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A route to help you explore the far northern corner of Italy's Marche region, lands once ruled over by Urbino's Montefeltro family. The
tour should take around a day. It starts from Urbino, perhaps Italy's most alluring renaissance town, and wanders through the wild mountain scenery of Monte Carpegna. There is also the chance of
a detour out of Italy to the Republic of San Marino. Roads are winding but the rewards are worthwhile - don't rush it.
Start at Urbino heading north-west for Sassocorvaro where you should pause to admire the castle in the centre of the village. It was built for the powerful local Ubaldini family by the celebrated renaissance military architect Francesco di Giorgio Martini. If it is open don't miss a tour inside. Now head west to
Macerata Feltria. Stop here to look around the medieval part of the small town with the imposing ruins of its walls or drop
into the thermal baths.
A short detour from here on the way to Carpegna will take you to the welcoming spa town of Montegrimano set in yet more splendid hill country.
Now climb up to the village of Carpegna to admire the views and try the prosciutto crudo,
or raw cured ham for which the place is famous - stronger and less insipid than the Parma ham which one finds outside Italy. From here head south-east for Urbania before returning to Urbino.
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