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Who was Federico da Montefeltro?

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Piero della Francesca: The Flagellation of Christ — Piero della Francesca *The Flagellation of Christ*, tempera on wood panel by Piero della Francesca, late 1450s; in the National Gallery of the Marches, Urbino, Italy.

Federico da Montefeltro (1422–1482) was a powerful ruler of the Italian city-state of Urbino and a prominent member of the Montefeltro family.12

An outstanding military leader, he served as a captain for the papal army and as a mercenary for figures such as Lorenzo de' Medici. His military success provided the wealth he used to become a significant patron of the arts, architecture, and literature. In 1474, Pope Sixtus IV elevated him to the rank of Duke of Urbino.2

Federico is famously depicted in a double portrait by Piero della Francesca, which shows him in profile. The painting captures his distinct features, including a hook nose and facial scarring sustained during a tournament, which the artist diplomatically obscured. He was married to Battista Sforza, and after her death, he commissioned works—likely including the famous diptych—as a memorial to her. His court at Urbino became a renowned center of culture, later immortalized in Baldassare Castiglione's Il cortegiano.12