Gubbio is one of the oldest and richest cities in the artistic heritage of the past in our region.
Wonderfully preserved, it has many testimonies of its glorious history.
The city is dominated by the monumental basilica of Sant’Ubaldo, guardian of the remains of the patron saint.
Gubbio has numerous architectural masterpieces that recall its history: the Palazzo dei Consoli, museum headquarters, the hanging square (Piazza Grande), the Palazzo Pretorio, the seat of the Town Hall, the Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo and the Palazzo del Bargello with the famous fountain “dei Matti”.
By going around the fountain three times it is possible to take the “Patente da Matto“, a traditional rite that has its origins in a document dating back to 1880.
In the lower part is Piazza Quaranta Martiri, which in the Middle Ages housed the market, and opposite it is possible to admire the Loggia dei Tiratori.
Just outside the walls, the archaeological site of Guastuglia is worth seeing, which includes the Roman Theater, the Antiquarium, and the Mausoleum of Pomponio Grecino.
Of notable naturalistic interest, in addition to the area of Monte Cucco Park, is the fascinating Gola del Bottaccione.
Among the oldest folklore events in Italy, with a thousand-year history, it takes place every 15th of May.
The Ceri (candles) are three heavy and very tall wooden artifacts surmounted by the statues of Sant’ Ubaldo (protector of bricklayers), of San Giorgio (protector of haberdashers), and of Sant’ Antonio Abate (protector of donkeys and peasants and, more recently, of students).
They are fixed on stretchers that allow the people to carry them on their shoulders and run through the streets of the city up to the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo, on the top of Mount Ingino, which overlooks the city itself.
The moment of the raising is remarkable: the Ceri are raised to make three dizzying laps in Piazza Grande and then carried out to the show through the streets of the city.
