Walking in Le Marche, Italy

Discover a high point of Western Civilisation

A walking tour to explore Federico’s Montefeltro: One of the most beautiful and undiscovered parts of Italy, its jewel in the crown Urbino’s magnificent Ducal Palace, one of the high points of Western Civilisation.

ATG Oxford’s Managing Director Christopher Whinney explains why Le Marche, a wild and relatively unknown area of Italy, holds so much cultural interest.

East of Florence, across the Apennines, lies the Renaissance city of Urbino where, in the late fifteenth century, life at the court marked a high point of Western Civilisation.

ATG Oxford’s escorted walking tour exploring the Marche – ‘Paths to Urbino’, and our independent hiking vacation ‘Montefeltro & Urbino’ (also available as a biking tour), were created from the idea of following the expansion of the Montefeltro family fortunes from its roots in the fortress town of San Leo (image at top), via the austere Malatesta castle in Frontino, to Urbino – famed for its exquisite Renaissance palace.

On the way we cross rolling, flower-carpeted hills, picturesque hilltop towns, dense forests of Monte Carpenga, rare flora and fauna and numerous castles – traversing one of the most beautiful and yet undiscovered parts of the Marche – and indeed Italy.

The trip ends in Urbino – with an exploration of its magnificent Ducal Palace, one of the high points of civilisation.

Why is the Ducal Palace so special – and relevant today?

I Torricini, the elegant twin towers of Urbino’s Ducal Palace, greet the pilgrim across the hills of Montefeltro, just as they have for more than five centuries. They crown a monument of Renaissance perfection, and as one walks through the gates of the city one can well imagine the awe a guest of Federico da Montefeltro might have felt in the fifteenth century.

The magnificent Ducal Palace

Federico came to power in 1444, after his half brother was murdered. During his reign the court of Urbino became a reference point for Renaissance culture, mirroring that of the Medici in Florence. The Montefeltro court attracted many renowned artists, architects and humanist, each of whom left his mark on the city. Piero della Francesca painted Federico, famously, though the painting now hangs in the Uffizi in Florence.

The Ducal Palace was begun in 1465 and its early development coincided with the happiest period of Federico’s life, his marriage to Battista Sforza. During her husband’s frequent absences, Battista oversaw much of the building of the Palace until her untimely death in 1472.

Federico and his wife Battista Sforza

The palace is a fitting monument to Federico, an elegant combination of the aesthetic and the practical, whose spacious rooms instil a sense of calmness. The Duke filled it with incomparable works of art. The collection, enlarged over the centuries, today includes Piero’s famous ‘Flagellation’ and Raphael’s ‘La Muta’ among many others.

Piero della Francesca’s ‘Flagellation’

Yet, a visit to the Ducal Palace in Urbino is more than a trip to an art gallery – it offers insight into fifteenth century court life. Like the palaces of Pope Pius II in Siena and Pienza, it bears witness to the vision and zeal of a great Renaissance personality. These palaces were designed above all as homes, and their style reflects the tastes of their inhabitants. Federico da Montefeltro’s famous little study, with its exquisite marquetry and portraits of illustrious men, sums up the ideals of an entire era. Baldassare Castiglione put those ideas to pen in his famous Il Cortegiano, the Book of the Courtier, written in Urbino for Federico’s son. This book is still read by students of Renaissance History, inspiring admiration at the wisdom and humanity of a remarkable man – just as Federico’s palace still inspires wonder in today’s visitors.

One of the ‘high points of Western Civilisation’? Unquestionably – yes.

ATG Oxford offers walking and biking tours to discover Le Marche and the Renaissance city of Urbino:

Escorted Paths to Urbino, in June when the flowers are at their peak

Independent Montefeltro & Urbino: Walking or Cycling  – available in May, June and September