Welcome to Gubbio
From Jesse's Journeys in Italy
Population:
30,453 (2001)
Official website:
Gubbio
Wikipedia:
Gubbio
Map:
MapQuest
Gubbio, the largest city in
north eastern Umbria, is a great
place to spend a day. The
question is what day?
You could travel during a quiet
time - which is most of the
year, or, if you want to see
something heart-poundingly
exciting you could visit Gubbio
during the
Corsa dei Ceri - the
justifiably famous "Candle Race"
which has been run on an
uninterrupted basis every May
15th since the last years of the
12th Century. Stick around
'til the end of the month when
things are a little less
frenetic and you can catch
another colorful medieval
contest, the
Racing Silk of the Crossbow.
Stay out of the way of the
bolts, which can be quite
deadly.
The Corsa dei Ceri race starts,
and the crossbow contest takes
place in the Grande Piazza in
front of the imposing and
interesting Palazzo del Consoli,
which you for a small fee you
can enter and tour.
Afterward, you can turn west
down the hill past several large
mansions, once owned by the
important merchant families of
the city, until you come to the
Palazzo del Bargello. Here
you may acquire a certificate of
lunacy by carrying out an
ancient Eugubian ritual.
All you have to do is run around
the Fontana de Pazzi (Fountain
of the Crazies) three times
while three locals splash water
on you. The certificate
will be issue by one of the
nearby shopkeepers.
Please note, on your way past
many of the Palazzi on the main
streets of the city, the
bricked-up half doors near and
sometimes above the main door.
These are called the "doors of
the dead" because, it is said,
they were the portals through
which deceased family members
were taken out of the house.
A more likely explanation is
that they were an integral part
of the household defense during
wars, riots and other mayhem.
Gubbio, which has a population
of about 17,000 souls, sits on
the slopes of Mt. Ingino, a
smallish mountain in the
Appenines. Like other cities in
Umbria, and nearby Tuscany, it
has had a long, and frequently
violent history since its
founding by the Umbrian tribal
peoples, through its domination
by the Etruscans, then Romans.
It became part of the Papal
States after the collapse of the
Roman Empire where it remained
until annexed to Italy
during the unification in 1860.
The last bit of nasty business
occurred during World War II,
when the Nazis shot 40 civilians
as a reprisal against the
activities of the local
underground.
Gubbio is a walled city of grey
stone, with narrow, windy
streets, which remain cool even
when it is unbearable hot under
the Umbrian sun. You will
find the Duomo (San Pietro) near
the top of the city, several
other churches worth taking a
look into, and a number of
museums and galleries which
house numerous historical
artifacts and artworks.
The city is also rightly famous
for its ceramics, and you will
find many shops displaying works
in vivid and sometimes wild
color. Visit a few shops
and do some comparison shopping
before making a purchase, and
don't be afraid to bargain hard
for the best price.
Before you climb up into the
city, which will tax even the
strongest legs, you may wish to
take a look at the ruins of the
second largest Roman Theatre in
Italy, located outside the walls
to the south and west.
Most of its limestone rock has
been pilfered over the centuries
for use in other buildings, but
there has been some restoration
work done. Usually the
theater is closed to the public,
but during the summer it is used
for classical concerts under the
stars. If that is not
soothing enough for you, you can
visit the site of the nearby
Roman tombs and contemplate your
own mortality.
After you have completed your
tour of the old medieval city,
we recommend you find your way
to the Porta Romana on the
eastern wall. This gate is
the only one left of six identical 13
century towers which formed part
of the city's defenses. It is
now privately owned, but the owners
have created a small and
interesting museum with an
eclectic and captivating array of artifacts.
Close by the Porta Romana you
will find the lower terminus of
a cableway which will convey you
to the top of Mt. Ingino where
you will find the Basilica of
St. Ubaldo. It is a
stand-up only car which will
whisk you up (and later, down)
the 360 or so vertical meters from the
station. As you stand agog
inside the cable car, think of
the teams of men who race the
400 pound "ceris" up to the
Basilica from the Piazza Grande
during the May 15th festival.
Talk about taking your breath
away!
And that's it. Gubbio is a a
must stop see for history buffs,
museum goers, ceramics
collectors, architecture
aficionados, food lovers,
religious pilgrims and anyone
who likes to combine exercise
with sightseeing. |
Region of Umbria |
|
Directions |
ByCar:
From
North:
Highway
A1
DEL
SOLE,
exit
AREZZO
and
go
to
GUBBIO.
From
South:
Highway
A1
DEL
SOLE,
exit
ORTE
in
the
direction
of
PERUGIA.
Train:
Trenitalia
from
Florence,
Rome,
Ancona
and
other
points.
|
|
Directory |
Le Terre del Verde
Hotel and Resort |
![](../../images/umbria-im/gubbio-im/gubbio17.JPG)
Portico to the Civic
Museum |
![](../../images/umbria-im/gubbio-im/gubbio23.JPG)
Statue of St. Peter |
|