Italy del Giorno

This year’s Festa dei Ceri in Gubbio was a rain-soaked affair but that didn’t dampenn the spirits of the participants or spectators.  For more photos of the day click here.

From Corsa dei ceri – 2010

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.

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.  The culmination of the ceremony is the raising of the ceri onto the shoulders of the candle bearers and a procession through the town.

From Corsa dei ceri – 2010

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

From Corsa dei ceri – 2010

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 and the unwritten rules of the race prohibit passing.

From Corsa dei ceri – 2010

This entry was posted on Monday, May 17th, 2010 at 10:18 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.