Cultural and folklorist association
The cultural and folklorist association Urbanitas was founded in 1933 in Apiro, a small village of only 2200 inhabitants, hidden in the hills of Marche. The main objective of the association is to perpetuate and share the folklorist tradition of Marche, which is rooted in the 19th century’s rural society, characterized by a very poor population mostly dedicated to agriculture. The few festive occasions, which were determined by the agricoltural calendar, represented lighthearted moments to live as intensely as possible. This aspect perfectly reflects the frenzy and joy of this folklore.
The fact of being born in a small village, away from big cities, allowed the preservation of the uniqueness of its inhabitants’ customs, despite the course of time.
Thanks to its authenticity and to the accurate research developed during the years from the oral tradition of this land, the group Urbanitas’ performance is unique.
The association counts around fifty members, mostly aged 20 to 30. It also boasts a “minigroup” Urbanitas, composed by around forty children aged between 3 and 10.
Throughout its intense history, the Urbanitas has been invited to perform in most of the Italian squares; it has been also recognized as one of the best folklorist groups of Italy and, during the years, it has participated in the most prestigious international festival in many countries such as Mexico, Ecuador, Egypt, Russia, Turkey, Indonesia, South Korea, just to name a few.
On the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, Urbanitas was ranked second among the other Italian groups, and it was awarded by the former Prime Minister Giuliano Amato in person.
The group’s curriculum continues with various televise appearances, in particular its intervention in the film “Straziami ma di baci saziami” (1968), directed by Dino Risi with the participation of important Italian figures as Nino Manfredi, Pamela Tiffin, Ugo Tognazzi, and Moira Orfei.