Palazzo del Duca e Fontana delle Anatre

Palazzo del Duca stands on Piazza del Duca in Senigallia, facing the Rocca Roveresca. Commissioned by Guidubaldo II della Rovere and designed by Gerolamo Genga, it served as a representative residence for the court and its guests rather than as a permanent home for the dukes. The adjacent Fontana delle Anatre dates to 1599–1602.

Why it matters

The palace shows how the Della Rovere court shaped Senigallia's civic centre. Francesco Maria II later enlarged the building, shifting its entrance portal and altering the façade's symmetry. The Sala del Trono contains a coffered ceiling attributed to Taddeo Zuccari, while the fountain commemorates the reclamation of marshland around the Saline.

What to notice

The Sala del Trono ceiling has forty-nine coffers, probably made between 1553 and 1555. Its scenes use carnival themes and the inversion of social roles. A paper family tree of the Della Rovere is also displayed in the room. Outside, the Fontana delle Anatre—also known as the Fontana dei Leoni—stands off-centre in the piazza. Commissioned by Francesco Maria II and built between 1599 and 1602, its figures refer to the birdlife of the reclaimed wetland.

Context and history

Guidubaldo II commissioned the palace from Genga in the mid-sixteenth century. Francesco Maria II later enlarged it, moving the portal to the left. After the Duchy of Urbino ended, the building passed to civic uses. It now operates within the municipal museum circuit and hosts exhibitions. The Rocca Roveresca across the piazza and Palazzetto Baviera nearby complete the historic setting of Piazza del Duca.