Palazzo Ducale, Urbino

This Renaissance palace was the court of Federico da Montefeltro, a soldier-duke who made his small hill town a beacon of humanist culture. Its rooms now form a regional gallery holding masterpieces of Piero della Francesca and Raphael, who was born in the town. Twin slender towers frame a loggia overlooking the countryside. A distinctive detail is the duke's tiny study, its walls covered in intricate wood inlay creating illusions of cupboards, books and instruments, a jewel of Renaissance craftsmanship.