Urbania
Encyclopedia
For the 2000 film, see Urbania (film)
Urbania is a comune
(municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino
in the Italian
region of Marche
, located about 80 km west of Ancona
and about 40 km southwest of Pesaro
, next to the river Metauro
.
Urbania borders the following municipalities: Acqualagna
, Apecchio
, Cagli
, Fermignano
, Peglio
, Piobbico
, Sant'Angelo in Vado
, Urbino
.
It is a famous ceramics
and majolica
production centre. In recent years, it has become more closely associated with the Befana folk tradition.
of the Guelph
party. In 1277 it was destroyed by the Ghibellines, then rebuilt by the Provençal Guillaume Durand in 1284 and christened Casteldurante. Later it was ruled by the Brancaleoni family. When the latter were ousted, the city offered itself to the Dukes of Urbino
, who used the palace in the city as summer residence and had it restored by architects such as Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The last della Rovere duke, Francesco Maria II
, is buried in the Ducal Palace of Urbania.
In 1631 it became part of the Papal States
. Five years later its name changed to the current one, in honor of Pope Urban VIII
.
On January 23th 1944 Urbania was bombed by the Allies, resulting in the deaths of 250 civilians. It was a Sunday so the people had gathered in the town, increasing the number of victims.
After World War II
Urbania received the Bronze Medal for Military Valour for the deeds of its citizens during the partisan warfare.
used by many Australian students in the middle years of high school.
Urbania (film)
For the Italian province, please see UrbaniaUrbania is a 2000 independent drama film based on the play Urban Folk Tales. It premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and played a number of LGBT film festivals as well as playing in limited release throughout the year.-Plot summary:Urbania follows...
Urbania is a comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
(municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino
Province of Pesaro e Urbino
The Province of Pesaro and Urbino is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pesaro. It also borders the state of San Marino.-History:...
in the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region of Marche
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
, located about 80 km west of Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
and about 40 km southwest of Pesaro
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
, next to the river Metauro
Metauro
The Metauro is a river of the Marche, central Italy. It rises in the Apennine Mountains and runs east for 110 km ....
.
Urbania borders the following municipalities: Acqualagna
Acqualagna
Acqualagna is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 70 km west of Ancona and about 40 km southwest of Pesaro. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 4,304 and an area of 50.8 km²....
, Apecchio
Apecchio
Apecchio is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 90 km west of Ancona and about 60 km southwest of Pesaro....
, Cagli
Cagli
Cagli is a town and comune in the province of Pesaro e Urbino, Marche, central Italy. It c. 30 km south of Urbino.-History:Cagli occupies the site of an ancient village on the Via Flaminia, which seems to have borne the name Cale, 24 miles north of Helvillum and 18 miles southwest of Forum...
, Fermignano
Fermignano
Fermignano is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 70 km west of Ancona and about 35 km southwest of Pesaro.Renaissance architect Donato Bramante was born here.-History:...
, Peglio
Peglio (PU)
Peglio is a comune in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 80 km west of Ancona and about 40 km southwest of Pesaro...
, Piobbico
Piobbico
Piobbico is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 80 km west of Ancona and about 50 km southwest of Pesaro....
, Sant'Angelo in Vado
Sant'Angelo in Vado
Sant'Angelo in Vado is a comune in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region Marche, located about 90 km west of Ancona and about 50 km southwest of Pesaro....
, Urbino
Urbino
Urbino is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of Federico da Montefeltro, duke of Urbino from 1444 to 1482...
.
It is a famous ceramics
Ceramic art
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
and majolica
Maiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
production centre. In recent years, it has become more closely associated with the Befana folk tradition.
History
Originally known as Castel delle Ripe, it was a free communeMedieval commune
Medieval communes in the European Middle Ages had sworn allegiances of mutual defense among the citizens of a town or city. They took many forms, and varied widely in organization and makeup. Communes are first recorded in the late 11th and early 12th centuries, thereafter becoming a widespread...
of the Guelph
Guelphs and Ghibellines
The Guelphs and Ghibellines were factions supporting the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor, respectively, in central and northern Italy. During the 12th and 13th centuries, the split between these two parties was a particularly important aspect of the internal policy of the Italian city-states...
party. In 1277 it was destroyed by the Ghibellines, then rebuilt by the Provençal Guillaume Durand in 1284 and christened Casteldurante. Later it was ruled by the Brancaleoni family. When the latter were ousted, the city offered itself to the Dukes of Urbino
Dukes of Urbino
The Duchy of Urbino was a sovereign state of northern Italy.The first lords of Urbino were the Montefeltro, who obtained the title of counts from Emperor Frederick II in 1213. The first Duke was Oddantonio, who received the title from Pope Eugene IV in 1443...
, who used the palace in the city as summer residence and had it restored by architects such as Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The last della Rovere duke, Francesco Maria II
Francesco Maria II della Rovere
Francesco Maria II della Rovere was the last Duke of Urbino.- Biography :Born at Pesaro, Francesco Maria was the son of Guidobaldo II della Rovere, Duke of Urbino, Count of Montefeltro and Vittoria Farnese, Princess of Parma...
, is buried in the Ducal Palace of Urbania.
In 1631 it became part of the Papal States
Papal States
The Papal State, State of the Church, or Pontifical States were among the major historical states of Italy from roughly the 6th century until the Italian peninsula was unified in 1861 by the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia .The Papal States comprised territories under...
. Five years later its name changed to the current one, in honor of Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
.
On January 23th 1944 Urbania was bombed by the Allies, resulting in the deaths of 250 civilians. It was a Sunday so the people had gathered in the town, increasing the number of victims.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Urbania received the Bronze Medal for Military Valour for the deeds of its citizens during the partisan warfare.
Main sights
- Ducal Palace, housing a museum and a library with globes made by the Flemish-born, German natural scientist Gerardus MercatorGerardus Mercatorthumb|right|200px|Gerardus MercatorGerardus Mercator was a cartographer, born in Rupelmonde in the Hapsburg County of Flanders, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He is remembered for the Mercator projection world map, which is named after him...
between 1541 and 1551. - Chiesa dei Morti (Church of the Dead), with 18 natural mummies from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance exposed behind the altar.
- The medieval walls.
- The 'Barco Ducale' is one kilometer outside of the town. It was erected in 1465. After an earthquake, it was rebuilt between 1741 and 1771. Normally you can not enter the building.
Trivia
Urbania features as the main setting of Ci Siamo (ISBN 1-86391-109-X) a textbook for students of ItalianItalian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
used by many Australian students in the middle years of high school.