The 'time' of Francesco Maria II della Rovere, the last Duke of Urbino (1549-1631)

The paper aims to demonstrate the importance of time in the imaginary of Francesco Maria II della Rovere (1549–1631), the last Duke of Urbino. The study is a part of the project ‘Immaginare i Saperi’ (Imagining Knowledge) of the Sapienza – University of Rome. The research primarily focuses on the perception and representation of time and time-keeping at the court of Urbino, one of the most important courts in Renaissance Italy. The Duke was almost obsessed with time, a theme that had interested him since his youth and, over the years, influenced his moral vision of governance and even his official portraiture. This study will examine the ego-documents and first-hand sources relating to the Duke, including his manuscript diary, receipts, correspondences, and inventories of goods and properties. The documents also record the Duke’s rich collection of clocks and scientific/mathematical instruments. Also in his colossal library there was an entire section dedicated to the science of measurement of time, accompanied by volvelles and illustrations. The analysis of this robust source library material held in the Biblioteca Universitaria Alessandrina, where the Duke’s library is conserved since 1667, is embedded in the studies of the cultural and material history of science.