Da do s’passa[1]
The hidden town - Urbino underground [2]
In the picture: screenshot shared with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCPhob2Z-dI Michele Magnoni – G.S.U. Gruppo Speleologico Urbinate. In 1998, thanks to the discovery of the ‘Relazione sulla conduttura della Fonte di S.Lucia di Urbino‘ (1841) it was possible to identify the access well to the Roman Aqueduct with subsequent restoration of the water pipe (2002).
Perhaps few people know that, since the 1st century a.C., Urbino’s territory – Raffaello Sanzio’s native town and which marks in 2020 the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death - and the historic centre itself, located in the in the highest part oft he Hill were equipped, thanks to the presence of wells and sources of underground and rainwater, with an efficient system of large cisterns for collecting water and pipelines for distribution and supply to the built-up area : the most important hydraulic work of which evidence remains is the aqueduct of St. Lucia with a length of approximately 277 metres.
The importance of this ancient system came in handy during the 2nd World War, when the German army destroyed most oft he aqueducts, and the inhabitants did their best to restore the wells and cisterns from the Roman era.
Even the underground of the historic centre and of the Palazzo Ducale itself, made up of permeable rocks that allowed the water to circulate, is still crossed by walkways that began with cracks produced by spring water.
On this characteristic of the underground city a funny dialect comedy was based, and presented last March at the ‘Raffaello Sanzio‘ theater in Urbino : two inhabitants of Urbino, well equipped as a matter of fact with specific maps, decide to reopen the underground route that already existed in antiquity to reach the Palazzo Ducale without having to cross the town.
The maps, difficult to be interpreted, however would not be complete according to the two poor men : infact, essential information is missing, that not even the Technical Office of the Municipality is able to provide… While the beautiful project risks remaining an unsolved enigma, the answer will come from the oneiric in the guise of an ancestor, the Count who lived in the house at the time of the Duke : so geometry alone wouldn’t be enough ?
‘Da do s’passa?‘ – with a question mark though – finally becomes a help, capable of putting even a child to work when, committing himself or herself to be born with all one’s own strength, moves away from the suddenly narrow space of the place, hitherto welcoming, that hosted him, or her.
Marina Bilotta Membretti / Cernusco sul Naviglio – December 24, 2019
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[1] ‘Da do s’passa’ (Translat: ‘Where you go through’) is a comedy in two acts by Paolo Cappelloni in Urbino dialect, presented last March at the ‘Raffaello Sanzio’ theater of Urbino by the ‘Compagnia dialettale urbinate’, directed by Amleto Santoriello.
[2] ‘La città segreta – Urbino ipogea’, by E.M. Sacchi-F. Venturini-M. Betti/ ‘Gruppo Speleologico Urbino’ / Monacchi Editore 2013