The Ducal Palace of Urbino, located beside the Cathedral, is one of the most interesting architectural and artistic examples of the entire Italian Renaissance and houses the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche (National Gallery of the Marche).
The most ambitious project of Federico da Montefeltro, a very cultivated and refined man, was the building of the Ducal Palace and, in parallel, the urban planning of Urbino, making it the sovereign city.
Before Frederick's intervention, the Ducal Palace was a simple Palace on the southern Hill, to which it was added a near castle, on the edge of a cliff towards Porta Valbona.

In about 1445 Federico joined first the two ancient buildings, by calling Florentine architects, (led by Maso di Banco) which had to built an intermediate Palace.
The result was the palace of the Jole, three-storey, with a simple austere style and typically Tuscan. The Interior was decorated with some sober ancientness accents in the furnishings, as in friezes and chimneys, focused on celebrating virtues of war.

After 1462, the defeat of Sigismondo Malatesta in the battle of Cesano and the acquisition of Fano and Senigallia (1463), increased Federico revenues, who became even General Captain and arbiter of the Italian League.
At that time the plan of the Palace was changed, "with the intention of overcome all the Italian princely residences", and let it also be an administrative seat and place where host illustrious people.
From about 1466 in fact, a new architect follows the building works the Dalmatian Luciano Laurana, from whom a license issued by the Duke on 10 June 1468 with a programmatic declaration of intent remains.
The architect, who 1465 was in Pesaro, was perhaps suggested by Leon Battista Alberti, who had known him in Mantova.

In 1472, works were continued by Francesco di Giorgio, who began a new development even after Sixtus IV nominated Federico Duke and gonfalonier of the Church. Francesco completed the "L"-shaped facade on Piazza Rinascimento, took care of the private spaces, the loggias, the hanging garden and perhaps the second floor of the courtyard, in addition to fitting with the underlying structures outside the walls. At the bottom of a cliff it was indeed a wide square, called "Mercatale" as seat of the market, where Francesco di Giorgio created the helical ramp, that allowed carts and horses to reach the Palace and the "Date", that's to say the large stables located at half height.

In 1483, following the death of the Duke of Urbino, the building-works were momentarily interrupted and resumed only in the first half of the following century by Girolamo Genga. The architect completed the second floor and eliminated the medieval crenellations at the top of the Castle, modifying the original project. The Palace was the seat of the municipality of Urbino throughout the 20th century until 1985 when, after careful and important work of restoration, was used as a museum.

Of considerable interest is the famous Studiolo of Federico da Montefeltro (a small study or cabinet for contemplation), marvelous trompe-l ' œil work where some of the most famous Renaissance wooden inlays are still visible.

The wonderful architectural frame of the Interior created by Luciano Laurana, houses one of the most beautiful and important art collections of the Italian Renaissance. There are splendid paintings by artists such as Raffaello, Piero della Francesca referred of which the famous Flagellation of Christ, Paolo Uccello, Tiziano and Melozzo da Forlì.

Monuments:
- Casa natale di Raffaello
- Palazzo Ducale
- Duomo
- Fortezza Albornoz
- Giardino Botanico
- Galleria Nazionale delle Marche

Churches:
- Chiesa di San Bernardino
- Chiesa gotica di San Domenico
- Oratorio S. Giuseppe

Events:
- Biosalus"
- Week end ricco di cultura e benessere
- Festa del Duca