Or you can book ahead of time

An array of enormous fireplaces and elaborate ceilings, the sheerscale of the duke's apartment conjoining the duchess's digs, theexquisite frescoes in parquetry adorning the walls of the duke'sstudy and the graceful, spiralling sweep of the main staircase willtransport you to romantic imaginings. Stand at a palace window and look out to the masses (you mayhave to surreptitiously pull a gallery curtain, as I did) andglimpse how Duke Federico was connected so intimately to thistown. The palace also houses an archaeological museum and, below, alabyrinth of cellar vaults that are still being excavated andrestored, featuring relics of ingenious plumbing methods, ancientwashtubs and gloomy wells. Again I was eerily alone, except for thesecurity cameras and movement sensors clicking quietly on as Imoved from room to room. The information office is on Piazza Duca Federico. Walkingaround Urbino takes no more than an hour, so wander towards thecentre and it won't be long before you find it. Or the basic citymaps in Italian guidebooks will get you there directly. The touristinformation map you can pick up there is more detailed. They willalso furnish you with a list of hotels and locations. Or you canbook ahead of time. There are a few hotels in town (with farm stays and pensione inthe outlying districts) but the Hotel Raphael where I stayed wascentral, the rooms simple yet cosy with great heating, aircon,towel warmers and comfy beds. You can get excellent dealsoff-season. Urbino also has great nightlife. There are cafes that turn intopumping student discotecca at night, old-school Italian bars wherethe academics and older locals gather and modern enotecca (winebars) serving local, Tuscan and Umbrian wines. Dinner choices in Urbino are varied both in price and cuisinebut not, it seems, quality. L'Osteria L'Angelo Rosetta Stone Outlet Divino is abeautiful family-run restaurant serving simple, tasty localproduce. Vecchio Urbino has 40 different iced grappas and a menuthat reflects Le Marche's strong association with both sea andland. The region runs north-south between the Appenines andAdriatic and its produce runs the same gamut. The rosterria just outside the Hotel Raphael is a deliciouschoice for a cheap lunch to take up to the Piazzale Roma, with itsmonument to Raphael and views that extend to San Marino on a clearday. There is a great pizzeria and unbelievable gelato andtourist-friendly cafes on the Piazza della Repubblica. Visit the churches - there are better in Italy but still greatart to be found - or take to the streets and have your breath takenaway by so many gorgeous outlooks. Take Via Veneto to Laurana'sPiazza Rinascimento. Amble through the colonnades of CorsoGaribaldi where you will soon chance upon La Rampa, designed totake horses and carriages into the basements of Palazzo Ducale. Theview of the rural surrounds is astounding. Fabulous (if expensive) shops uphold a centuries-old traditionof excellence on Via G Mazzinni. Not to be missed is the beautifully preserved home where Raphaelwas born to his painter father, Giovanni Santi, and where he spenthis first 16 years. There's the courtyard where father and sonmixed paint. And the museum's evocative centrepiece: a fresco of the Madonnapainted by Raphael, quite possibly his first, there on the wallexactly where he left it. Try finding that in Florence. TRIP NOTES All the big hire car outfits have offices close to Florencetermini. There are great deals to be had if you book fromAustralia. The nearest big centres are Rimini and Bologna, so considerhiring from there.

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