Walking through the narrow streets of Urbino, a visit to this authentic masterpiece of miniature reproductions is absolutely not to be missed. Free visit and explanations on the reproduction techniques of the Dear Luciano.
Every year Luciano Biagiotti adds a piece to his Urbino of polystyrene and das.
He began in 2006 with a reproduction of the arched staircase at the back of the Doge's Palace and has finished, for now, with the Mausoleum of the Dukes.
At the center of his miniature city is the Nativity. It is the crib model that the artist from Urbino shares with the public in the church of San Domenico, one of the 44 stages of the Via dei Presepi.
The review, organized by the Pro Urbino, extends throughout the historic center, with displays in shop windows, palaces, churches, courtyards and alleys.
In Luciano Biagiotti's nativity scene, the city's monuments do not respond to a pre-established order: they are positioned differently from reality and not all the details between the original and the model are faithful. So we find the obelisk in piazza Rinascimento in place of the statue of Raphael and the Renaissance painter is in front of the botanical garden in via Bramante. “I wanted to create my own Urbino,” explains the artist. In 26 meters of perimeter the most important points of the city are all there.
Some you recognize immediately, others you have to look for. At first glance, the effect is a bit alienating. There is also a hidden part that can only be seen by inserting the camera into a hole in the crib: it is a reproduction of one of the chapels in the crypt of the Cathedral, with an altar, chalice and crucifix.