Chiesa di Sant'Ubaldo

Why it matters

The Church of Sant'Ubaldo in Pesaro is associated with the della Rovere dynasty. According to the traditional account, Duke Francesco Maria II promised to build a church if he had an heir. His son Federico Ubaldo was born on 16 May 1605, the feast day of Sant'Ubaldo, and the church was built between 1610 and 1618. It later became a burial place for members of the ducal family.

What to notice

Sant'Ubaldo has a centralized octagonal plan beneath a tall dome and lantern. The exterior facade was renovated in the late nineteenth century with support from Count Mamiani. Tombs in the church include those of Duke Guidubaldo II della Rovere and his wife Vittoria Farnese. Earlier furnishings, including paintings attributed to Palma il Giovane and Terenzio Terenzi, were later dispersed.

Context and history

After the end of the ducal line, the church passed from dynastic use into civic ownership. Between 1926 and 1931, architect Mario Urbani adapted the interior as a memorial to Pesaro's war dead. The building's successive roles—as a ducal church, family mausoleum and civic memorial—reflect changing forms of public memory in the city.