The Study of the Duke of Urbino: history, art and restoration of a Renaissance gem

Have you ever visited a place where culture, art and history blend together in timeless wonder?
If you are passionate about art and culture, the Studiolo del Duca di Urbino is a must-see. This extraordinary setting, located inside the Ducal Palace in Urbino, has been restored to its former glory thanks to recent restoration work that has brought one of the masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance back to light.

In this post, you will discover the history of the Studiolo, its most fascinating artistic details and the surprises that emerged during the restoration work in 2025.

The Study of the Duke of Urbino: a corner for the soul and the mind

The Study of the Duke of Montefeltro was not simply a reception room, but an intimate space for study and reflection, whose roots lie in medieval monastic cells.
With the Renaissance and the rediscovery of classical Greek and Roman thought, these spaces became places dedicated to the care of the spirit and mind, environments reserved for reflection and study.

Federico da Montefeltro, Duke of Urbino and depicted in the famous Pala Brera by Piero della Francesca, wanted his study to embody this vision. Those entering from the Audience Chamber were greeted by a portrait of Federico with his son Guidubaldo, painted by Pedro Berruguete.
The realism of the scene and the perspective effect from below helped to enhance the figure of the Duke, portrayed in armour while reading, flanked by the symbols of the honours received from the kings of Naples and England.

The Studiolo as a representation of humanistic knowledge

The decoration of the Studiolo was completed in 1476, as evidenced by the inscription under the ceiling.
The wooden inlays, made in Florence by the brothers Giuliano and Benedetto da Maiano, and the portraits of 28 illustrious men (from Dante to Petrarch, from Bessarion to Pope Sixtus IV), painted in Urbino by Giusto di Gand and Pedro Berruguete, form a veritable manifesto of humanist culture.

The ecclesiastical figures are depicted in the lower part, the lay figures in the upper part, all recognisable through the writings kept in the Duke’s library.

The inlays depict open cabinets that seem to reveal a studied disorder: books, weapons, scientific instruments, musical objects and religious symbols compose an encyclopaedic vision of human knowledge.
Federico appears in an inlay, between the theological virtues and his heraldic exploits, emphasising the synthesis between power and wisdom.

From the dispersion of his works to the rebirth of the Studiolo

After the death of Francesco Maria II della Rovere in 1631, the Studiolo was dismantled: Cardinal Antonio Barberini had the paintings donated to him, which were transported to Rome, sawn up and reduced to individual panels. Fourteen of these portraits are now in the Louvre, while the others were repurchased by the Italian State in 1934 and preserved in the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche.
Today, thanks to perfect copies, even the missing portraits have been returned to the Studiolo, restoring the room to its original appearance.

The 2025 restoration: a return to its origins

The recent restoration, completed in May 2025, has restored the Duke’s Study to its Renaissance splendour. The project, directed by Luigi Gallo with the collaboration of experts such as Francesco Primari, Giovanni Russo and Giulia Papini, involved all surfaces: the inlays, the wooden ceiling (which is actually a decorated false ceiling), the portraits, the doors and the floors.

The main operations included dismantling and reassembling the wooden elements, treating them against parasites, installing new natural and artificial lighting, cleaning the terracotta and stone surfaces, and replacing the portraits and furnishings. The project combined restoration and historical-critical reorganisation, restoring not only a room but also a piece of Italian art history.

Two surprising discoveries

Archival research conducted during the restoration led to the recovery of two original elements from the Duke’s apartment: the latrine, or the Duke’s personal bathroom (a very rare feature in residences of the time), which has been restored to its original form, and a sumptuous washbasin in the bedroom, which has been reassembled in its correct position after centuries of neglect.

These elements help to recreate the refined everyday life of the court in the 15th century.

The Duke’s Study in Urbino is a treasure trove of wonders not to be missed

The Duke’s Study in Urbino is much more than a room: it is a journey into the heart of the Italian Renaissance, a time machine inlaid with culture, art and symbolism.

If you are planning a visit to the Marche region, don’t miss this resurrected masterpiece and, if you love Renaissance art, I also recommend reading:

The Ideal City in the Renaissance: the works of Urbino, Baltimore and Berlin

Patrons of the Renaissance: the role of Italian lords in art

Giorgio Vasari and the birth of the concept of the Renaissance

Don’t forget: every restoration is also a story, and today the Duke’s Study tells a story that is more fascinating than ever.