It was the perfect sunset over the Apennines, the last golden rays of a lazy afternoon reflecting off the Disney-esque twin turrets of the 15th Century palazzo at this remote small town.
Yet the town hasn't always been remote and small. At one point this held the most refined of Italy's princely courts, a powerful city-state that assembled some of the best literary and artistic masterminds at the height of the Renaissance. Five hundred years later we sat on a grassy slope overlooking one of the most visually striking palaces anywhere in Italy, though Urbino is now largely neglected as a little-known town in a faraway province.
We arrived at Urbino exactly one week after the famous Festa dell'Aquilone, the annual kiting festival and a modern vestige of ancient traditions at this geographically isolated locale, nestled on the Adriatic side of the Apennine Mountains away from the influence of cultural heavyweights such as Rome or Florence. Its remarkably steep alleys could be mistaken for those of any Tuscan hilltown, except for the lack of tourists compared with Siena or San Gimignano.
Despite being venerated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its immaculately preserved Renaissance townscape, Urbino is far from becoming a household name even among the Italians themselves. My Italian coworkers seemed puzzled by my itinerary to venture this far into unknown territory -- Puglia and Basilicata they applauded, but Urbino in Le Marche? Apparently most Italians haven't visited, let alone casual foreign tourists, which is exactly why we came.
Every visitor to Italy knows of Florence and its brilliant flourishing of everything Renaissance, yet few have heard of its obscure twin, an anti-Florence so to speak, situated on the opposite side of the Apennines. As the other cradle of Italian Renaissance, Urbino once contested with its better-financed brother for cultural supremacy, and in fact it was only recently discovered in an encoded letter that its Duke did try to assassinate the ruling Medici brothers of Florence. Fast forward a few centuries though, and Florence has grown into one of the world's premier tourist destinations while Urbino has slipped into anonymity at a distant and humble province.
Today's Urbino is much better known as a vibrant university town hosting one of Italy's oldest academic institutions, with classes held in many historic palazzi and an air of scholarly composure that permeates its centuries-old neighborhoods. Tourists are a precious few while its armies of university students and faculty, 13,000 strong and more populous than the local citizens, drive the town's economy with their grocery runs and aperitivo hours. For independent travelers who may appreciate some youthful exuberance in a magnificent little town off the beaten path, this is the place to be.
Getting here wasn't straightforward -- we happened to arrive by SCHOOL BUS from San Marino (read the long story here). As unconventional as it might seem, this daily commuting vehicle for middle school students provided by far the quickest connection between these two unmissible UNESCO World Heritage Sites. While we did have to flag down our bus at 06:45 in San Marino, it offered the advantage of arriving at Urbino by 08:00 for a full day of exploring the town's timeless Renaissance charm.
By 08:30 we had already dropped off our luggage at the 3-star Albergo Italia next door, perfect for starting our day at the town's most iconic landmark, the pink-bricked palace of Duke Federico da Montefeltro, an exceptional military leader and quintessential Renaissance Man who singlehandedly elevated Urbino to the cutting edge of culture in the 15th Century. From its stately courtyard to the grand spiral staircase, the trendsetting Palazzo Ducale has long served as the ultimate blueprint and object of plagiarism for Renaissance palaces elsewhere in Italy.
While art lovers typically visit the Palazzo for the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche and its world-renowned collection of Renaissance paintings from Barocci to Titian to Urbino's favorite son Raphael, I was much more drawn towards its airy architecture as well as its decorative details, the most amazing being these stunning inlaid wood panels inside the Duke's tiny studiolo.
Outside the Palazzo this lovely young couple emerged from their wedding inside the town's neoclassical cathedral to have their best moment captured on these front marble steps. This was the first of two Italian weddings we witnessed on our trip, the next one being in Lecce in the deep south.
To be honest the Italian weddings we came across were much more reserved than popularized in the English speaking world, the most boisterous segment being the much anticipated bouquet toss.
Visiting in the off-season comes with advantages and disadvantages: while tourists were almost non-existent, lesser-known but still spectacular sights such as the Oratorio di San Giuseppe would close its doors by 13:00. Our unintended early arrival turned out to be ideal for wrapping up our half-day of sightseeing just in time to enjoy the luxury of an afternoon nap.
Housed inside this unassuming oratory is one of Urbino's most distinctive sights, a 400-year-old life-sized nativity scene of stucco statues built into the walls of a natural grotto.
The neighboring Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista was the only place in Urbino where we encountered an organized tour group, a small legion of Italian speakers receiving a lecture on these captivating medieval frescoes. At this point the oratories started to close for the afternoon, and it was time for everyone to take up the local tradition of the midday riposo.
Later in the afternoon we took a walk around the town's expansive medieval walls, a formidable 15 metre wall of elegant pink sandstone and bricks and complete with a multitude of bastions for that perfect panorama of the surrounding Italian countryside.
By sheer luck we chanced upon the annual Gran Premio Nuvolari as dozens of classic cars rode through the historic squares of Urbino! One of these Fiat 508 Balilla ended up winning the 3-day race after 1,000 grueling kilometres across Central Italy.
Just before sunset we followed the local families and they hiked up the extraordinarily steep Via Raffaello to the highest section of the walled city, a green space known locally as Fortezza (formally Parco della Resistenza, as we later found out) overlooking the Palazzo Ducale for that famous postcard view of the Renaissance town in its 15th Century urban setting.
In a brief moment of brilliance the sunlight pierced through the distant clouds and landed on the Palazzo. The children gasped, the lovers kissed, and all the cellphones came out for the impromptu selfies. This lasted for about two minutes before the sun set behind the Apennines the families started to pack up: it was time for dinner.
RESTAURANT REVIEWS
TARTUFI ANTICHE BONTA
Via Raffaello Sanzio, 35, Urbino; one minute walk uphill from Piazza della Repubblica.
With a storefront advertising "Prodotti Tipici e Tartufi," Tartufi Antiche Bonta may appear as a typical Salumeria / gourmet shop to the uninitiated with its wide selection of truffle sauces and dried pasta. But next to its shelves of truffle oil a small staircase leads downstairs into a hidden cellar operating as an Enoteca, with just four precious tables. Needless to say, reservations are a must even in the low season.
That said, this is not a proper Ristorante or even Trattoria, but an Enoteca focusing on its selection of local vintage and serving up some regional Salumi and cheeses to go with the wine. At the bargain price of just 12 euros per head for the fixed menu we half expected to leave semi-hungry, but our worries were immediately negated by this sizable plate of Crostini, smothered in cheese and sprinkled with shaved local truffles.
The main course tonight was a gigantic cutting board of excellent regional cheeses and cured meats from Salame to Coppa to some succulent Prosciutto di Carpegna. On the side was a basket full of fresh Crescia, the distinctively fluffy, pastry-like flat bread that crumbles in the mouth akin to Indian Roti. It was clear then that we would not leave hungry -- in fact we never finished the bread.
Going perfectly with the Salame was a bottle of fruity Passerina (Umani Ronchi Vigor Passerina 2014) from the local hills, again at a very reasonable price of 9.5 euros.
The selection of cheeses ranged from the soft and delicate Ricotta to the prized Casciotta d’Urbino to some aged Caprino, complemented with dried figs, apricot jam and organic honey.
For Dolce our Biscotti Secchi were served with small glasses of Duke Federico's favorite wine, the syrupy sweet and fruity Vino di Visciole made from tiny cherries indigenous to Le Marche. Perhaps it was the mixing of two different alcohols on this evening, but I did wake up the next morning with a rare hangover.
Bill for Two Persons
| Degustazione Menu x 2 | 24 Euros |
| Bottle of Umani Ronchi Vigor Passerina | 9.5 Euros |
| Coperto x 2 | 3 Euros |
| TOTAL | 36.5 Euros (CAD$51.1) |
At less than 20 euros per person for a light dinner this is certainly my number one recommendation in town. Number two is a cheap breakfast joint.
CORNETTERIA PECCATI DI GOLA
Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 28, Urbino; located on the long and steep Via Mazzini, 1 minute from Piazza della Repubblica.
Pictured here were two of the best Cornetti of our entire Italy trip, fresh out of the oven and injected with the customer's choice of flavor only upon ordering to prevent the cream from sogging up the pastry. The result was the flakiest, most scrumptious Cornetti with the richest and nuttiest fillings of pistachio and vanilla. Regretfully I did not get a picture of the storefront, but it should be easy to find as everyone in town knows this place.
Bill for Two Persons
| Cornetto with Chantilly Creme | 1.5 Euros |
| Cornetto with Pistachio Creme | 2.0 Euros |
| TOTAL | 3.5 Euros (CAD$4.9) |
Finally we also tried one of Urbino's most popular Osterie, which was worth a mention even though it might not be as an amazing deal as Tartufi Antiche Bonta.
OSTERIA URBINO KM 0
Via Puccinotti, 21, Urbino; located directly across from the Duomo.
This was about the only time that we had an lunch all'aperto on an Italian town square, as we generally try to avoid such restaurants and their typically overpriced and mediocre food like the plague. But this place boasted a menu entirely derived from Urbino's local ingredients (hence "KM 0"), and we decided to give it a try.
And it wasn't bad, though my wife did find her dish of smoked goose breast slightly underwhelming as the flavor of the meat was completely masked by the strong Pecorino di Fossa and balsamic vinegar. I probably enjoyed the dish more than she did, but then I'm usually the one who appreciates bolder flavors.
I could not resist ordering -- without even knowing the price -- the daily special of Tagliatelle al Tartufo Fresco, the simplest possible dish of pasta with nothing but boiled Tagliatelle and shaved black truffles on top. To be honest the truffles were not quite as sharp and flavorful as I hoped for, and while the amount of shavings was quite generous, the mystery price of 15 euros was a little higher than what I wished to pay for a lackluster dish.
Bill for Two Persons
| Petto d'Oca | 10 Euros |
| Tagliatelle al Tartufo | 15 Euros |
| Bottle of Beer | 4 Euros |
| Coperto x 2 | 2 Euros |
| TOTAL | 31 Euros (CAD$43.4) |
The 3 euro gelato at Gelateria Raffaella (corner of Via Donato Bramante and Via Raffaello) turned out to be a much more enjoyable bite in comparison. We dropped by the little gelateria twice before hopping on the 07:35 bus the next morning to Pesaro, connecting with the high speed Frecciabianca on a 4.5 hour train ride to Italy's deep south.
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