Urbania

Urbania
Comune
Comune di Urbania
Urbania Location of Urbania in Italy
Coordinates: 43°40′N 12°31′E / 43.667°N 12.517°E / 43.667; 12.517Coordinates: 43°40′N 12°31′E / 43.667°N 12.517°E / 43.667; 12.517
Country	Italy
Region	Marche
Province / Metropolitan city	Pesaro and Urbino (PU)
Frazioni	Barca, Campi Resi, Campolungo, Gualdi, Muraglione, Orsaiola, Ponte San Giovanni, San Lorenzo in Torre, San Vincenzo in Candigliano, Santa Maria del Piano, Santa Maria in Campolungo, Santa Maria in Spinaceti
Area
• Total	77.8 km2 (30.0 sq mi)
Elevation	273 m (896 ft)
Population (Dec. 2004)
• Total	6,804
• Density	87/km2 (230/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Urbaniesi, Durantini
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	61049
Dialing code	0722
Patron saint	St. Christopher
Saint day	July 25
Website	Official website

Urbania is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Pesaro e Urbino in the Italian region of Marche, located about 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Ancona and about 40 kilometres (25 mi) southwest of Pesaro, next to the river Metauro.

Urbania borders the following municipalities: Acqualagna, Apecchio, Cagli, Fermignano, Peglio, Piobbico, Sant'Angelo in Vado, Urbino.

It is a famous ceramics and majolica production centre. In recent years, it has become more closely associated with the Befana folk tradition.

Originally known as Castel delle Ripe, it was a free commune of the Guelph party. In 1277 it was destroyed by the Ghibellines, then rebuilt by the Provençal Guillaume Durand in 1284 and christened Castel Durante. Later it was ruled by the Brancaleoni family. When the latter were ousted, the city offered itself to the Dukes of Urbino, who used the palace in the city as summer residence and had it restored by architects such as Francesco di Giorgio Martini. The last della Rovere duke, Francesco Maria II, is buried in the Ducal Palace of Urbania.

In 1631 it became part of the Papal States. Five years later its name changed to the current one, in honor of Pope Urban VIII.

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Wikipedia