Urbino and Florence were both medieval towns that became Renaissance cities.They both gave birth to great artists, and they both still retain a lot of the flavor of earlier times. But that’s where the similarity ends. For cities not 100 miles apart, they could hardly be more different. Everything about Florence is over-the-top extravagance, while Urbino is all stone and countryside. Florence is crammed with tourists, while Urbino is one of the least-visited places in all of Italy.
Florence is:
Urbino is:
Florence is:
Urbino is:
Florence is:
Urbino is:
Florence is unforgettable, but I like Urbino. It’s quiet. It’s full of quaint little churches and simple piazzas. It has an ancient monastery and a 600-year-old university. It feels old here–a perfect place for a ten days of very old music.
In June I was in Florence, but have never been to Urbino. How I wish I could be at that recorder workshop there, or just listen to medieval and renaissance music in a medieval/renaissance city, sipping a glass of wine or enjoying gelato.
It’s rather like a dream come true for me.