Urbino: past, present, future
Plus, utopian architecture and women of the baroque
Last weekend I set off together with my partner to the hills around Urbino for a quick mini-break. I’ve wanted to visit the city for years, so I’m really pleased to have finally done so. It’s best known for the Palazzo Ducale - the residence of the Duke of Montefeltro who presided over the growth of a humanist library and court there in the 15th Century which epitomised renaissance values. The castle and medieval centre have been awarded UNESCO status on account of their architectural harmoniousness; and they are indeed stunning. The view from the Parco Della Resistenza over the towers and rooftops, in particular, is one of the most beautiful I’ve seen. Though I must say, I was a little disappointed by the contemporary state of the place. While the university means there’s a pleasingly youthful - even radical - energy in the streets the demographic skew does brings some problems for a food lover like myself: half the town seems to be comprised of sleazy joints selling Nutella crepes, kebabs, pizza and so on; the trattorias I found were mediocre and overpriced, clearly catering to student-parents on a big budget. Overall, I had a blast. Though I must confess, in moments of cantankerous choler, I couldn’t help muttering a verse or two of Giacomo Leopardi under my breath: “Oh, turn, and rouse thyself for shame [Urbino citizens] Blush at the thought of sires so great, Of children so degenerate!” [bah humbug].
Sticking with the travel theme for a moment, National Geographic has just published a well-written, well-researched and heartfelt paean to the joys of Genoa; another of Italy’s unduly neglected and undervalued cities. In her piece, Julia Buckley takes the reader on a historic tour of the city centre, encompassing the key renaissance palaces, art nouveau villas and even engineering wonders such as the extraordinary castelletto belvedere elevator. Genoa really is a place I recommend you visit. The city is home to a wonderful poetry festival every June, and, periodically, a Mediterranean music gala. Its centro storico is an intriguing mix of elegance and grime; closer to Naples in spirit than the cities of nearby Piemonte or Tuscany. If you’re planning a trip to the Ligurian coast or cinque terre this summer ignore the haters and please take my advice: make sure you book a couple of night’s in the region’s metropolis.
After months of competition, backroom discussions and bizarre flexing from mayors across the peninsula, MiBAC has just announced that the Italian Capital of Culture for 2024 will be awarded to… Pesaro. It’s an interesting choice, certainly. I’ve always thought of Pesaro as the Adriatic version of Weston-Super-Mare; which is to say, a ramshackle, tacky seaside resort dominated by shoddy tourist bars. Well, it turns out there’s much more than meets the eye. This small city of just 90,000 people apparently spends 15 million euros every year on culture, and despite the pandemic, and increased energy costs, they are planning to increase this budget further to help the theatre and music industry lead the way towards a green energy transition. Click below, to 16:03, to see the moment the announcement was made, and a fairly amusing crowd reaction. Congrats to all involved!
Arts and culture: out of the shadows
Dario Biello, the documentary maker, has got a new film out about the history of rationalist city planning in early 20th Century Italy. Città Novecento explores the political and aesthetic questions surrounding some of Italian modernism’s most well-known architectural experiments, focusing in particular on Colleferro; the archetypal ‘Morandian city’. Talking heads include Alessandro Haber, Antonio Pennacchi and the philosopher-politician Massimo Cacciari (the presence of the latter alone makes this worth a watch in my book). Future instalments are also in the works apparently and they will focus on UNESCO sites such as the Villaggio Operaio di Crespi d’Adda the Città Aziendale di Ivrea and the Città Razionalista di Asmara in Eritrea. There’s no word on an English language release as of yet, but if you want to know more about the historical background this piece by Luca Calselli is very informative indeed.
Classic FM has just published the latest in a series of pieces exploring lesser-known artists from musical history. This week’s instalment looks at Francesca Caccini, who was born in 1587 in Florence and who, throughout her life, won a reputation for her skills as a singer, composer and lute player. Interestingly, Caccini was well-known and respected in her own time, and once widely celebrated as a virtuoso. Over the centuries, though, (male) historians have tended to push her to the sidelines, instead favouring her masculine counterparts such as Monteverdi. I admit, I’d never heard of Caccini before reading this piece but I’ve enjoyed scrolling through YouTube listening to recordings of her operas, such as the comedic La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina which is said to be one of the first such works authored by a woman. Kudos, anyway, to Classic FM for the series: an older piece about the Venetian Barbara Strozzi is also well-worth a read.
Recipe of the week: coniglio al forno con finocchio
I’ve always struggled with rabbit. Cooked well it’s a joy; a leaner, richer, funkier chicken. Cooked badly it ends up tough, stringy and, in the worst instances, unnervingly “fishy”. Well, earlier this week I turned to a classic book, The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper in an attempt to find a reliable set of instructions for preparing the meat. It proved a godsend. Kasper’s recipe for roasted coniglio with sweet fennel was everything I had hoped it would be and more. I prepared it using four legs which I slow-roasted at 160 degrees celsius for two hours. The meat did not – as I had feared – dry out. On the contrary the end product was mouth-wateringly soft and the simple seasoning - garlic, rosemary and fennel seeds - left it tasting moreorless like “healthier porchetta.” If you are carnivorous you must give this a try. Here’s the recipe.
About Me
My name is Jamie Mackay (@JacMackay) and I’m an author, editor and translator based in Florence. I’ve been writing about Italy for a decade for international media including The Guardian, The Economist, Frieze, and Art Review. I launched ‘The Week in Italy’ to share a more direct and regular overview of the debates and dilemmas, innovations and crises that sometimes pass under the radar of our overcrowded news feeds.
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