A Field Trip to Urbino

---

This week’s adventure was a trip to Urbino with the staff and students of CCI. We left early Friday morning and arrived around noon hour in Urbino, a town noted for its university and the ducal palace built there in the mid 15th century as well as being the home of the painter Raphael (you can see one of his more famous paintings below). It was immediately apparent that Urbino is a university town. Instead of the usual staid Italians I have become accustomed to seeing in the towns we have visited, there were many “student types” walking the streets to and from classes and sipping cappuccinos or expressos at the many cafes. It would have been nice to stroll through the town and visit the shops that cater to this crowd but, alas, time did not permit it.
We headed straight for the ducal palace built by the Duke of Urbino. He was a very interesting individual. Terry and I had already seen his portrait at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. As you can see, it’s a portrait of an interesting man. Apparently the story goes that he was a mercenary who worked for forces opposing the pope and then, later on, he changed sides and went to work for the Pope against the forces allied against the papacy. But that’s not all. He is painted in profile because he apparently was injured in battle and lost his eye and suffered terrible disfigurement. If you take a look at his nose you can see there is a chunk of it missing. But The Duke of Urbino was much more than just a soldier. In Urbino he established a place where the arts could flourish; this was prior to the renaissance supported by the Medicis in Florence. Inside his palace are fantastic rooms the walls of which are covered with murals painted by famous artists. He had a study panelled with wood in intricate designs that I know Terry would really have appreciated seeing. On the walls were portraits of famous individuals that the duke hoped would inspire him. It was spectacular.
After our tour of the palace and a walk up to the fort for a view of the surrounding countryside we got back on the bus and headed off for the beach. Yes, it was April 8 and the kids donned their suits and went for a dip while we enjoyed a glass of wine on the patio of a cafe. It was a great way to end the day.
On Saturday Deb, Dianne and I had an adventure travelling by bus to a mall in a nearby town. Our attempts to communicate with the bus drivers were humourous to say the least (my Italian has not improved substantially) and we never did make it to the mall. It turned out alright however as we ended up in Pescara, a beautiful seaside town with some great shops and some lovely outdoor cafes. We did some shopping, had lunch and then caught the train home to Lanciano.
Sunday was a quiet day devoted to lesson planning and marking. But it wasn’t all work and no play as I managed to combine work and pleasure by going to the Mercado, buying a glass of wine, sitting in the sun on the balcony and marking the students’ work. The last paper I marked as I finished my wine was some of the best work I have seen this year. I wonder why????
I have no more to share this week. I will probably be spending a quiet weekend next week as Deb and George are at a conference in Istanbul so I’ll be on my own here. Have a great week. I miss you all!

---

Photos

The Duke
Take a look at the walls. Those aren't real doors, or desks, just inlaid wood made to look like them.

Comments

[Deborah Rutherford]

Great blog Christine. I'm still laughing from the weekend.