Urbino, the Best Kept Secret of Central Italy?

It was the perfect sunset over the Apennines, the last golden rays of a lazy afternoon reflecting off the Disney-esque twin turrets of the 15th Century palazzo at this remote small town.

Yet the town hasn't always been remote and small. At one point this held the most refined of Italy's princely courts, a powerful city-state that assembled some of the best literary and artistic masterminds at the height of the Renaissance. Five hundred years later we sat on a grassy slope overlooking one of the most visually striking palaces anywhere in Italy, though Urbino is now largely neglected as a little-known town in a faraway province.



We arrived at Urbino exactly one week after the famous Festa dell'Aquilone, the annual kiting festival and a modern vestige of ancient traditions at this geographically isolated locale, nestled on the Adriatic side of the Apennine Mountains away from the influence of cultural heavyweights such as Rome or Florence. Its remarkably steep alleys could be mistaken for those of any Tuscan hilltown, except for the lack of tourists compared with Siena or San Gimignano.



Despite being venerated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its immaculately preserved Renaissance townscape, Urbino is far from becoming a household name even among the Italians themselves. My Italian coworkers seemed puzzled by my itinerary to venture this far into unknown territory -- Puglia and Basilicata they applauded, but Urbino in Le Marche? Apparently most Italians haven't visited, let alone casual foreign tourists, which is exactly why we came.



Every visitor to Italy knows of Florence and its brilliant flourishing of everything Renaissance, yet few have heard of its obscure twin, an anti-Florence so to speak, situated on the opposite side of the Apennines. As the other cradle of Italian Renaissance, Urbino once contested with its better-financed brother for cultural supremacy, and in fact it was only recently discovered in an encoded letter that its Duke did try to assassinate the ruling Medici brothers of Florence. Fast forward a few centuries though, and Florence has grown into one of the world's premier tourist destinations while Urbino has slipped into anonymity at a distant and humble province.



Today's Urbino is much better known as a vibrant university town hosting one of Italy's oldest academic institutions, with classes held in many historic palazzi and an air of scholarly composure that permeates its centuries-old neighborhoods. Tourists are a precious few while its armies of university students and faculty, 13,000 strong and more populous than the local citizens, drive the town's economy with their grocery runs and aperitivo hours. For independent travelers who may appreciate some youthful exuberance in a magnificent little town off the beaten path, this is the place to be.



Getting here wasn't straightforward -- we happened to arrive by SCHOOL BUS from San Marino (read the long story here). As unconventional as it might seem, this daily commuting vehicle for middle school students provided by far the quickest connection between these two unmissible UNESCO World Heritage Sites. While we did have to flag down our bus at 06:45 in San Marino, it offered the advantage of arriving at Urbino by 08:00 for a full day of exploring the town's timeless Renaissance charm.



By 08:30 we had already dropped off our luggage at the 3-star Albergo Italia next door, perfect for starting our day at the town's most iconic landmark, the pink-bricked palace of Duke Federico da Montefeltro, an exceptional military leader and quintessential Renaissance Man who singlehandedly elevated Urbino to the cutting edge of culture in the 15th Century. From its stately courtyard to the grand spiral staircase, the trendsetting Palazzo Ducale has long served as the ultimate blueprint and object of plagiarism for Renaissance palaces elsewhere in Italy.



While art lovers typically visit the Palazzo for the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche and its world-renowned collection of Renaissance paintings from Barocci to Titian to Urbino's favorite son Raphael, I was much more drawn towards its airy architecture as well as its decorative details, the most amazing being these stunning inlaid wood panels inside the Duke's tiny studiolo.



Outside the Palazzo this lovely young couple emerged from their wedding inside the town's neoclassical cathedral to have their best moment captured on these front marble steps. This was the first of two Italian weddings we witnessed on our trip, the next one being in Lecce in the deep south.



To be honest the Italian weddings we came across were much more reserved than popularized in the English speaking world, the most boisterous segment being the much anticipated bouquet toss.



Visiting in the off-season comes with advantages and disadvantages: while tourists were almost non-existent, lesser-known but still spectacular sights such as the Oratorio di San Giuseppe would close its doors by 13:00. Our unintended early arrival turned out to be ideal for wrapping up our half-day of sightseeing just in time to enjoy the luxury of an afternoon nap.



Housed inside this unassuming oratory is one of Urbino's most distinctive sights, a 400-year-old life-sized nativity scene of stucco statues built into the walls of a natural grotto.



The neighboring Oratorio di San Giovanni Battista was the only place in Urbino where we encountered an organized tour group, a small legion of Italian speakers receiving a lecture on these captivating medieval frescoes. At this point the oratories started to close for the afternoon, and it was time for everyone to take up the local tradition of the midday riposo.



Later in the afternoon we took a walk around the town's expansive medieval walls, a formidable 15 metre wall of elegant pink sandstone and bricks and complete with a multitude of bastions for that perfect panorama of the surrounding Italian countryside.



By sheer luck we chanced upon the annual Gran Premio Nuvolari as dozens of classic cars rode through the historic squares of Urbino! One of these Fiat 508 Balilla ended up winning the 3-day race after 1,000 grueling kilometres across Central Italy.



Just before sunset we followed the local families and they hiked up the extraordinarily steep Via Raffaello to the highest section of the walled city, a green space known locally as Fortezza (formally Parco della Resistenza, as we later found out) overlooking the Palazzo Ducale for that famous postcard view of the Renaissance town in its 15th Century urban setting.



In a brief moment of brilliance the sunlight pierced through the distant clouds and landed on the Palazzo. The children gasped, the lovers kissed, and all the cellphones came out for the impromptu selfies. This lasted for about two minutes before the sun set behind the Apennines the families started to pack up: it was time for dinner.


RESTAURANT REVIEWS

TARTUFI ANTICHE BONTA
Via Raffaello Sanzio, 35, Urbino; one minute walk uphill from Piazza della Repubblica.


With a storefront advertising "Prodotti Tipici e Tartufi," Tartufi Antiche Bonta may appear as a typical Salumeria / gourmet shop to the uninitiated with its wide selection of truffle sauces and dried pasta. But next to its shelves of truffle oil a small staircase leads downstairs into a hidden cellar operating as an Enoteca, with just four precious tables. Needless to say, reservations are a must even in the low season.



That said, this is not a proper Ristorante or even Trattoria, but an Enoteca focusing on its selection of local vintage and serving up some regional Salumi and cheeses to go with the wine. At the bargain price of just 12 euros per head for the fixed menu we half expected to leave semi-hungry, but our worries were immediately negated by this sizable plate of Crostini, smothered in cheese and sprinkled with shaved local truffles.



The main course tonight was a gigantic cutting board of excellent regional cheeses and cured meats from Salame to Coppa to some succulent Prosciutto di Carpegna. On the side was a basket full of fresh Crescia, the distinctively fluffy, pastry-like flat bread that crumbles in the mouth akin to Indian Roti. It was clear then that we would not leave hungry -- in fact we never finished the bread.



Going perfectly with the Salame was a bottle of fruity Passerina (Umani Ronchi Vigor Passerina 2014) from the local hills, again at a very reasonable price of 9.5 euros.



The selection of cheeses ranged from the soft and delicate Ricotta to the prized Casciotta d’Urbino to some aged Caprino, complemented with dried figs, apricot jam and organic honey.



For Dolce our Biscotti Secchi were served with small glasses of Duke Federico's favorite wine, the syrupy sweet and fruity Vino di Visciole made from tiny cherries indigenous to Le Marche. Perhaps it was the mixing of two different alcohols on this evening, but I did wake up the next morning with a rare hangover.

Bill for Two Persons

Degustazione Menu x 2	24 Euros
Bottle of Umani Ronchi Vigor Passerina	9.5 Euros
Coperto x 2	3 Euros
TOTAL	36.5 Euros (CAD$51.1)

At less than 20 euros per person for a light dinner this is certainly my number one recommendation in town. Number two is a cheap breakfast joint.


CORNETTERIA PECCATI DI GOLA
Via Giuseppe Mazzini, 28, Urbino; located on the long and steep Via Mazzini, 1 minute from Piazza della Repubblica.


Pictured here were two of the best Cornetti of our entire Italy trip, fresh out of the oven and injected with the customer's choice of flavor only upon ordering to prevent the cream from sogging up the pastry. The result was the flakiest, most scrumptious Cornetti with the richest and nuttiest fillings of pistachio and vanilla. Regretfully I did not get a picture of the storefront, but it should be easy to find as everyone in town knows this place.

Bill for Two Persons

Cornetto with Chantilly Creme	1.5 Euros
Cornetto with Pistachio Creme	2.0 Euros
TOTAL	3.5 Euros (CAD$4.9)

Finally we also tried one of Urbino's most popular Osterie, which was worth a mention even though it might not be as an amazing deal as Tartufi Antiche Bonta.


OSTERIA URBINO KM 0
Via Puccinotti, 21, Urbino; located directly across from the Duomo.


This was about the only time that we had an lunch all'aperto on an Italian town square, as we generally try to avoid such restaurants and their typically overpriced and mediocre food like the plague. But this place boasted a menu entirely derived from Urbino's local ingredients (hence "KM 0"), and we decided to give it a try.



And it wasn't bad, though my wife did find her dish of smoked goose breast slightly underwhelming as the flavor of the meat was completely masked by the strong Pecorino di Fossa and balsamic vinegar. I probably enjoyed the dish more than she did, but then I'm usually the one who appreciates bolder flavors.



I could not resist ordering -- without even knowing the price -- the daily special of Tagliatelle al Tartufo Fresco, the simplest possible dish of pasta with nothing but boiled Tagliatelle and shaved black truffles on top. To be honest the truffles were not quite as sharp and flavorful as I hoped for, and while the amount of shavings was quite generous, the mystery price of 15 euros was a little higher than what I wished to pay for a lackluster dish.

Bill for Two Persons

Petto d'Oca	10 Euros
Tagliatelle al Tartufo	15 Euros
Bottle of Beer	4 Euros
Coperto x 2	2 Euros
TOTAL	31 Euros (CAD$43.4)

The 3 euro gelato at Gelateria Raffaella (corner of Via Donato Bramante and Via Raffaello) turned out to be a much more enjoyable bite in comparison. We dropped by the little gelateria twice before hopping on the 07:35 bus the next morning to Pesaro, connecting with the high speed Frecciabianca on a 4.5 hour train ride to Italy's deep south.

Why San Marino is a Seriously Underrated Gem

I was almost embarrassed to tell my Italian coworkers about my wife's favorite destination from our Italy trip.

It would have been easy if she preferred Venice, or perhaps quaint but touristy Alberobello, or even the Dolomites along the Austrian border. Except her favorite wasn't even technically part of Italy.



That's right. The Most Serene Republic of San Marino, a landlocked microstate surrounded entirely by the Italian regions of Le Marche and Romagna, was her top choice among 17 destinations from our 23-day journey. While I may not always agree with her feminine perspective, she does make a very convincing case of why this tiny enclave should beat tourism heavyweights like Venice in her opinion.



To her San Marino offers an irresistible combination of enchantments that few women would be able to turn down: romantic medieval castles and townscape, Italian food and wine at bargain prices, and on top of all this, tax-free shopping on handbags, shoes and jewelry. At the end of our two nights in town my wife even asked why I didn't book a third night ... that's how much she loved her time at San Marino.



While I did feel slightly proud of handpicking what would become my wife's favorite destination, I must admit that I almost made the mistake of reducing San Marino to a rushed day-trip. After all, most discussions on traveler forums seem to focus on the inconvenient public transport (true), bad restaurants (totally untrue) or tax-free shops targeting tourists (not necessarily a bad thing!), and respected writers such as Rick Steves typically consider San Marino hardly worth the detour without a private car. I am here to dispute San Marino's dubious reputation, and explain why this is a largely misunderstood and underrated gem for independent travelers.



Claiming to be the world's oldest republic, San Marino represents the last vestige from an era when independent city-states proliferated across the Italian peninsula. But unlike your typical princely states like Milan or Ferrara, San Marino has largely remained a democratic republic for its entire 1700 year history, staying neutral from military conflicts and consequently preserving a beautiful historic centre that became today's UNESCO World Heritage Site.



To most independent travelers, the allure of San Marino lies in its classic appearance of an impenetrable mountaintop citadel, with massive defensive walls and crenellations encircling a small medieval town of cobblestone streets. In the daytime the pint-sized capital city gets easily overrun by day-tripping Italian shoppers searching for that hot deal on watches and perfumes, or Japanese tour groups snatching up its rare collectible stamps and coins. But if you slow down and stay for a couple nights, you'll gain a true appreciation for the timeworn beauty of the meandering little alleys, not to mention the friendliness of the San Marinese.



But first the caveat: San Marino is in the middle of nowhere, away from highspeed rail lines and major highways on the sparsely populated Adriatic side of the Apennine Mountains. The closest major city is probably Bologna, realistically about 3 hours away through a bus-train transfer. Most tourists simply won't gravitating towards San Marino -- you do have to make an effort to get here.



On our itinerary we linked San Marino with two other UNESCO World Heritage sites, starting by taking a half-day trip from Bologna to the spectacular Ravenna, then taking the afternoon train and subsequently a Bonelli Bus to San Marino. After staying two nights we took the school bus -- yes, SCHOOL BUS -- to our next destination of Urbino. I'll elaborate on the San Marino - Urbino connection later, but San Marino can definitely be done via public transport.



It was difficult to appreciate just how small San Marino was as a country until our arrival. The entire nation is smaller than Manhattan, and its so-called capital city -- really a few zigzagging streets culminating at its mountaintop fortress -- isn't much bigger than Central Park. Our day-and-a-half was more than enough for visiting the major sights in town, with time to spare for some tax-free shopping.



We started our morning with an obligatory hike up to the 1000-year-old Guaita Tower, a relatively small but photogenic castle surrounded by a convoluted system of battlements with deadly crenellations and embrasures designed specifically for San Marino's famous crossbowmen.



The short hike from the First Tower to the Second provided just a taste of the physical exertion awaiting potential invaders. Perched on top of the precarious 755 m summit with a sheer 200m drop to the east, the Second Tower offered a spectacular panorama of the Marche countryside stretching all the way to the Adriatic Sea on this clear day.



We did not hike all the way to the small Third Tower, once an important lookout in the defensive line of the republic and remains inaccessible to visitors even today. Unfortunately the Palazzo Pubblico was also closed on this date due to a parliament session, and we spent the first half of our afternoon at the smaller museums before taking advantage of the tax-free shopping.



Travelers complaining of the monotonous nature of San Marino's shops probably never ventured outside the city walls where the real San Marinese do their grocery shopping at its family-run markets. I had a daily routine of walking down to Market San Marino on Via Gino Giacomini, getting our supply of Prosciutto and juice and practicing my horrible Italian on the amused store clerks. Here the friendly lady at the Salumeria counter introduced this clueless Canadian to one of the best cured sausages of our trip, an exceptional locally produced Salame da Banco from La Delizia.



For a glimpse of the authentic San Marino without the impact of mass tourism, one can take the cable car down to the old peasant community of Borgo Maggiore, a much less visited section of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here your typical Profumerie and Pelletterie are replaced with pharmacies and cheap clothing stores serving the local populace, and of course, prices are slightly cheaper compared with the upper town.



From Borgo Maggiore we considered taking the local bus to the factory outlet at Rovereto, but the upper town alone presented such a plethora of small shops that we could not possibly peruse in a half day. A cheap 90 euros later my wife came away with two genuine Italian made leather handbags, certainly part of the reason for her appreciation of this lovely castle-on-a-hilltop.



But our favorite time of the day came after the shops closed and the busloads of tourists left, when San Marino's romantic small town character emanated throughout its labyrinth of cobblestone streets. With barely any visitors remaining the entire walled town became our private medieval wonderland of steep climable ramparts and twisting backstreets, with an unbeatable mountaintop panorama to boot. That, is why my wife much preferred San Marino by night compared with the crowded and somewhat grimy Venetian alleys.



Early evening was also our much anticipated hour for a taste of local flavors. Previously I had read much about other travelers' complaints of mediocre or overpriced restaurants, which proved to be furthest from the truth. Not only did we come across two of our best meals right here, but we also found restaurants to be generally 20 percent cheaper here in tax-free San Marino.


OSTERIA RIGHINO
Piazza Liberta 10; located right on the square across from Palazzo Pubblico.


This was one of the best restaurants of our trip in terms of quality-price ratio.

This is not the Michelin-starred Righi la Taverna, but the cheaper Osteria in the cellar downstairs which shares the same kitchen at less than half the price. Instead of 20+ euros for Antipasti and 25+ for Secondi, we're talking bargain prices of 7 to 10 euros for Antipasti and Secondi starting at just 9 euros, all at similarly uncompromised quality.



For a filling starter we ordered this Insalata Affumicata, a very generous portion of smoked swordfish and tuna which turned out, as our waiter did warn, "very smokey." While it was slightly salty for my own preference, it did stoke our appetite for the excellent dishes to come.



At 9 euros this half cockerel was one of the best-valued dishes of our trip.

Yes, not a chicken breast or a quartered chicken, but one half of a flavorful free-range cockerel, unsparingly seasoned, over-roasted and even served with its own side of salad. The meat was juicy, the skin was crisp, and the complex piquancy from the hot chili was just what one might expect from a Michelin-starred kitchen ... except I would expect to pay about 15 euros for similar Secondi at anonymous osterie elsewhere in Italy, let alone coming from a Michelin-1-star kitchen at the heart of San Marino.



Yet the cockerel wasn't even the best dish of the night IMHO. Even better was this exceptionally tender roast of suckling pig with a caramelized skin and a lovely sauce of sauteed fennel. It was probably as cholesterol laden as it looked, but that's exactly part of the irresistibility, especially at a bargain price of 10 euros.



It was a delicious yet surprisingly affordable meal from a Michelin quality kitchen, though served with less extravagant ingredients than the foie gras and pigeons upstairs. Besides, did I mention that this place was smack dab on San Marino's main square, 30 m away from the Palazzo Pubblico? You simply cannot ask for a better deal for a romantic dinner in town, which is why I cannot understand people who claim they can't find reasonably priced meals in San Marino.

Bill for Two Persons

Insalata Affumicata	10 Euros
1/2 Galletto alla Diavola con Insalata Mista	9 Euros
Maialino al Finocchietto Selvatico	10 Euros
Crostata del Pasticcere	5 Euros
Draft Beer x 2	9 Euros
Coperto x 2	3 Euros
TOTAL	46 Euros (CAD$64.4)

While Osteria Righino was one of the best-valued restaurants of our trip, it's conspicuously advertised on the main square and is quite well-known among travelers. The following discovery however may just be the best kept secret in San Marino.

HOSTARIA DA LINO
Piazza Grande 48, Borgo Maggiore, San Marino; 1 minute walk south of Borgo Maggiore's cable car station.


This secluded eatery in the village of Borgo Maggiore could give Osteria Righino a serious challenge in terms of quality-price ratio.

How good was Hostaria da Lino? Combined with Osteria Righino I would gladly return to San Marino in a heartbeat, just for the meals. As out-of-the-way this little restaurant was, it's also easily accessible from San Marino City -- BUT ONLY FOR LUNCH -- via the cable car which dropped us straight into Borgo Maggiore. The only problem was that the cable car shut down by 20:00 or so outside of peak summer season, which made this the perfect lunch spot.



No self-respecting foodie would pass up on fresh Tartufo when in Central Italy, especially during the autumn harvest season. The real magic in this Uovo al Tartufo wasn't the generous heap of shaved black truffles, but the absolute softest bed of steamed egg white and cream at the bottom. The truffles weren't of the best quality to be honest, but at the astoundingly cheap price of 8 euros I certainly didn't complain.



Perhaps an even better deal was my wife's sizable pot of Soute di Cozze e Vongole, a small mountain of Mediterranean shellfish with the absolute freshness that nobody has the right to expect from a landlocked mountainous nation. The quality of these clams was actually better than what we had at a seafood-themed restaurant in Bologna a couple days back, and of course the best part was the price of less than 10 euros.



But my favorite was a plate of Tagliolini ai Frutti di Mare that turned out to be one of the best pasta dishes of our trip -- perfectly textured pasta all'uovo, sauteed in wine and olive oil and allowed to absorb all that savory Mediterranean seawater from the clams, mussels, scampi and calamari ... and priced somehow at just 10.5 euros! Add a 1/4 litre of respectable house wine for 2.5 euros, and we've got a lavish lunch of truffles and seafood for 33 euros. I don't think they even charged Coperto ... on second thought, perhaps Hostaria Da Lino should dethrone Righino as our best-value sit down meal of the trip.

Bill for Two Persons

Uovo al Tartufo	8.0 Euros
Soute di Cozze e Vongole	9.5 Euros
Tagliolini ai Frutti di Mare	10.5 Euros
1/4 Litre of House White	2.5 Euros
Bottle of Water	2.5 Euros
TOTAL	33 Euros (CAD$46.2)

Prior to leaving San Marino we tried one more restaurant, not as incredibly good value as Hostaria da Lino and Osteria Righino but still relatively cheap if you're used to prices in Venice or Milan.

RISTORANTE SMALLER
Via Paolo III, 7, San Marino City; located on the winding path of Via Paolo III, 50 m in the uphill direction from Convento dei Frati Cappuccini.


For whatever reason they named this pizzeria/ristorante Smaller, it certainly wasn't a reference to the size of its dining room. The first night we passed by to find a full house of clientele coming for some sort of "pizza night," and decided to make a reservation for the next evening. As tempting as the wood fire oven sounded, we were much more interesting in sampling a wider variety of regional offerings.



After our filling lunch at Hostaria da Lino we decided to skip the Antipasti and share one Primo and one Secondo, starting with a perfectly textured Gnocchi Verdi, al dente but still pillowy and filled with mellow Mozzarella. The sauce was supposedly truffle creme and Porcini, though it proved to be slightly underwhelming given the expectation. The Gnocchi themselves were much better.



For Secondo we ordered exactly what my Italian coworkers advised me not to order. As Canadians we've been spoiled with an abundance of Angus Beef (and recently Wagyu Cross) steaks from Alberta, and to be frank I was not particularly impressed with the Bistecce Fiorentina at supposedly two of Florence's better restaurants some years ago. Nothing against Italian steaks, just a personal preference of tenderness above the deep flavor that Italian beef seems to be better known for. Besides, this was the most expensive food item on the menu, exactly as my Italian friends warned.

What piqued my interest wasn't the steak itself, but the promise of seasonal wild Porcini with its unmistakable woody fragrance that goes so well with charbroiled beef. And I wasn't disappointed -- look at this generous heap of Porcini chunks, and the mountainous sides in the background! While these Porcini wasn't the most flavorful of our trip (still dreaming of the wondrous Porcini pizza at Ristorante Cascade in Ortisei), 18.5 euros certainly wasn't unreasonable for such a lavish Secondo that was also gigantic enough for two to share.



We would have missed this creamy Cialda Croccante al Mascarpone if it wasn't for our foresight to skip the Antipasti. As satisfying as this meal was, it was probably the least memorable of our three meals in San Marino. That's just how amazing our dining experience in San Marino turned out.



Last but not least we had a good bottle of the fruity Roncale di San Marino at a reasonable price. While Ristorante Smaller wasn't quite the exceptionally good deals that Hostaria da Lino or Osteria Righino were, after ordering the restaurant's most expensive Primo, most expensive Secondo, most expensive Dolce as well as a full bottle to sample the local terroir, our final bill still totaled less 50 euros. Oh, did I mention that Coperto was free?

Bill for Two Persons

Gnocchi Verdi di Patate e Mozzarella alla "Norcina"	9.5 Euros
Tagliata di Manzo ai Porcini	18.5 Euros
Cialda Croccante al Mascarpone	5 Euros
Bottle of Roncale di San Marino	13.5 Euros
Coperto x 2	FREE
TOTAL	46.5 Euros (CAD$65.1)

Not only did we come across some of our best dining bargains in San Marino, but we also enjoyed our cheapest hotel room of the entire 23-day trip here at the clean and friendly Hotel Joli. I don't think we've ever booked a 3-star for less than 60 euros in Western Europe, not even in inexpensive Germany, let alone Italy.



But the most amazing part about our hotel room, aside from the price, was this night scenery of the Guaita Tower and the historic ramparts from our second floor balcony. My wife was right ... two nights were really too short.



EPILOGUE: SAN MARINO TO URBINO BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT ... i.e. SCHOOL BUS!

This is for independent travelers wishing to connect between San Marino and Urbino. As close as these two UNESCO World Heritage Sites may appear on the map (less than 30 km apart as the bird flies), the mountainous landscape of Central Italy usually requires travelers to first travel from San Marino to Rimini by bus (1 hour), transfer to a regional train to Pesaro (30 minutes), then finally transfer to another bus to Urbino (1 hour), typically taking at least 3 hours even if you time your connections well.

But there is a much more efficient way, available only on school days (Monday to Saturday in Italy) during the school year (usually mid September to early June here in Le Marche). That's right -- we're talking about the school bus.

As of 2015 the school bus passes through the City of San Marino at 06:40 in the morning, arriving at Urbino's Borgo Mercatale (just outside the city wall) at 08:00, then returns from Urbino at 13:55 and passes through San Marino at 15:05. At San Marino we flagged down the bus at 06:45 as it passed by the Vecchia Stazione (at the roundabout where Viale Federico D'urbino turns into Via del Voltone, about 30 m south of Hotel Joli). The bus traveled through some seriously winding roads in Le Marche's countryside and arrived at Urbino, picking up 15 or so students along the way before delivering the them to their classes in Urbino at the promised time at 08:00. Without this school bus it would have taken more than 3 hours to arrive instead of just 75 minutes.