1. Gubbio Geographical position Geographical position Geographical position Geographical position Main Festivals Main Festivals Main Festivals Main Festivals Short history Short historyhort historyhort history Sightseeing of the town Sightseeing of the townightseeing of the townightseeing of the town

2. Gubbio A short presentation for Comenius project

4. Gubbio is a small town located in the centre of Italy, it is about km 200 north of Rome. It is an agricultural and touristic center. It has long been known for its ceramics.

5. The historical centre of Gubbio is almost entirely medieval. The town is austere in appearance for its light grey stone, narrow streets and Gothic architecture.

6. The Race of the Ceri is the most popular festival of Gubbio. It is a race held every year on the 15th of May. There are three teams, whose all members wear a uniform with white trousers, a red belt, a red cap and a red kerchief. Each team carries a statue of a saint mounted on a wooden octagonal prism, with an hour-glass shape, 4 metres tall and weighing about 300 kilograms. The people of the first group are devoted to St. Ubaldo (the patron saint of Gubbio) and all wear a yellow shirt. The people of the second group are devoted to St. George and all wear a blue shirt. The people of the third group are devoted to St. Anthony and all wear a black shirt. The three groups run through throngs of supporters, who wear the uniform of the saint they belong to. They start from Piazza Grande and arrive at the basilica of St. Ubaldo, on the top of the mountain.

7. Within the ancient walls of Gubbio, the tradition of the Crossbow Competition keeps unbroken. The crossbow was a weapon used in the feudal period. Nowadays Gubbio challenges Sansepolcro to this competition twice a year. Palio della Balestra

8. Recent archaeological excavations indicate that the territory was already inhabited in the Bronze Age. Gubbio was certainly an important center in the third century B.C. as we find in the description in the seven bronze tablets discovered in mid-1400. During the Roman Empire it tightened alliance with Rome and became a thriving city. It was later destroyed by the Goths and conquered by the Byzantines and the Lombards. In the eleventh century the town had a period of prosperity. In this period the walls were built and the imposing municipal buildings. It went into decline after 1350 and passed under several dominions. Thus it became the Church of the Cisalpine Republic, and finally in 1860 part of the Kingdom of Italy. Some historical details

10. The Wool Weavers Loggia The wool weavers Loggia was built in 1603 above an older complex, a church and a home for the poor, the church of Santa Maria dei Laici and the Ospedale dei building. It is also called stretchers Loggia, because the wool cloth was put there on wooden frames (stretchers) to dry after being dyed. The wool weavers Loggia was built in 1603 above an older complex, a church and a home for the poor, the church of Santa Maria dei Laici and the Ospedale dei building. It is also called stretchers Loggia, because the wool cloth was put there on wooden frames (stretchers) to dry after being dyed. The columns of the loggia seem to have no basement. The columns of the loggia seem to have no basement.

11. Church of St. Giovanni Battista The Church of St. John the Baptist is on the homonymous square and is one of the oldest in Gubbio. The Church was built on the remains of an older Baptistry. It was enlarged and modified in the 13th century. The plan has got a nave. The plan has got a nave. The façade has got Romanesque and Gothic elements, while the mighty square bell tower that stands alongside, is purely Romanesque. The interior was restored and brought back to pure Gothic style in 1865, by the will of Count Carlo della Porta. The interior was restored and brought back to pure Gothic style in 1865, by the will of Count Carlo della Porta. Among the works of art preserved in the church the baptistery stands out. On the side walls of the Church remains of Gothic frescoes are still visible. The square has been restored recently following the project of a world- known architect, Gae Aulenti.

12. The Palace of Consuls is part of the complex including "Piazza grande", the Large Square and the Palazzo del Podestà (the Town Hall); it is one of the most innovative medieval achievements of town-planning.The palace symbolizes the importance and the grandeur of Gubbio, at the beginning of the 14th century.The Gothic building, 60 metres high.The great bell called the Campanone, at the top of the bell tower was cast in 1779. It is rung by hand and foot on special occasions. The interior of the building is also impressive; it includes the big assembly room with its barrel vault, the Palatine chapel and the piano mobile with paintings and pieces of furniture. The hanging square, joining the two buildings, was finished in 1483.The square is supported by 4 arches below; inside there are larger halls, now ceramics shops, seat of exhibitions and banquets during the folk festivals; in the past they were storerooms for flour and wheat. The Palazzo dei Consoli

13. The Roman Theatre is situated in the plain not far from the medieval centre of Gubbio. It was built at the end of the 1st century B.C.. It has a semicircular shape and once it had a cavea with a diameter of 70 metres, divided into four wedges with stairs for the access to the tiers. It could seat about 6,000 spectators. ROMAN THEATRE

14. The Ducal Palace The Ducal Palace was restored and enlarged by the architects Francesco di Giorgio Martini and Laurana. The medieval building had been the residence of the consuls before they moved to the new Palazzo del Popolo. The Palace was built after 1470 following the will of duke Federico da Montefeltro, lord of Gubbio and Urbino and it is the expression of a lifestyle inspired by the humanistic culture.

15. Palazzo del Bargello The Bargello Palace dates back to 1300. A tradition wants that the Palace was the old residence of the Bargello, a magistrate in charge of the police service in Gubbio at the time of the free city- state. Now the Palace is the seat of the museum of the Crossbow. In front of the palace there is the Fountain of the crazy,built around 1500, a landmark of Gubbio, very much visited by tourists. The fountain has got this name because of an old tradition which says that whoever runs around the fountain three times and gets splashed by its water becomes crazy, and obtains a sort of honorary citizenship of Gubbio, traditionally called crazy city.

17. Corso Garibaldi Garibaldi is a long town street in the historical centre where young people hang out usually at the weekend. It offers lots of attractions including: stores for shopping, bars, pizza- restaurants and pubs. It is the ideal place to meet people, to chat and to have fun together!