I NEVER miss May 15th in Gubbio for the Corsa dei Ceri. There are endless memorable moments.
Even viewing the stately 14th-c.medieval seat of government, Palazzo dei Consoli, on arrival brings moments of anticipation…
Even a walk through Gubbio brings many a memorable moment as one views the banners draped from the windows.
On one buildlng, gold banners with the symbol of a bishop is flanked by the flags of Gubbio (5 mountains surrounding the town). Those banners pay tribute to Sant’Ubaldo, mid-12th-century bishop who saved the city from an attack by eleven other city-states. The Corsa dei Ceri honors him as this astounding festival is celebrated on May 15th, the vigil of his death on May 16, 1160.
Three saints surmount the huge wooden Ceri (each one weighing about 300 k) carried on the backs of teams of 10 men in the all-day race. So arduous is that race up the mountain that hundreds of men are on each team, substitutions taking place even every few meters without the race ever halting.
Those Ceri (“candles”) might represent the candles carried in Bishop Ubaldo’s funeral procession and in ancient Rome, the agricutural deity, Ceres, was often celebrated in various springtime festivties. Ceres was goddess of agriculture, grain, crops, and fertility.
And there certainly is something very phallic in the Alzata, the “raising up” of the Ceri to a vertical position from a horizontal one.
Many festivals in Italy are religious with pagan roots…..!
Those three Ceri now are linked to three saints: Ubaldo ( his color is yellow and his ceraioli – the carriers of the Ceri – wear yellow shirts ), San Giorgio (blue shirts for his ceraioli) and Sant’Antonio (black shirts for his ceraioli).
Banners in honor of the three saints are draped from the windows all over Gubbio:
That flag of Gubbio – the five mountains on a red background – adorn the trumpets of those proud trumpeters blaring out the beginning of the festivites on the stop step of Palazzo dei Consoli: another memoragle moment:
The Gubbio sbandieratori (banner-wavers) waving their flags add to the excitement:
Join in the of this pitched emotion of that memorable moment on my YouTube video
Soon follows another memorable moment: the trumpeters announce the arrival of the two capitani (leaders of the Ceri festival) and all hands wave enthusiastically, like flags:
The two capitani are applauded enthusiastically as they greet all the crowd from the top step of Palazzo dei Consoli:
Above them, the Camponone (“giant bell”) rings triumphantly to announce the start of the Ceri festival. Click here to feel la grandissima passione.
And feel that emotional passione all as the Ceri take off: do click here.
Memorable moments on May 15th are many at lunchtime as you can see here and here, too
Join me one day for the Ceri in Gubbio on May15th……and live those memorable moments with me.
I’ve written counless notes on Ceri memorable moments. Do enjoy a couple. Simply SEARCH “Gubbio Ceri” on my blog:
