Oratorio della Morte

The Oratory della Morte is one of the city’s most evocative sites for those interested in the intersection of art, faith, and social history. Built in the 16th century as the new seat of the Confraternity of the Morte. Inside, the single-nave space with a barrel-vaulted ceiling houses one of the masterpieces of Urbino’s Renaissance: the Crucifixion by Federico Barocci (1535–1612), commissioned by the confraternity at the end of the 16th century. The painting, placed above the main altar, depicts Christ on the cross between the Virgin Mary and Saint John, bathed in a light that evokes deep emotional engagement. Today, the Oratory della Morte opens to the public only on special occasions.