Urbino

Urbino (ancient Urbinum Hortense), town, central Italy, in Marche Region. Urbino is a tourist and agricultural centre, famous for the maiolica ware made during the Renaissance. Among the important landmarks here are a 15th-century ducal palace (now a well-known museum of Italian painting) and a university founded in 1506. Urbino came under Roman rule in the 3rd century bc. From 1474 to 1626 it was the capital of the duchy of Urbino and a renowned cultural centre. Urbino was part of the Papal States from 1626 to 1860, when it was incorporated into the kingdom of Italy. The painter Raphael was born here in 1483. The historic centre of Urbino was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998. Population 15,341 (2007 estimate).