urbino: between countryside and the art of renaissance
Truffle, biodiversity and wellness in Raffaello’s places
ARRIVAL IN MARCHE REGION AND URBINO VISIT
In the early afternoon, arrival in Marche region – visit of Urbino, ideal city of the Renaissance, UNESCO site. Tour of the historical city to discover the Ducal Palace, the beautiful residence of the Montefeltro’s Dukes, now home of the National Gallery of Marche region hosting the masterpieces of the greatest artists of the Renaissance including Piero della Francesca, Paolo Uccello, Raffaello e Tiziano. Following, tour in the narrow streets to discover the San Giovanni Battista Oratory, one of the highest expressions of the international gothic, masterpiece of the brothers Lorenzo and Jacopo Salimbeni from San Severino Marche; the San Giuseppe’s Oratory with the famous Federico Brandani’s nativity scene and the native home of the divine painter Raffaello Sanzio.
Lunch in a restaurant in the center which offers the typical flavours of Montefeltro area. Relaxing walk to the Albornoz’s Fortress where you can lie on the grass and enjoy a magnificent view of the city.
In the late afternoon, transfer to the elegant country resort near Urbino, the Urbino Resort-Santi Giacomo e Filippo.
Dinner in the gourmet restaurant and overnight stay.
FOSSOMBRONE E PERGOLA
Breakfast and transfer to the Metauro Valley, and to the Furlo Pass, a characteristic natural pass.
Free visit of the San Vincenzo Abbey at the Furlo, dedicated to San Vincenzo, the bishop of Bevagna, built in 1271, housing many paintings of the Marche School.
Visit of Fossombrone, a beautiful village with ancient Roman origins.
You can admire the Church of San Filippo, the Church of Sant’Agostino, the Base Court and the Ducal Palace, where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the Metauro’s river valley.
Lunch in a restaurant in Fossombrone or surroundings.
In the afternoon, transfer to Pergola with a guided visit of the museum of gilded Bronze.
The Bronzes represent the only copies of their kind since the Roman Era. The Bronze statues may represent the members of a family originally composed of two couples of cloaked and veiled female figure and two knights dressed like high-ranking military with richly decorated horses. At the end of the visit, guided walk in the alleys of the old town center of Pergola and return to the Urbino Resort.
Possibility to enjoy a relaxing break in the spa or a horse ride in the hills of the Montefeltro area.
Dinner and overnight stay.
TRUFFLE HUNTING AROUND ACQUALAGNA
Breakfast in the resort and transfer to Acqualagna, another area to explore for its precious truffle. There, you we will be immersed in a real and true «Truffle hunting» with a professional seeker and his faithful and skilled dog, trained to sniff out the truffles. It will be a wonderful emotional experience walking through the woods and the hills of Acqualagna, enriched by the black and with truffle hunting secrets. Then, visit of a truffle handling establishment where you can discover the different transformation steps of the fresh truffle into finished products.
Back to the historic center of Acqualagna for a well-deserved gourmet lunch with a black (aestivum or uncinatum) or white truffle-based menu in a renowned restaurant. At the end of November, beginning of December, you can go to the National Truffle Fair : a yearly event in Acqualagna, land of the 2/3 of the entire national production of the golden tuber with about 600 quintals of truffles of all types. All the locations of the city are dedicated to the event: the main square is home to the stands of the fresh truffle’s merchants; the Palatartufo, hosts the gastronomic culture lovers who can taste and buy the typical truffle products of the area.
Visit of the hamlet. Acqualagna gave birth to Enrico Mattei, the ENI’s (National Hydrocarbon Corporation) founder. Visit of his native home, now a multimedia museum dedicated to his personal history and his spiritual heritage which has profoundly influenced the economic development of Italy. Then, you can discover more about the history of the locations by visiting the archaeological museum: the « Pitinum Mergens » municipal Antiquarium, housed in the former City Hall, a 16th century building. Its name comes from the ancient Roman site, already frequented in prehistoric and protohisoric times. You can discover an exhibition of the mosaics and the findings of the theatre, aqueduct, and thermal building.
PARTICIPATION FEE
(min 2 persons).
THE PRICE INCLUDES
Transfer with driver and luxury NCC private car (type Mercedes GLE) accommodation in double room with private bathroom at «Urbino Resort» with overnight stay treatment and half board – Free, unlimited access to the wellness area – Guided visits as scheduled – Health insurance.
ARE EXCLUDED
tourist tax – Entrances – Extra – Cancellation insurance – Tip and anything not mentioned in “The price includes”.
SUPPLEMENT
The fee for additional nights is of 80€ for a single room – Pick up from the main Italian airports by NCC private car with available driver on request.
