Gubbio

About 30 kilometers southwest of Casa Bosco is Gubbio, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Italy. It is built on the flank of Monte Ingino at 522 meters altitude. Rich in history and monuments and with a maze of streets and alleys. In the center is Piazza della Signorina, a balcony-like square, with a beautiful view over the terracotta roofs of the city. The old Gubbio is accessible from two sides: from the modern lower town or, and that is much more fun, from the church above the city, the “Chiesa di Sant ‘Ubaldo“, with a cable car downwards. From the church you have a great view over Gubbio and the Roman theater in the valley.

A visit to the museum at the Chiesa di Sant’Ubaldo is worthwhile: a short film shows spectacular images of the annual  “Corsa dei Ceri“. Every year on May 15 Gubbio celebrates thé party of the year. All Gubbio is then turned upside down. That day the inhabitants dress in the colors of the city’s three patron saints. The statues of these saints are placed on top of 3 large wooden ceri (candles) each weighing more than 400 kilos. The ceri are carried on the shoulders of a group of men. In a spectacular race they run through the streets of Gubbio and then up Monte Ingino to the church of Sant’Ubaldo. The rest of the year the ceri can be seen in the museum of the church.