Every May 15, the citizens of Gubbio do something that looks completely insane. Three teams (representing Sant'Ubaldo, San Giorgio, and Sant'Antonio) carry three "ceri" — enormous wooden pillar structures, each weighing 300kg and standing 5 meters tall, crowned with a wax saint — through the medieval streets at a dead run, then up the slopes of Monte Ingino to the Basilica di Sant'Ubaldo at the summit. The race has happened on May 15 since at least 1160. The ceraioli (carriers, 10 per team, rotating) run with the structures balanced vertically on their shoulders. The ceri sway terrifyingly. The crowd packs the narrow streets. The noise is volcanic. Sant'Ubaldo always wins. Not because the race is fixed — but because tradition demands a specific order of arrival. The HOW — the speed, the style, the near-disasters — is what matters. Gubbio guide → · Umbria →
Plan my Umbria trip →Morning (8am): The ceri are assembled in Piazza Grande. The ceraioli dress in their team colors (yellow for Ubaldo, blue for Giorgio, black for Antonio). The bishops bless the ceri. Tension builds. Afternoon (12pm): The ceri are raised vertically — a moment of genuine danger and theatrical tension. A lunch break follows (the ceraioli need fuel). Evening (6pm): The race begins. The ceri leave Piazza Grande and career through the medieval streets — the buildings are so close you could reach out from a window and touch the saint's statue as it flies past. The turn at Via Savelli della Porta is the critical moment — tight corner, 300kg at full speed, crowd screaming. The final climb: a 300-meter sprint up Monte Ingino's steep path to the basilica. The ceraioli's lungs are burning, the ceri are swaying, the crowd is hysterical. Arrival order: always Ubaldo, then Giorgio, then Antonio. The door of the basilica is shut before the last cero arrives (further humiliation for the losers).
Date: May 15 every year, without exception (rain or shine — the only cancellation in 900 years was during certain wars). Getting there: Gubbio has no train station. Bus from Perugia (1h) or car (45min from Perugia, 2.5h from Rome). Arrive early. The town fills by mid-morning. Where to watch: Piazza Grande (the raising of the ceri, crowded), Via dei Consoli (the race through the streets — find a spot by 5pm), or the hillside above town (panoramic view of the climb). Stay: Gubbio (€60-100, book well ahead for May 15), or day trip from Perugia. Eat: Gubbio has excellent Umbrian food — crescia (local flatbread), tartufo nero (Gubbio is truffle territory), stringozzi. Taverna del Lupo (€30-45). Combine with: Gubbio medieval town (Palazzo dei Consoli, Roman theater, funivia to Monte Ingino), Perugia (45min), Assisi (50min).