In the 15^th century, Duke Federico da Montefeltro transformed the town of Urbino in the Marches region into an ideal Renaissance court. Not only did he commission artists of the caliber of Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Francesco di Giorgio and Leon Battista Alberti, but the duke also assembled one of Europe’s top classical libraries. No wonder that Baldassare Castiglione would later choose Urbino as the setting of his famous book “The Courtier.” Surrounded by the soft, undulating hills typical of the Marchegiano landscape, Urbino still preserves much of its Renaissance legacy in the form of artistic and architectural masterpieces. Buon viaggio!