Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s castles and fortresses characterize the landscape of Montefeltro.  One of Italy’s most highly acclaimed military architects of the time, Martini spent many years working in Federico of Montefeltro’s great court.  His works, most of which can be visited today, are one of the highlights of a visit to the area.

Martini was born in Siena, but lived in Urbino for 20 years. During his stay at Federico of Montefeltro’s court, Francesco di Giorgio Martini marked Montefeltro’s landscape with the typical architecture of the Tuscan Renaissance.  Indeed his fortresses and castles still characterize the landscape and are evidence of his work.

The magnificent fortress of San Leo sits on top of a rocky hill; it appears to be a part of the rock and its grandeur was also remembered by Dante in the Divine Comedy.  The fortress has very ancient origins, but in 1475 it was totally restructured by Francesco di Giorgio Martini who turned it into an inexpugnable building; it was the best one in the whole region.

A few kilometres westwards from S. Leo, is Sant’Agata Feltria, famous for its truffles and home to the beautiful fortress “Fregoso”, which watches over the town.  The strange building sits on top of a rock called “The Wolf’s Stone”.  It looks like a fairytale fortress, with only its two polygonal bastions, characteristic of Martini’s works, making it realistic.

Leaving Sant’Agata Feltria, the route reaches Sassocorvaro and its fortress “Ubaldiniana”, which too sits on top of a hill.  The Ubaldiniana fortress was the first of a total of around 120 of Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s fortresses built throughout the dukedom.  Nowadays it is considered the most mysterious and ‘in vogue’ fortress of Montefeltro, because it has slanted walls representing a tortoise, which is an alchemistical symbol.  Indeed, Ottaviano Ubaldini, who commissioned Sassocorvaro’s fortress, was an alchemist.

The greatest of Martini’s works is located in Urbino, the capital of the dukedom.  Here there are a lot of buildings planned by the architect, whose work ranged from civil to religious architecture.  The Ducal Palace of Urbino was planned by Dalmatian architect, Luciano Laurana, but underwent structural improvements carried out by Francesco di Giorgio Martini, who succeeded in transforming the palace into a jewel of Italian Renaissance architecture.  A short walk from the centre of town up to the top of the hill brings you to the San Bernardino church - the dukes’ mausoleum, characterized by the beautiful facade and sandstone frames. The church is a good example of the balance and composure, so typical of the “martinian” style.

Beyong Urbino there is another important Ducal Palace in Urbania (also called the “ancient Casteldurante”).  It is situated above the Metauro river and is another important example of the architect’s work.  In the first part of the 16th century the palace was greatly changed by Girolamo Genga, but some of the original martinian structural characteristics can still be seen today – for example, the upper part of the great courtyard and the spiral ramp in the keep.  This particular kind of staircase is also called “scala lumacata” (snail-shaped staircase).

Proceeding to Cagli, a pleasant town by the side of the old Flaminian road and on the border of Umbria and the Marche, the fortress here was commissioned by the Duke Federico.  Today just the ruins of the walls and the keep remain; the fortress having been destroyed by Federico’s son Guidobaldo, who wanted to stop Cesare Borgia seizing possession of it. 

The journey of discovery of Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s works, through this region rich in art and culture ends in Mondavio.  Its fortress is unfinished because it was Francesco di Giorgio Martini’s final piece of work.  However the structure shows the change in Martini’s military architecture and its evolution from rounded to angular, octagonal and trapezoidal shapes, as it was found that angular walls increased the fort’s defensive potential against bombing.  This work marks the end of the tour through the dukedom, a tour which traces the dream of a great Renaissance architect, which was to build powerful and inexpugnable fortresses, leaving an enduring mark of elegance on the landscape.