| With Italy unified Pesaro enjoyed an unruffled period with progress in agriculture, trade and the new industries that were developing, expanding towards the coastal areas once the city walls were toppled. Like so many other cities, however, it paid a heavy toll in human lives with the First World war. The city lived through the twenty years of fascist rhetoric discreetly, showing little real conviction, to became a nodal point on the so-called “Gothic line” during the Second World War, bearing the brunt of repeated air raids. In September 1944 Pesaro gave a hearty welcome to the British army and Polish soldiers. During the post-war years the city has seen vigorous economic development, playing a leading role in the furniture industry. At the same time, it has enhanced its cultural and tourist potential to become, today, a city that can boast a rare and happy balance between history, art, amusement and recreation. |