The city
of Urbino (35 km from Pesaro) was the Duke's capital and is certainly
the main attraction for any visitor to the Province of Pesaro and Urbino.
It is a city full of interest and surprise - the magnificent Ducal
Palace (which houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche), the numerous
art treasures to be found in its beautiful churches and monasteries,
Raphael's birthplace and the many houses built by wealthy families which
stand around the city's streets and alleys.
Around the city is that same
panorama of hills and valleys that we see in the paintings of the great
Renaissance masters who came to know and love Urbino during the time of
the Montefeltro and Della Rovere dukes.
Our journey takes us towards the
north-west of the Province, into the lands once ruled over by the
Montefeltro family and on to the Upper Valley of the Marecchia as far as
Monte Perticara (883 m). The area stands at the very northern edge of
the Marche, close to the border with Romagna and Tuscany, and is
dominated by the Apennine peak of Monte Carpegna (1415 m).
Taking the
road which heads northwards from Urbino to Ca' Gallo, we arrive at the
Foglia Valley and head on up to Sassocorvaro (331 m), which stands on
the edge of the artificial Mercatale Lake. The mighty castle on the hill
above it was built by Francesco di Giorgio Martini for the nobleman
Ottaviano Ubaldini as a residence for his family.
From Sassocorvaro, we
continue up the Foglia Valley to Lunano (297 m), which lies beneath its
ancient ruined castle, and on to Piandimeleto (320 m). This town is
still overlooked by the impressive fortified palace of the Counts Oliva,
with its Ghibelline crenellations, embrasures and corbels.
A little further on stands the town of Belforte all'Isauro (343 m).Returning to
Piandimeleto, we follow the road along the Mutino torrent as far as
Frontino (530 m), the advance garrison of the Montefeltro territory on
the border with Massa Trabaria, and dominated by the picturesque rocky
tabletops of Sasso Simone (1204 m) and Simoncello (1221 m).Reaching the
junction at Caturchio, we climb up to the town of Carpegna (784 m),
which stands at the foot of the mountain of the same name.
It is built
around the austere 17th Century Palazzo dei Principi, which is still the
residence of descendants of the ancient Carpegna family, to whom Emperor
Otto I gave this territory back in 962. Three distinct families
descended from the Carpegnas, of which one was the Montecopiolo family,
ancestors of the Counts of Montefeltro. Leaving Carpegna, we drive around
the eastern slopes of Monte Carpegna to Pennabilli (570 m).
The town is
spread between two distinctive spurs of rock, La Roccione and La Rupe,.
The ruins of the Malatesta castle at Billi are a reminder that the third
branch of the Carpegna family, the Pietrarubbias (who were ancestors of
the Malatesta dynasty) were lords of this area before moving to
Verucchio.From Pennabilli we now drive down to the Marecchia Valley.
Continuing in a north-easterly direction we arrive at the modern town of Novafeltria (293 m) and then turn up to S. Agata Feltria. This is the
furthest outpost of the ancient Duchy of Urbino on the border with
Romagna and stands beneath the bare rock on which the imposing castle of
Rocca Fregoso has been built.Returning back along the same road to
Novafeltria we climb up the other side of the Marecchia Valley to the
junction for Maiolo (590 m).
The ancient castle, sitting on the crags of
a cone shaped hill, can be seen from a distance away. It was destroyed
by a disastrous landslide during the night of 29th and 30th May
1700.Continuing on through this Montefeltro territory, passing the
junction at Madonna Pugliano, we reach S. Leo (589-639 m).
It stands on
the top of an enormous sheer cliff rising out of the surrounding valley,
topped by its ancient impregnable fortress, with the houses and splendid
medieval churches on the slope behind it.
Returning to Madonna Pugliano
we continue on in the direction of Villagrande, a well known ski resort
in the district of Montecopiolo (another town which once had a mighty
castle). It is hard to avoid being captivated by the beauty of this
historic area, from which the Montefeltro territory first grew. This
road was, and still is, the only route linking the valleys of the
Marecchia and the Conca.Reaching the Conca Valley, we take the main road
which follows the course of the river until Monte Cerignone (536 m)
comes into view.
The town's terraced streets cling picturesquely to a
spur of rock which rises up to the ancient castle.We now head southwards
through the hills which separate the valleys of the Conca and the Foglia
until we arrive at the town of Macerata Feltria (321 m). It stands close
to the Roman town of Pitinum Pisaurense (where the ancient church of San
Cassiano now stands), on a hill above the Apsa torrent, with its
fortified borgo, tower and Palazzo del Podesta' (now a museum).
This
fortified town was yet another of the many fortresses captured by
Federico da Montefeltro from Sigismondo Malatesta in 1463, the year
which saw the total defeat of the Lord of Rimini and the triumph of the
future Duke of Urbino. Continuing onwards, we return once more to
Mercatale di Sassocorvaro, completing this long tour of the lands of
Montefeltro.
Sant'Agata Feltria Rocca Fregoso. - Photo © 