15km from la Miniera is the little hill town of Urbino, the cultural centre of the Marches Region. In the 15th Century, Urbino had one of the most important courts of the period and this gave the town an extraordinary cultural richness as it attracted artists and scholars from alll over Italy and in its turn influenced the cultural and artistic development of other regions of Europe. Some of the most remarkable scholars and artists of the Renaissance created here an urban environment of exceptional homogeneity.

The most important museum in the town is the Marches National Gallery. Located in the magnificent Ducal Palace it houses art from the period 1300 to 1600, including masterpieces by Piero della Francesca, Raffaello, and Tiziano.

In the region around La Miniera there are many places worth visiting – small villages like Saludecio and Sassocorvaro, San Leo with its fortress, Gradara with its fortifications, and the famous castle of Paolo e Francesca, not forgetting the independent Republic of San Marino. For nature lovers, the Frasassi caves are known the world over and spread out over a distance of more than 15km.

La Miniera is half-an-hour from the sea, 30km from Pesaro and 50km from Fano. The towns on the coast have all the facilities for seaside holidays and Rimini, 80km away, is well-known for its nightlife.

Around La Miniera and Urbino, there are facilities for hiking and mountain biking, and 200m from La Miniera there is a horse-riding school from where you can go riding in the country.

At La Miniera itself you can take courses in silk-screen printing, lithography, chalcography, pottery and herboristery … or even learn to make kites – learning both technique and the creative process, and producing obects to take home with you.

For more information:

www.turismo.pesarourbino.it

www.comune.urbino.ps.it

www.urbinoeilmontefeltro.it