L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2022 L'Italo-Americano I t a l y i s f i l l e d w i t h Renaissance beau- ty: Florence, Perugia, and Siena. Mantova, Pavia and Ferrara, just to name a few. T h i s i s n o t s u r p r i s i n g , because the Renaissance, the historical and cultural period that, in Italy, runs from the very early 14th century to the end of the 16th, is as much a symbol of our art, culture and contribution to civiliza- tion as Classical Rome is. Renaissance: a name chosen for its deepest meaning, that of being born again, after the dark centuries of the Middle Ages. Today, we all know that medieval times weren't the empty cultural vessel earlier historians believed, but the word Rinascimento s t u c k n e v e r t h e l e s s , a n d rightly so because, during t h o s e c e n t u r i e s , t h e w a y H u m a n k i n d l o o k e d a t i t s role in the universe changed; it started questioning cultur- al and religious dogmas and e m b r a c e d p l e a s u r e a n d beauty as a way of life again. No wonder, then, that so much of the Renaissance is still around us, in cities like t h o s e I m e n t i o n e d w h e n o p e n i n g t h i s a r t i c l e . B u t there is one place in Italy where, perhaps, visitors can get the closest experience possible to being, all of a s u d d e n , c a t a p u l t e d i n t o those glorious years of awak- ening and art: Urbino. Not as well-known as Florence, n o r a s r o m a n t i c i z e d a s Venice, Urbino is, however, a jewel of history and art, and o n e a m o n g t h e b e s t - p r e - served Renaissance towns in the country. Urbino is a walled town o f a b o u t 1 5 . 0 0 0 i n t h e Pesaro-Urbino province of Le Marche, known for its university (one of the oldest in Europe) and its architec- tural and artistic patrimony, w h i c h r e c e i v e d U N E S C O W o r l d H e r i t a g e s t a t u s i n 1998. Its name likely comes from the Latin word urbs- urbis, "city," and the adjec- t i v e b i n u s - a - u m , w h i c h means "double," and refers to how the town was built on two hills. According to historians, the earliest settlement in the area was a Roman fortified military camp, probably dat- ing back to the 3rd and 2nd century BC. It is likely that t h i s f i r s t c o n g l o m e r a t i o n r o s e w h e r e t h e P a l a z z o Ducale stands today. In the 11th century, Urbino began developing and soon defen- sive walls surrounding the entirety of the town were built. It was, however, in the mid-15th century that the m a j e s t i c d e f e n s i v e c o m - pound protecting the city today – including its bas- tions - was created, under the ruling of Federico of Montefeltro. Later, the city expanded on a second hill – along with its defensive walls – taking the shape and look we are familiar with today. Urbino truly flourished during the Renaissance, both politically and culturally, u n d e r t h e r u l e o f t h e Montefeltro family, who established a duchy there from 1443 to 1630: during t h e s e y e a r s , t h e t o w n b e c a m e o n e o f t h e m o s t important cultural and artis- tic centers in Europe, a place that had nothing to envy to p l a c e s l i k e F l o r e n c e o r Bologna. Between 1444 and 1 4 8 2 , F e d e r i c o d a Montefeltro's court attracted some of the most influential a n d c r e a t i v e a r t i s t s a n d thinkers of the time, includ- ing Leon Battista Alberti, G i o v a n n i B e s s a r i o n e a n d Marsilio Ficino, all human- ists and philosophers, artists like Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Francesco di Giorgio Martini, and even mathematicians and scien- t i s t s l i k e P a u l v a n Middelburg. I t i s i n t h i s i n c r e d i b l y s t i m u l a t i n g e n v i r o n m e n t that artists like Raphael and Bramante, illustrious chil- dren of Urbino, were born a n d b e g a n t h e i r c a r e e r s . Raphael's birthplace is today a small museum, with a curi- ous history behind it: the house, which is quite large and in line with the means of a f a m i l y w h o s e h e a d , Federico Sanzio, was a court painter, was bought in the 19th century by an anony- m o u s g e n t l e m a n f r o m London and has been kept v e r y m u c h i n i t s o r i g i n a l state, with very little added inside, besides some copies of Raffaello's paintings and o t h e r a r t w o r k a c q u i r e d through the years. Palazzo Ducale, once h o m e t o t h e M o n t e f e l t r o f a m i l y , i s t o d a y h o m e t o the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, known for its out- s t a n d i n g c o l l e c t i o n o f R e n a i s s a n c e a r t , w h i c h includes works by Titian, Piero Della Francesca and, of course, Raphael. The Duomo, or Cattedra le di Santa Maria Assunta, was rebuilt in a neoclassical style at the beginning of the 19th century, and it's known e s p e c i a l l y f o r F e d e r i c o B a r o c c i ' s L a s t S u p p e r . Beautiful, in its only appar- e n t s i m p l i c i t y , i s t h e O r a t o r i o d i S a n Giovanni, dating back to the 14th century, decorated w i t h c o l o r f u l f r e s c o e s b y G i a c o m o a n d L o r e n z o Salimbeni. A s y o u ' d e x p e c t i n a n y Italian town, Urbino is also a perfect place for all gourmets o u t t h e r e . T h e r e g i o n o f Marche is known for its rich cuisine, and Urbino is no exception: from traditional crescia, a flatbread similar to piadina, to famous DOPs like prosciutto di Carpegna and casciotta di Urbino, all the way to traditional brodetto, a t y p i c a l r e g i o n a l d e l i c a c y , there is something for all tastes. Fancy a good glass of wine with all that? Look no further than Pesaro-Urbino province's DOC Bianchello d e l M e t a u r o o r C o l l i Pesaresi. With a population of only 1 5 . 0 0 0 , a n d a c i t y c e n t e r which is not open to cars (unless you're a resident), a w a l k t h r o u g h U r b i n o c a n really be the closest thing we can get to take a long step back in time. As a university city, Urbino also has that lively, vibrant, multicultural a t m o s p h e r e t h a t s e e p s through its walls and streets, typical of places filled with young people enjoying the first steps into the future. It may be a town steeped into its glorious, beautiful past but it can, indeed, make you feel very young at heart! FRANCESCA BEZZONE Urbino, the town where time stopped A view of Urbino: just like taking a step back in time (Photo: Topdeq/Dreamstime) From left Federico da Montefeltro (Photo: Gianni Tonazzini/Dreamstime); the helical staircase at Palazzo Ducale (Photo: Gianni Tonazzini/Dreamstime); Raphael (Photo: Georgios Kollidas/Dreamstime) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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