Ducal Palace, Urbino

Overview

The Ducal Palace (Italian: Palazzo Ducale) is a Renaissance building in the Italian city of Urbino in the Marche. One of the most important monuments in Italy, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.

Details

Location" Location: Piazza Rinascimento, 13, Urbino 61029 Italy
Visitor Visit Type: Vistor Centre
Co-ordinates" Co-ordinates: 43.724260, 12.636630

Map

History

The construction of the Ducal Palace was begun for Duke Federico III da Montefeltro around the mid-fifteenth century by the Florentine Maso di Bartolomeo. The new construction included the pre-existing Palace of the Jole. The solid rock hillside salient was impregnable to siege but was problematic for carving out the foundation of a palace. Thus, a prominent fortress-builder, Luciano Laurana, from Dalmatia, was hired to build the substructure; but Laurana departed Urbino before the living quarters of the palace were begun. After Laurana, the designer or designers of the Ducal Palace are unknown with certainty. Leading High Renaissance architect Donato Bramante was a native of Urbino and may have worked on the completion of the palace.

The Ducal Palace is famous as the setting of the conversations which Baldassare Castiglione represents as having taken place in the Hall of Vigils in 1507 in his Book of the Courtier.

The palace continued in use as a government building into the 20th century, housing municipal archives and offices, and public collections of antique inscriptions and sculpture (the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche). Restorations completed in 1985 have reopened the extensive subterranean network to visitors.

Nearby Locations

LocationDistanceDirection
Urbino Italy bullet_black0.27 milesNNE
Furlo Pass Italy bullet_black7.05 milesSSE
Ponte della Concordia, Fossombrone Italy8.68 milesESE
Castle Brancaleoni of Piobbico Italy11.15 milesSSW
Rocca di Mondavio Italy bullet_black13.41 milesESE
Castello di Montecopiolo Italy15.78 milesWNW
Castello di Gradara Italy16.48 milesNNE
Monastery of St. Clare San Marino16.95 milesNNW
Cesta Tower San Marino bullet_black17.10 milesNNW
Sammarinese Museum of Ancient Arms San Marino bullet_black17.12 milesNNW
Guaita Tower San Marino bullet_black17.31 milesNNW
Museum of Medieval Criminology and Torture San Marino bullet_black17.37 milesNNW
Porta San Francesco San Marino bullet_black17.38 milesNNW
Cava dei Balestrieri San Marino bullet_black17.50 milesNNW
Loretello Castle Italy18.75 milesSE
Fortress of San Leo Italy18.75 milesNW
Fortress Castle of Costance of the Sforzas Italy18.86 milesNE
Museum of Sacred Art Italy18.86 milesNW
Church of San Francesco Italy20.80 milesENE
Sentinum Italy bullet_black23.73 milesSSE
Information correct as of 05/09/2020