Italy del Giorno

We spent a couple of days in Positano.  We had the worst weather imagineable — it even hailed at one point.  We did find some breaks in the showers to take a walk through the gardens of Villa Cimbrone in Ravello.  While walking around, we met a well dressed couple from Rome.  The husband had been to Ravello by himself 20 years ago and walked through the gardens.  He told us that while he was there he kept thinking that he really needed to bring his wife there for a visit.  We took their picture overlooking the “infinity view”. 

Infinity View

As they were walking away the wife said that she hoped there was more to it than the one view — because 5 euro seemed an awful lot to pay for a look at the ocean.  In truth, there is a bit more to the gardens than the view but not much.  The villa itself is now a hotel and the small area of the gardens open to the public are well done but not substantial. 

We did, however, find it a pleasant way to pass an hour away from the cruisers and day trippers who crowded the town square.  We had to laugh when we stopped in for lunch at 1PM at a local restaurant and a large group of Americans were already eating dessert before being shepherded on the bus by their guide.  They must have been made to sit for lunch at 11:30 in order to make it back to the ship in time!

St. Ubaldo’s Jug arrives in the Piazza

Every year, for about the last 900 or so, the residents of Gubbio celebrate this incredible event. The giant “candles” or ceri (pronounced like cherry) are actually three giant wooden octagonal columns over 20 feet high. Each ceri is topped by a small statue representing one of three featured saints: Ubaldo – patron saint of the town and protector of masons, Giorgio – protector of merchants, and Antonio – protector of farmers.

St. Antonio exits Town Hall

The bearers and their coterie are dressed in the costume and colors of their patron. Before the race, in Gubbio’s spectacular Piazza Grande, a very spirited and exciting ceremony punctuated by medieval fanfare and the throwing of ceramic pitchers is performed. The culmination of the ceremony is the raising of the ceri onto the shoulders of the candle bearers and a procession through the town.

The Raising of the Ceri

San Giorgio

Shortly thereafter, the central action stops as the bearers take time out for a leisurely lunch – it is Italy after all!

The Cerioli of St. Ubaldo at Lunch

While they are loading up on a monstrous fish lunch, the rest of the town is filled with music as local bands parade through the streets inciting a raucous bacchanal.

Plenty of wine for everybody!

In the late afternoon, in a ritual that is believed to combine an ancient pagan celebration of the rites of spring with a religious commemoration begun in 1154 to express gratitude to St. Ubaldo, the male citizens of Gubbio race through the town and up to the Basillica of St. Ubaldo at breakneck speed. The ceri are incredibly heavy and the bearers scream and grimace their way through the entire route, trading places with other bearers every few minutes without interrupting the pace. The two hour ordeal through the town and up to the top of the mountain to the tomb of St. Ubaldo is a wild spectacle – you must see it to believe it. One other peculiarity of this tradition is the outcome of the “race” – St. Ubaldo always wins. The race begins with the ceri in Ubaldo-Giorgio-Antonio order, and in the tiny streets of Gubbio – there is no opportunity to change it.