The court and the clercy: the letters of the counts and the dukes of Urbino

This study proposes the lecture, held on July 24, 2015 at the International Summer School on “Urbino Renaissance Lectures. The Court and the City”, organized by the Department of International Studies. History, Languages, Cultures of the University Urbino Carlo Bo (20-25 July 2015). The author examines the letters of the counts and dukes of Urbino, preserved in the Archives of the Chapter of the Cathedral of Cagli. Investigate the religious policy of the counts and dukes of Urbino (fifteenth and seventeenth centuries) means addressing especially the problem of the relationship of the manor with the ecclesiastical power. In this perspective did not fail, of course, by their various interventions in favor of the clergy, secular and regular, frequent recipient of attention and donations: for the lords of Urbino not only proved to be available to the authorities bishop and canons in general, but also tended to generously support the religious orders, monasteries, brotherhoods and welfare institutions located in the city and in the Duchy.