Urbino - one of the most idyllic hilltowns in the Marche - has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998 for its massive historical legacy of Renaissance culture. Originally a Roman city, it has taken a medieval aspect over the centuries which it has managed to retain. Under the patronage of Duke Federico da Montefeltro it reached its apex as one of Europe's most dazzling courts at the end of the 15th century and the start of the 16th and was truly the ideal city of the Renaissance. Its impressive Ducal Palace alone is worth a visit, inside you can contemplate one of the most conspicuous collections of Medieval and Renaissance paintings in Italy - the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche. The great Italian painter Raphael was born in this tiny but artistically remarkable city. Urbino is home to one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the region - 'Carlo Bo' University - established in 1506. Immersed in a green, hilly, gentle scenery Urbino has a lot to offer to travellers: other than its Palazzo Ducale and its art collection which must not be missed, worth visiting are the house of Raphael, several lovely Oratories and churches that guard secret and yet beautiful pieces of art. The Jews settled down in the city of Urbino as early as the 1300s - the synagogue and the remains of the old cemetery bear witness. Duke Federico da Montefeltro protected the local community and is said to have collected Hebrew manuscripts for his personal library, such as the Holy Scriptures and other books on medicine, philosophy etc .
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