To Urbino

Sun-Ling writes:

To make a long story short, we bungled on our Easter reservations, as a result we find ourselves in some rather predicament of
1. 8-hour bus ride from Bari to Urbino
2. The bus does not arrive in Urbino until 23:00.
3. Our hotel is 1.5km from the bus stop. Given the hilly terrain and darkness of night, it was unknown how we would walk there.

When our bus finally pulled into the terminus at Borgo Mercantile, it was 23:30 and it was uphill in every direction. Then we noticed there was one passenger still on the bus. John went to ask the driver if there is a better drop-off point for our hotel. We were told to hop back on the bus. A hundred meters later the other passenger was dropped off, five minutes later the two off us were delivered right to the front door of the hotel. After the countless number of bus rides we have had over the years, this was a first! (Ed, is this not another proof that Italians are exceptionally kind?)

Urbino is small but elegant. If it is an overstatement to say it is birth place of Renaissance, maybe it can be said that Urbino was a cradle. It must not have looked much different in the 1400's. We spent much time at the Duke's palace, a prototype for all subsequent European palaces, and now a National Museum and Gallery. We saw a few hundred Italian students touring the museum, but not a single tour group. Urbino is still without a train connection. There is a new parking garage, Santa Lucia, in the side of the hill. The bus terminal is at the bottom, as it is between our hotel and city center, it made a quick get away for us.

Our bus.


The cathedral and its classical facade.


The Last Supper painting in the cathedral.


The highlight of Urbino is the National Gallery of Marche located in the Ducale Palace. The collection is superb, focusing on the almost-local-guy Piero della Francesca, one of the Early Renaissance painters noted for his seminal use of perspective. And the palace is, well...palatial; a fine setting for the collection.







The Duke's study had some fine woodwork.


Three Piero della Francesa paintings. First: The Flagellation of Christ (probably 1455–1460).


Second: The Madonna di Senigallia.


Third: Ideal City


The lower floors of the Ducal Palace are pretty cool as well, with stables, cisterns, etc.


Views of Urbino from surrounds and at night. The Cathedral (left) and Ducal Palace (right).








The new bus station on the side of a hill; seen outside and inside.