Set in the green foothills of
Mount Ingino, with spectacular views of the Umbrian Valley, is the ancient
town of Gubbio. It is one of the most picturesque and characteristic
towns, not only in Umbria but also in Italy, thanks to its nearly intact
medieval features. Gubbio has a simple street plan of five parallel
streets running at different levels on the slopes of the hill with
interconnecting alleyways.
The buildings are mainly Romanesque in shape. An unusual aspect of the
town is the so-called “Door of the Dead”, a narrow pointed arch door above
street level, which, according to tradition, was reserved for the passage
of coffins. However, a more likely scenario is that they were used as a
means of entry to their homes by way of a retractable wooden ladder thus
protecting themselves during the middle ages.
The main building is the Palazzo dei Consoli, which dominates the town.
There is also a Roman theatre - one of the largest surviving of its kind
dating from the 1st. century A.D Besides the famous Basilica of St Ubald,
there are numerous churches and museums which are well worth a visit along
with various shops specialising in local art and craft. A market is held
every Tuesday.
Corsa dei Ceri
The traditional festival known as the “Race of the Candles”
This age-old traditional event, which may well date to the pagan era, is
normally held the day before the feast day of St. Ubald (16th May), patron
saint of Gubbio. The Ceri are three enormous wooden statues of St. Ubald,
St. George and St. Anthony. The townspeople carry statues on their
shoulders as they race through the historic city centre, up to the
Basilica of St. Ubald on the top of Mount Ingino. The high point of the
event is the race: as the Ceraioli dash through the city streets and up
the steep slope, they are accompanied by the thrilled crowd of shouting
onlookers. This one-day event is one of Italy's most traditional and
well-known popular/religious events.
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