The Chiesa dei Morti (Church of the Dead) in Urbania contains 18 naturally mummified bodies displayed standing upright behind the altar. The mummification (caused by a particular mold — Hypha bombycina — in the soil of the former cemetery) was discovered in the 18th century. The bodies — dressed, labeled, posed vertically — include a woman who died in childbirth (the baby is visible), a man who was knifed, and several whose expressions are frozen in their final moments. It is the most macabre church in Italy outside the Palermo catacombs. The town itself is a Renaissance gem: the Palazzo Ducale (rebuilt by Federico da Montefeltro's architects, now housing the Museo Civico with one of the finest maiolica collections in the Marche) and a centro storico on the Metauro river. Marche →
Plan my Marche trip →Chiesa dei Morti (Cemetery of the Mummies): Behind the altar of the small church — 18 mummies in glass cases. The preservation is remarkable and disturbing. €3. Not for young children or the squeamish. Palazzo Ducale / Museo Civico: Built for Federico da Montefeltro — the maiolica collection (Renaissance Urbania/Casteldurante pottery was renowned across Europe), maps, prints, and a small art gallery. €5. The town: On the Metauro river — the Barco Ducale (a ducal hunting lodge outside town), medieval bridges, and the quiet atmosphere of a place that was once "Casteldurante" — famous across Renaissance Europe for its ceramics.
Getting there: car from Urbino (20min), Pesaro (40min). Bus from Urbino (30min). Stay: €40-65/night. Eat: La Taverna dei Borboni (€20-30). Combine with: Urbino (20min — Palazzo Ducale, Raphael), Gradara (50min), San Leo (40min).