Fascinating even in how it clutches onto the slopes of Monte Ingino,
Gubbio is one of Umbria's oldest towns,
as witnessed by the Tavole Eugubine, some of Italy's most important
ancient documents, and the Teatro Romano
that is just outside the walls. The city presents a rather simple urban plan, five parallel streets at different
levels that follow the contour of the mountainside and are interconnected by alleys and steps.
The magnificent monuments that recall the past powers of this marvelously preserved one time city-state form the
background of these intertwining medieval streets. The most important and very suggestive building,
Palazzo dei Consoli, built at the end of the 14th century and once
representative of communal authority,
is now a museum. Opposite, the Palazzo Pretorio, another 14th century building,
since subjected to much
remodeling, is now used as theMunicipio [City Hall]. Also worth notice are
the Palazzo Beni and Palazzo del Bargello,
and the famous 16th century Fontana dei Matti [Madman's Fountain]
comprising a fountain with a pool
(according to tradition, whoever circles the pool three times merits the title 'Madman of Gubbio').
A steep fascinating street lined
with centuries-old buildings leads to the 14th century gothic style
Duomo
and the facing 15th century Palazzo Ducale. Also of great interest are the
Cathedral, the churches and
convents of Santa Maria Nuova and
Sant'Agostino (with the remarkable frescoes of
Ottaviano Nelli), and the
churches and convents of San Francesco, San Giovanni, San Pietro, and
San Domenico.
The monumental Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo overlooks Gubbio from its position
higher up Mount Igino; this can be
reached either by the easy road through the woods or by cable car that departs from near
Porta Romana. The
unspoiled remains of the patron saint are kept in custody in the Basilica and his feast day, May 15th, is
celebrated with a colorful and exhilarating race (Corsa dei Ceri)
during which hundreds of the city's
inhabitants carry three large candles, weighing more than 400 kilograms each, from the city to the Basilica.
Another important event that evokes a truly medieval atmosphere is the
Palio della Balestra, the crossbow contest
between Gubbio and the Tuscan city of Sansepolcro; a centuries-old
tradition, the contest is held in the
piazza Grande the last Sunday in May.
