(anc. Pisaurum), a town in the Papal States, province of Pesaro-e-Urbino, stands on a well-wooded rocky eminence near the mouth of the Foglia, on the Adriatic, 19 miles E.N.E. of Urbino. It is surrounded by fortifications, and defended by a citadel. The streets are clean and well aired; and hence Pesaro presents a neater appearance than most Italian towns. It has a market-place, containing a fountain and a marble statue of Pope Urban VIII. Being the seat of a bishop, it contains a cathedral, not remarkable for its architecture; but this, as well as several other churches and some of the private houses, contains fine paintings. There are several convents and palaces. One of the latter, which formerly belonged to the dukes of Urbino, is now occupied by the papal legate. Among the public institutions of the place are a college, courts of law, a public library of 15,000 volumes (with museum and botanic gardens in connection with it), two hospitals, a foundling asylum, and a theatre. In the vicinity are several fine villas, one of which was the residence of Queen Caroline in 1818-19. The manufactures are few, consisting chiefly of silk and cotton stuffs; but the inhabitants are largely employed in trade, the principal articles of which are the agricultural produce of the surrounding country, such as wine, oil, and fruit, especially figs, reckoned the best in Italy. Pesaro has a harbour, but it is of small size. The ancient Pisaurum was a town of Umbria, where in 184 B.C. a Roman colony was founded; and after this it became a flourishing and important town, although the climate seems to have been then (though it is not now) unhealthy. It was occupied by Julius Caesar after crossing the Rubicon in 49 B.C., and under the empire it was a place of some trade, where ships were built. The remains of an ancient bridge and theatre, as well as many inscriptions, still exist; and the town is supplied with water by an aqueduct, supposed to be the work of the Romans. Rossini, the celebrated musical composer, was a native of Pesaro. Pop. about 17,000.

Pesaro-e-Urbino, a province of the Papal States, bounded on the N. and N.E. by the Adriatic, S.E. by the province of Ancona, S. by that of Perugia, and W. by that of Forli and by Tuscany; area, 1407 square miles. It entirely surrounds the republic of San Marino. The surface slopes gradually from the W., where it is mountainous, being divided from Tuscany by the range of the Apennines, which sends off several branches towards the sea, in which direction also the rivers of the province flow. The principal of these are the Foglia (anc. Pisaurus), the Metauro (anc. Metaurus), with its affluent the Cantiano; the Cesano; and the Misa. The mountainous parts of the province are generally barren; but the hills afford excellent pasturage, and their lower slopes are covered with vines, olives, and mulberry trees. The lower grounds are fertile and well cultivated, producing corn, pulse, hemp, flax, and various fruits. Cattle, sheep, and pigs are fed on the pastures in large numbers; and considerable attention is paid to bees and silk-worms,—the silk of Fossebrone, a town in the province, being considered the finest in Europe. The chief mineral found is coal, which is obtained in the vicinity of Pesaro. Pop. (1853) 257,751.