Urbania

For the 2000 film, see Urbania (film)

Urbania
—  Comune  —
Comune di Urbania
Urbania Location of Urbania in Italy
Coordinates: 43°40′N 12°31′E / 43.667°N 12.517°E / 43.667; 12.517Coordinates: 43°40′N 12°31′E / 43.667°N 12.517°E / 43.667; 12.517
Country	Italy
Region	Marche
Province	Pesaro and Urbino (PU)
Frazioni	Barca, Campi Resi, Campolungo, Gualdi, Muraglione, Orsaiola, Ponte San Giovanni, San Lorenzo in Torre, San Vincenzo in Candigliano, Santa Maria del Piano, Santa Maria in Campolungo, Santa Maria in Spinaceti
Area
– Total	77.8 km2 (30 sq mi)
Elevation	273 m (896 ft)
Population (Dec. 2004)
– Total	6,804
– Density	87.5/km2 (226.5/sq mi)
Demonym	Urbaniesi, Durantini
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
– Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	61049
Dialing code	0722
Patron saint	St. Christopher
Saint day	July 25
Website	Official website

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.

History

Originally known as Castel delle Ripe, it was a free commune 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.^[1] 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.

Main sights

Globe signed by Mercator and dated 1541; now in the 'Palazzo Ducale' museum. It is one of about 22 existing Mercator globes.^[2]

• Ducal Palace, housing a museum and a library with globes made by the Flemish-born, German natural scientist Gerardus Mercator 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 main entrance of the Barco Ducale viewed from south west

• 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.

Population History

Trivia

Urbania features as the main setting of Ci Siamo (ISBN 1-86391-109-X) a textbook for students of Italian used by many Australian students in the middle years of high school.

References

1. ^ http://web.tiscali.it/urbaniaweb/bombardamento%20in%20italiano.htm
2. ^ http://www.urbania-casteldurante.it/s1_globi

External links

• www.comune.urbania.ps.it/