The lady portrayed by Raphael is most likely Giovanna Feltria della Rovere, daughter of Federico da Montefeltro and mother of Francesco Maria I della Rovere, Duke of Urbino from 1508 to 1538, also known as Raphael's protector. This enigmatic lady probably owes the nickname “Muta” to her perfectly sealed lips. The setting of the three-quarter figure, with its gradual emergence from the shadows, is a typical representation of Leonardo da Vinci, also used by Raphael in female portraits of the same period. This choice allows you to make the character more expressive and better describe the details of the clothing. In Raphael's portraits, clothing is of great importance and indicates both the social role of the person depicted and the idealization of the pose. The woman in the portrait wears the “gamurra”, the typical dress of the early sixteenth century. From diagnostic investigations carried out on the oil painted panel, it appears that under the current image there is another version of the painting. Probably Raphael painted the same subject in two different phases. The first draft dates back to the youth period, when the woman is represented with softer shapes, with wavy hair and a wider neckline. The figure now visible, on the other hand, shows signs of austerity in the face, the hair gathered, a slightly different position of the shoulders and no longer has the neckline. The change from the first version is probably due to the fact that Giovanna was widowed by Giovanni della Rovere in 1501. Note the dominant green color of her dress as well as the detail of the handkerchief that the woman holds in her left hand, both of which are «symbol of mourning and widowhood ".

Piero della Francesca's Flagellation was kept in the Cathedral of Urbino, before arriving in the National Gallery of the Marche around 1915. It is considered one of the most mysterious works of all time and has not yet revealed its many secrets. In fact, its client, its original location, its function are not known and the understanding of its iconography is still doubtful. The only certainty is given by the inscription with the author's signature, placed on the left on the step of the base below the seat of Pilate, which reads as follows: “Opus Petri de Burgo S [an] c [t] i Sepulcri ", That is:" Work of Pietro da Borgo San Sepolcro ". The scene is built according to the principles theorized by Leon Battista Alberti and is set in an architecture that some scholars trace back to Urbino. In the precise perspective representation of space and in the light of the eternal midday typical of Piero della Francesca, the sculptural decorations that recall the classic ones present in the Doge's Palace are also highlighted. Of course, such an enigmatic work has generated many interpretations, two of which deserve to be told. The oldest and most traditional focuses on the three figures in the foreground on the right, who are recognized as three characters of the court of Urbino. In particular, the blond barefoot in the center is identified with Duke Oddantonio da Montefeltro, who died in the conspiracy of 1444 and from which the successful political rise of Federico, his half-brother, begins. According to this interpretation, the fate of Oddantonio is placed in relation to the martyrdom of Christ, present in the background under an elegant loggia. The other interpretation refers to the scene with the actual scourging and the character from behind with a turban to identify with a Turk, which could indicate the Church threatened in the east by Muslims. This fear was more than justified, given that in 1453 Constantinople was taken by the Turks with the consequent fall of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The table known as the ideal city, coming from the Monastery of Santa Chiara in Urbino, probably belonged to the ducal family. Elisabetta da Montefeltro, Federico's daughter, may have brought the painting with her when she entered the Monastery, after being widowed in 1482. Around 1861 the work became part of the state collections of the Museum of the Institute of Fine Arts in Urbino , which will become the National Gallery of the Marches in 1912. The work has been attributed to various artists, including the architect Luciano Laurana for the high precision of the design and the similarity of the classical architectural elements to those present in the Ducal Palace of Urbino , of which the architect was partly the designer. Currently, scholars assign the panel to a generic painter from central Italy, who presumably painted it between 1480 and 1490. Various hypotheses have been formulated on the possible use of this panel. It has been recognized alternatively as a prospective study, as a wooden back of a piece of furniture, or as a model for a scenography. The painting represents the ideals of perfection and harmony of the Italian Renaissance, in the ordered and symmetrical form of a city that is depicted with the scientific principles of the central perspective, evident in the geometric design of the pavement of the square. In the foreground, on the sides, there are two wells with octagonal-based tiers, placed in a perfectly symmetrical way. The scene is dominated by a large religious building with a circular plan, perhaps a baptistery or a mausoleum. The square is bordered by the facades of the Renaissance noble palaces, mostly covered with polychrome marbles that accentuate the perspective view. In succession we see lower buildings of a medieval type. In the background on the right, in a rear position, the façade of a church is visible and in the distance, behind it, a hilly landscape. Rare elements of vegetation decorate balconies and windows and two turtle doves perched on a cornice of the first building on the right, the only creatures visible in the painting. The absence of man, in fact, reigns supreme and gives the image the feeling of eternal silence.

The work comes from the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Senigallia and arrived in the Gallery in 1917. Many scholars consider it a gift from Federico da Montefeltro for the wedding of his daughter Giovanna with the lord of Senigallia, Giovanni Della Rovere. The execution of Piero della Francesca dates back to 1474, the year of the pro forma marriage, or to 1478, the actual year of the wedding. The painting recalls, in an intimate tone, the largest altarpiece of San Bernardino by the same master and depicts the Madonna, the blessing Child and two angels in adoration, dressed in sober and refined clothes. The figures, hieratic and monumental, are inserted in a domestic setting given by a diffuse and subtle brightness. The interest in light, evident in the dusty ray of sunlight present in the small room in the background, testifies to Piero's approach to the Flemish masters, also present in the Urbino court. From these he learns the use of oil painting and visual devices that allow him to accentuate the three-dimensionality of the volumes. At the same time Piero achieves a high formal synthesis that recalls the abstract and solemn architecture of Federico's Palace. Many elements, such as the same ray of light that enters through the closed window, the white rose in Jesus' hand, the coral necklace he wore and the objects painted in the niche on the left, refer to enigmatic symbologies deriving from the Christian tradition.

The "double portrait", most likely painted by the Spanish Pedro Berruguete, depicts the Duke of Urbino Federico da Montefeltro with his son Guidobaldo, portrayed at the apparent age of 4-5 years. Considering that the child was born in 1472, the painting can be dated to around the years 1476-1477. The Lord of Urbino is seated on a high chair, a sort of throne, and is absorbed in reading a manuscript volume, which he holds in his hands resting on a wooden shelf, on which the ecclesiastical headdress of the miter is placed. The Duke wears the armor, a red brocade cape (silk fabric with golden relief decorations) and an ermine fur, surmounted in turn by the collar of the Ermine, the honor conferred on Frederick by the Sovereign of Naples in 1474 He has his left leg extended and shows off the garter, a noble honor of great prestige given to him by the King of England in 1474. There are also elements of clear war derivation, including the sword tied to the duke's waist and the helmet. placed on the ground. Next to Federico, leaning on his father's right leg, stands little Guidobaldo. The child wears a “pellanda” (typical coat of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries) covered with pearls and sports two purple amethysts on the chest and forehead. He also holds the staff of command with clear reference to his future dynastic heritage. Frederick's portrait is full of symbols of his power, his cultural interests and his prestige. It falls within the category of official court portraiture, which presents the Lord of Urbino as the "wise prince" capable of dedicating himself both to the craft of war and to the occupation of the studio.

The panel with the Miracle of the profaned host, painted by Paolo Uccello between 1467 and 1468, constitutes the predella of the large altarpiece depicting the Communion of the Apostles, executed by the Flemish Giusto of Ghent between 1473 and 1474. The two works were created for the Church of the Confraternita del Corpus Domini in Urbino and entered the state collections in 1861. The predella tells a story that took place in Paris around 1290 and is placed in the anti-Jewish climate of the mid-15th century which sees its birth in Italy dei Monti di Pietà, non-profit financial institutions created by some orders of friars, for the management of loans of modest amounts of money, with the aim of replacing Jewish bankers. In Urbino, in fact, the Monte di Pietà was established in 1468 at the behest of Countess Battista Sforza, Federico's wife. The story, set at night, unfolds in a fabulous way and consists of six scenes divided by twisted columns. In the first scene we see a woman who, after stealing a consecrated host, sells it to a Jewish usurer. The second depicts the moment in which the Jew and his family, after having cooked the host, witness its bleeding which recalls armed figures. In the third episode we witness the rededication of the host. In the fourth the sacrilegious woman is hanged. In the fifth, the Jew and his family are burned at the stake. In the last scene the angels and demons are represented who contend for the soul of the woman. The work is painted in the mature style of Paolo Uccello, characterized by fantastic shapes and colors and his original perspective inventions, for which even Giorgio Vasari remembers him.

The series of seven tapestries, depicting scenes from the Acts of the Apostles, comes from the Royal Palace in Milan. The precious fabrics arrived in Urbino in 1923 and since then have been on display in the Salone del Trono of the Palazzo Ducale. The cloths reproduce the cartoons that Raphael had made between 1515 and 1516 for the most famous tapestries in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, now kept at the Albert and Victoria Museum in London. Of the seven tapestries, three are of English manufacture by Mortlake. In fact, around 1650, Cardinal Mazarin bought from the English duke Filippo Herbert of Pembroke the three English-made tapestries depicting the Healing of the cripple, the Sacrifice of Listri, and St. Paul preaching to the Athenians. He then completes the series with four other French-made Lefebvre tapestries, representing the scenes with the Miraculous Fishing, the Delivery of the Keys, the Death of Ananias, and the Blinding of the magician Elima. In the latter Mazarin has the same border as the English ones inserted with caryatids and festoons and on all seven he has his cardinal's coat of arms placed at the top center. In the tapestry depicting the Miraculous Fishing, the scene takes place outdoors and the grandiose landscape, which seems to continue that of the nearby Delivery of the Keys, recalls the engravings by Dürer. The scene depicts Christ's invitation to the brothers Peter and Andrew to become his apostles. As the Evangelist Luke recounts, Jesus advised the two brothers to lower their nets again despite the fact that they had not caught anything during the night. The tapestry therefore represents the moment when Christ has just performed the miracle and the two boats are filled with fish.

The Resurrection of Christ by Titian, together with the Last Supper by the same author, originally constituted a processional banner commissioned from Titian by the Confraternity of Corpus Domini of Urbino. The work was carried out in Venice between 1542 and 1544, arriving in Urbino in June of the same year. In 1545 the two sides of the banner were separated by the painter Pietro Viti, to be displayed on the sides of the main altar of the Confraternity church. Pietro himself also paints a frieze with scrolls and floral motifs on a gold background on the edges of the two canvases. The image is divided into two parts. In the lower area there is a great deal of restlessness in the scene of the soldiers and the sarcophagus, made with oblique and broken lines that give movement and drama to the whole. On the contrary, in the upper part, everything is calm and serene and the blessing Christ hovers over the sky at dawn, with statuary and Apollonian features. Titian had made many paintings for the Della Rovere family, including the famous Venus of Urbino. Following the marriage of the last descendant of the family, Vittoria, with Ferdinando II de 'Medici, these masterpieces passed into the Florentine collections of the Medici. The banner is therefore the only work by Titian left in Urbino.

The term Alcova derives from the Arabic "tent or double room". It is a small wooden room, where in the past the bed was placed, created by Fra 'Carnevale with the help of collaborators around 1459-1460, perhaps on the occasion of Federico da Montefeltro's wedding with the very young Battista Sforza. It constitutes the only testimony of the palace's original wooden furnishings. The alcove is a precious artifact with a perfect cubic shape (size 340 x 340 x 340 cm). Its structure is made up of panels, pilasters, planking, tempera and gilded paintings. The exterior was decorated by Fra 'Carnevale with faux polychrome marbles and architecturally recalls the Florentine facade of Leon Battista Alberti's Palazzo Rucellai. Originally the alcove was supposed to lean against the walls of the room as we see it now. The furniture was closed by an access door. The panels, decorated with trees on fake marble, were however facing inwards, so that the sleeper had the illusion of being in a lush garden. The frieze of the entablature (beam), depicting the heads of putti alternating with festoons, is certainly due to the hand of Fra 'Carnevale. This same motif often occurs in the second half of the 1400s, we find it in the sculptural decorations of contemporary architecture and in the miniatures of the manuscripts collected by Frederick. Inside you can still admire the beautiful sky with a well-preserved fake fabric, red and gold, with the motif of the thistle flower or pomegranate, typical of the textile culture of the Renaissance.

Overlooking the last and most decorated loggia between the two turrets, the study is the most intimate environment of the Palace and depicts the interior portrait of Federico, his culture, his intellectual and aesthetic choices. Although Carlo Bertelli postpones the date, traditionally the study refers to 1476, the year that appears in the inscription glorifying the Duke under the sumptuous lacunar ceiling. The latter, the work of GIULIANO and BENEDETTO DA MAIANO, bears the emblems and honors of Federico, the same ones that recur in the underlying decorations. In the upper part of the study there are 28 portraits (today only 14) of Illustrious Men attributed to the Flemish Giusto of Ghent and to “Pietro Spagnolo”, recognized by critics in Pedro Berruguete. Their presence has the exemplary function of inspiring the landlord to imitate them in their virtues. Originally they were placed in a double gallery of mullioned windows and coupled thanks to their research or professional field in a tacit dialogue of gestures. In the lower tribune, ecclesiastical personalities are depicted (where the Christian poets Dante and Petrarca also appear), in the upper one the lay personalities. The ambivalence between the sacred and the profane or Christian and pagan recurs throughout the decoration of the study and reappears in the two chapels below (the Tempietto delle Muse and the Cappellina del Perdono) and then in the Vatican in Raphael's Stanza della Segnatura. In 1631, with the death of Francesco Maria II Della Rovere, the last Duke of Urbino, the territories of the Duchy returned to the Church and the Legate Cardinal Antonio Barberini, grandson of Urban VIII, badly took the paintings, mutilating them into individual portraits and depriving them of much part of the inscriptions. The tables passed into the Roman collection of the Barberini and remained together until 1812, when 14 of them passed to the Colonna di Sciarra family who sold them to the Marquis Campana. In 1861 they were bought by Napoleon III to land in the Louvre in 1863. The 14 paintings remaining in Italy returned to Urbino in 1934. Below the paintings everything is represented in the illusionistic perfection of the inlaid perspective of the da Maiano. The three Theological Virtues are depicted, in the cabinets and on the seats the series of objects that usually furnish the studios are simulated and which here symbolize the cardinal virtues, the disciplines of the Trivium and above all of the Quadrivium, in harmony with Frederick's mathematical-scientific culture. . There is also a portrait of the prince with a house robe and a spear aimed at the ground. Having put down his armor, a symbol of his active life, the Duke can devote himself to otium, study, contemplation in the study. Great importance is given to music with the presence of musical instruments, the most represented among the objects, which refer to the Pythagorean and Platonic tradition. On the north wall appears in a cartouche the quotation from book IX of the Aeneid, "virtutibus itur ad astra" (for virtues one reaches the sky), which exemplifies the iconographic program of the studiolo as a symbol of a process of interior refinement, which is it reaches with the mediation of the virtues and the use of the intellect.

The work was created between 1594 and 1595 by the painter Federico Barocci. The canvas was commissioned by the last Duke of Urbino, Francesco Maria II Della Rovere, for the Urbino Church of the Capuchin Convent. In the painting Saint Francis receiving the stigmata, we depict the moment in which Saint Francis and Fra 'Leone, after having retired in prayer on Mount La Verna, in the darkness of the night are suddenly dazzled by the flaming light emanating from Christ crucified in the likeness of a Seraph (angel with six wings). The light mainly floods the Saint, represented with open arms as he receives the wounds on his hands, feet and side. Fra ’Leone is seated on the ground on the left, depicted in the gesture of shielding his face from the violence of the light. In the background, the facade of the Capuchin Church of Urbino emerges, which is the setting for the biblical episode of the killing of Abel by Cain in front of a bonfire. The subject had already been addressed by Barocci, in other works, but in the Urbino painting the painter is able to expand the space more and to give the scene a more intense breath and a higher incisiveness. By setting the subject at night, Barocci gives the scene an intense emotionality and creates one of the most evocative nocturnal scenes in Italian painting.