Palazzo Ducale description and photos - Italy: Urbino (Topic)

Palazzo Ducale description and photos - Italy: Urbino. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is Palazzo Ducale.

Photo and description

Palazzo Ducale in Urbino is a luxurious Renaissance palace, listed as a World Cultural Heritage by UNESCO and one of the most important monuments in Italy. Its construction began in the middle of the 15th century on the instructions of Duke Federico III da Montefeltro. The original project of the palace was worked by the architect from Florence Mazo di Bartolomeo, and its facade, the famous courtyard and a huge entrance staircase were designed by the architect from Dalmatia Luciano Laurana, inspired by the masterpieces of the great Brunelleschi. At the same time, the light and majestic courtyard of the Palazzo Ducale with its graceful covered galleries reminds of the Palazzo della Cancelleria in Rome - the best creation of the Renaissance. The many exquisite carvings that adorn the palace to such an extent similar to the details of paintings by Piero della Francesca that scientists are still arguing about the possible participation of the artist in the project of Laurana.

After Luciano Laurana left Urbino in 1472, work on the construction of the Palazzo was continued by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who was mostly responsible for the decoration of the facade. The portals and window sculptures were made by the Milanese Ambrogio Barocci, who also worked on the interiors of the palace. When Duke Federico III died in 1482, the Palazzo was not yet completed and construction work temporarily stopped. The second floor was added only in the first half of the 16th century according to the project of Girolamo Jenga.

Until the 20th century, Palazzo Ducale remained a government building that housed municipal archives and offices. In 1985, the palace was restored and the National Gallery of the Marches was opened within its walls, with one of the world's finest collection of Renaissance works. Also open to the public is the extensive underground network of the Palazzo.

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Topic: Palazzo Ducale description and photos - Italy: Urbino.