Urbino and its surrounding unspoiled region, known as the Terre d'Urbino e del Montefeltro, are the northern part of the Marche region, consisting of historical towns and mountain villages that were part of the former Duchy of Urbino.
This year Italy is celebrating the 600 years of the birth of Federico di Montefeltro, the duke and ruler who built the city of Urbino together with other fortified towns, magnificent castles, palaces and churches.Urbino was a Renaissance cultural capital
Frederico di Montefeltro was one of the great figures of the Italian Renaissance who, in the 15th century, transformed Urbino into a cultural capital, calling great artists, architects, poets and philosophers to his court. This year he is the perfect testimonial for the many exciting tourist itineraries planned as part of the celebrations for his birth. Many Italian and international visitors came to the area this summer attracted by the unique mix of history, art, nature and culinary delights of this charming region.
“Foreign visitors were up 130% this summer”
“Tourism went very well this year, - says Amerigo Varotti, president of Confturismo Terre di Urbino e del Montefeltro. – There were many Italians of course, but also a return of foreign visitors, especially the Dutch, Austrians and Germans, but also American, French and English tourists. Taking into account that the Marche region, - Varotti continued, - has a limited presence of international arrivals compared to the rest of Italy, this summer we registered 130% more foreign visitors, with Urbino itself standing out as a pole of attraction.”
September is drawing a record number of visitors
“We will have a complete picture only by the end of the year, as the season is still not over. September is drawing higher than usual numbers, with many visitors now enjoying fairs and festivals, from those featuring the prized white truffle, to beer and cheese events. Many also come for outdoors activities, discovering the unspoiled beauty of the region.
A land of stunning landscapes
Biking and trekking and another popular novelty, gravel biking, are attracting sporting enthusiasts to the Cesane Forest, the Furlo Gorge and Mount Nerone, Mount Catria and Mount Petrano mountain ranges. Here you can still see landscapes as they were painted by Raphael, Piero della Francesca and Leonardo da Vinci. Not many people realize that the landscape behind Leonardo’s world-famous portrait of Mona Lisa is Montefeltro.”
