the Adriatic coast and the Pesaro Sea. In this part of the Adriatic it is possible to enjoy the spectacle of two of the very few promontories of the entire coast, Monte San Bartolo and the Ardizio, relax on isolated and peaceful beaches, but at the same time visit cities and ancient villages overlooking the sea.
PESARO
In Primis we mention Pesaro, overlooking the Adriatic Sea, is a seaside resort located between the hills of Monte Ardizio and Monte San Bartolo, and offers 7 kilometers of sandy beach, between equipped coast and free beach (Blue Flag beaches 2018: Ponente / Levante Sottomonte for over 6 km); the coast is wide and sandy, perfect for a family holiday: shallow and safe waters so as to deserve the Green Flag dedicated to child-friendly resorts.
The city is also rich in cultural entertainment: Pesaro was the birthplace of the famous composer Gioachino Rossini and one of the most renowned Italian conservatories is named after him and also the Rossini Theater which has hosted the ROF for more than 35 years, among the opera festivals most famous opera in the world.
ANCIENT VILLAGE OF NOVILARA
Ancient walled village of Novilara (15 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci): an ancient fortified village rich in history, located about 4 km from Pesaro, straddling the valleys of Foglia and Metauro; it also has significant archaeological value, given the presence of an important Picene necropolis.
CANDELARA
Candelara (15 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci): a small hamlet about 7 km from Pesaro, with a panorama that spans 360° from the sea to the Apennines.
FIORENZUOLA DI FOCARA
Fiorenzuola di Focara and Casteldimezzo (20 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci): a short distance from Gabicce Mare, Fiorenzuola di Focara is a truly enchanting village, an ancient medieval village that stands 117 meters above sea level.
FANO
Fano (20 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci): the third city of the Marche region, rich in history, culture and good food; a historic center not to be missed and a welcoming and lively seaside area.
GABICCE MARE
Gabicce Mare (15 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci): a small gulf overlooking the Adriatic Sea, it is the northern gateway to the Marche region and, with its approximately 40 bathing establishments, has the best equipped beaches on the Marche coast.
NATURAL PARK OF SAN BARTOLO
The San Bartolo Natural Park: an uncontaminated pearl made of itineraries, paths, Renaissance villages and wonderful beaches. The park is located between Gabicce Mare and Pesaro and has very suggestive natural aspects: the overhanging cliffs constitute a very particular and suggestive seascape; at the foot of the cliffs runs a thin pebble and pebble beach; through the panoramic road you can reach the ancient villages of Gabicce Monte, Casteldimezzo, Fiorenzuola di Focara, Santa Marina Alta and the small port of Baia Vallugola; to stand out within this area is undoubtedly the beautiful Villa Imperiale: the result of the revisiting of a previous Sforza building by Girolamo Genga; it was a meeting place for writers and artists including Torquato Tasso and Pietro Bembo.
BAIA VALLUGOLA
Baia Vallugola (20 minutes from Kunst Haus Ducci): a true paradise for those who want to get away from the chaos of the Riviera in summer; it is inserted in a beautiful inlet protected on both sides by two promontories that separate it from Gabicce and Casteldimezzo.
