Umbria - Italy - page 227

Gubbio's Festivals
While Gubbio's art and architecture remain locked in medieval times, the
festivals

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live vividly in the modern age and are tremendous fun:
Procession of the Dead Christ: Good Friday.
Corsa dei Ceri (Race of the Ceri): May 15. This is the most impor-
tant of the yearly events. The town becomes feet-can't-touch-
the-ground crowded, with people watching three teams sprint 300m
(1,000 ft.) up Mt. Ingino with the “candles” (really 6.6m/22-ft.
carved wooden logs on platforms) representing three saints: Ubaldo,
Anthony, and George. Hint: Bet on Ubaldo—he's the patron saint of
Gubbio, and his team hasn't lost in about 700 years.
Palio della Balestra (Crossbow Festival): Last Sunday in May.
Spettacoli Classici (Roman Theater Festival): July to August.
Toreo dei Quartieri (Tournament of the Quarters of Gubbio):
August 14.
Gubbio Festival: September.
Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco (White Truffle Fair):
End of October.
El Mucho Grando Christmastio (World's Biggest Christmas Tree):
December 7 to January 10. The city attaches lights in the shape of a
giant Christmas tree in the forest on the slopes of Mt. Ingino.
Guinness has declared that this is indeed the world's biggest
Christmas tree at 800m (2,624 ft.) tall and 400m (1,312 ft.) wide.

must for any party, a 20,000-liter, 3.6m-tall (12-ft.) wine barrel from the 15th
century.
No visit to Gubbio is complete without a visit to the top of Mt. Ingino, tow-
ering 750m (2,500 ft.) above the town. The peak boasts 360-degree views over
Gubbio and Umbria to the west, and the wilderness of the Marches to the
east. You can reach the top via a quad-burning hike up the path from Porta
Sant'Ubaldo, east of the Duomo, or by driving the dizzying road up the mountain.
But the most fun way to ascend Mt. Ingino is to take the cable car

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( € 5
round-trip) from its origin at the south edge of town. You'll ride in a rickety coffin-
size metal basket hanging from a cable slung 45m (150 ft.) or so over the ground.
It's definitely not for those scared of heights, but it's a cool way to fly up a moun-
tain. The cars run in summer from 8:30am to 7:30pm, but times vary widely by
season, so note the occasional lunch closing times or you may be spending an
extra hour on top.
Once up Mt. Ingino, go to the Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo (8am-6pm) to see the
mummified remains of St. Ubaldo himself (minus a few fingers snipped off by
one of his servants eager to sell saintly remains) in a glass box on top of an altar.