Church of San Bernardino, Renaissance church in Urbino, Italy
San Bernardino is a Renaissance church in Urbino with a tall, narrow facade marked by decorative bands and a travertine portal. Two gabled windows frame the entrance, creating a distinctive vertical appearance.
Francesco di Giorgio designed this building in 1491 as a burial chapel for a regional ruler. The structure reflects the artistic ambitions of its era and was created to honor the dead for centuries to come.
The church is named after a saint associated with religious reform in the medieval period. Inside, visitors see marble tombs that reflect how the city honored its most powerful rulers.
The church sits roughly two kilometers from Urbino's center, near a wooded area, making it somewhat isolated. Plan to visit as part of a trip outside the town, and check ahead as access may be restricted.
The church once housed a famous 15th-century Italian masterwork that visitors would have seen inside. French forces removed the painting during military campaigns in the early 1800s, and it never returned to this location.
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