Urbino & the Marche Region of Italy

Urbino is a picturesque Renaissance hill town in the Marche region of central Italy. Although Urbino was a Roman and medieval city, its peak came during the 15th century when Duke Federico da Montefeltro established one of Europe’s most illustrious courts. Its impressive Ducal Palace houses one of the most important collections of Renaissance paintings in Italy. Urbino’s historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In the northern part of central Italy’s Marche Region, Urbino is nestled between the Apennine Mountains and the Adriatic Sea. Many say the Renaissance started here. The Duke of Urbino’s twin-turreted palace still houses an outstanding collection of period art. Other attractions include a unique botanical garden and the boyhood home of the Renaissance artist Raphael.

Students worked in groups to explore
the following areas for the summer of 2023

About the Urbino Project

Twenty-seven students created interactive content with text, photos and video. Students learned how to navigate as professional media producers in a foreign culture by working with Italian translators/interpreters and crafting ready-to-publish feature stories. They also studied “survival” Italian to learn about the history and culture of the region.

The Urbino Project was developed by the Institute for Education in International Media (ieiMedia) and students receive academic credit from James Madison University, the University of Jamestown or Rider University.

Students are mentored by an experienced group of content creators, including a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, a Washington Post photographer, and media professionals with experience in documentary storytelling and interactive design. Students explore writing, photography, videography and interactive design with emphasis on experiential learning.

Translators/Interpreters

Student reporters were not required to have Italian language background. Instead, they worked with University of Urbino foreign language students who served as translators/interpreters. They helped guide our reporters through the culture and worked with them during the story development process. Translators included Lorenza Abbondanza, Ilaria Caiazzo, Chiara Centauro, Mariateresa Chiovitti, Martina DeFilippo, Sara Gabellini, Linda Marangoni, Lucia Piazzalunga, Maria Silvia Pieri, Matteo Ridolfi, and Valeria Ritella. We are indebted to them all for their assistance.

The University of Urbino is situated in a Renaissance hill town in the northeastern part of central Italy. The university was founded in 1506, and currently has about 20,000 students, many of whom are from overseas. The university has no central campus as such, and instead occupies numerous buildings throughout the town and in the surrounding countryside.

12 Years Of Storytelling

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