Early sources indicate a pre-
Estruscan settlement in
Pesaro. The city was established as
Pisaurum by the
Romans in 184 BC as a colony of the
Picentes, an early
Italic people who lived on the northeast coast of
Italy during the
Iron Age. In 1737, 13 ancient
votive stones were unearthed in a local
Pesaro farm field, each bearing the inscription of a
Roman god; these were written in a pre-
Estrucan script, indicating a much earlier occupation of the area than the 184 BC
Picentes colony. After the fall of the
Western Roman Empire, the area was absorbed in the
Exarchate of Ravenna. In late mediaeval times and early Renaissance it was the center of the county of Urbino, and later, the Duchy of Montefeltro. Later it was part of the
Papal States and, from the late 19th century, of the
Kingdom of Italy. After the referendum of 2006, seven municipalities of
Montefeltro were detached from the Province to join the
Province of Rimini (
Emilia-Romagna) on 15 August 2009. The municipalities are
Casteldelci,
Maiolo,
Novafeltria,
Pennabilli,
San Leo,
Sant'Agata Feltria and
Talamello. On 17 June 2021, the municipalities of
Montecopiolo and
Sassofeltrio were transferred from the Province of Pesaro and Urbino to the Province of Rimini. ==
Comuni ==