Villa Imperiale Pesaro

The Villa Imperiale is a palatial mansion built in the late Renaissance style near Pesaro (Le Marche). The opulent villa is a stunning example of a Renaissance masterpiece mansion complete with formal gardens, and yet, unlike its counterparts in neighboring Tuscany, is relatively unknown.

The impressive home was built for the Sforza family and got its grandiose name because the emperor Frederick III is said to have laid the first stone himself, in 1452, while visiting Alessandro Sforza, who showed him the site and the architectural plans. The complex is actually two buildings connected; the first part built in the 1400s and the secon part added by the dukes of Montefeltro, the Della Rovere family, nearly a century later.

The square plan has an internal courtyard and stables. There are majestic fresco cycles painted in the halls, and the gorgeous garden is an attraction in itself.

The villa is open only in the summer months from June to September, on Wednesdays. Reserve your visit in advance; more information can be found at this website.