Gubbio
It is known as the “city of stone” and stands on the side of Mount Ingino: Gubbio will captivate you at first sight with its medieval charm to be discovered in its labyrinth of alleys and streets.
The origins of Gubbio are rooted in the ancient Umbrian civilization, as evidenced by the so-called Eugubine Tablets written in the Umbrian language and dating back to the 3rd-1st century BC. You can admire them in the rooms of the Civic Museum in Palazzo dei Consoli.
Gubbio’s golden age began around the year 1000, at the era of the Communes. Under the leadership of Bishop Ubaldo, in 1100, the city won a war against Perugia. In the meantime, arts and crafts spread, including the processing of majolica. In 1300 the city took on the form it still has today. Some of Gubbio’s most beautiful buildings date back to that period.
A walk in the center
Start your tour from Gubbio’s jewel, Piazza Grande or Piazza della Signoria, a “hanging” square that overlooks the city. On its sides are the city’s public buildings: the Gothic-style Palazzo dei Consoli and the Palazzo Pretorio, one in front of the other. Also take a look at the Palazzo Ranghiasci Brancaleoni, which is located in the same square.
A stone’s throw away is the Renaissance-style Palazzo Ducale. From the gardens of Palazzo Ducale you have a beautiful view of the city. Pay attention to the tall, narrow door to the side of the large door: it is the Porta del morto. According to legend, the coffins of the deceased passed through here. Along the walls, which are located just above the palace and date back to 1200, there are six doors, some of which are still decorated with paintings and city coats of arms.
Among the churches, you shouldn’t miss the cathedral of Saints Mariano and Giacomo. Also worth a visit is the church of San Francesco, built on the land of the ancient Spadalonga family who welcomed him after leaving his father’s house and all his belongings. It is located at the foot of the city, where the market was held in the Middle Ages and where the very long Loggia dei Tiratori, built in 1600 by the weavers’ guild, still stands. Here they hung the newly woven woolen cloths.
The real wonder of Gubbio, however, is the Fontana dei Matti in front of the Bargello palace. Anyone can get a crazy license by walking three laps around the fountain and getting wet in the presence of a Gubbio resident who certifies it.
Where to go in the surrounding area
Just leave the medieval walls of Gubbio and another world of surprises opens up to discover: the Roman theater, the nearby Roman mausoleum, the Abbey of San Secondo, the seventeenth-century Madonna del Prato rich in stucco and the church of Vittorina built right where, according to legend, Saint Francis met the wolf.
The Bottaccione Gorge
Near Gubbio are the Bottaccione Gorges, ideal for a trip just outside the city. It is a deep gorge due to the erosion of the Carmignano stream, but it is also very rich in historical evidence. Here there is an aqueduct that runs along the gorge and dates back to the Middle Ages.
In the gorge there is also the Monastery of Sant’Ambrogio, which stands near a prehistoric citadel dating back to the Paleolithic. The hermitage dates back to 1300 and was known for its strict rules as well as for its inaccessible position that guaranteed silence and solitude. Don’t miss the visit, starting from the underground caves and ending with the frescoes of the church
At the top of Mount Ingino: the Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo
The Basilica of Sant’Ubaldo is located right at the top of the mountain that watches over Gubbio, but don’t worry, if you don’t feel like hiking you can reach it with a comfortable cable car and you will have the whole city at your feet. Here the urn with the body of Sant’Ubaldo, patron saint of Gubbio is kept. And the famous race of the Festa dei Ceri on May 15th also arrives here.
The church is of medieval origins, but during the 1500s it was expanded with the addition of the convent and the cloister. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of the exterior, go inside to admire the richness of the five naves and the stained glass windows that tell the life of Saint Ubaldo.
Colmollaro Castle
The Colmollaro Castle is located on a rise in the land, partly surrounded by a thick forest, along the road to Galvana and Serra Brumonti in the south-facing sector of the Eugubine territory. Although it represents the last defensive bastion of the Eugubine basin in this area, it is remembered above all as a fief of the Raffaelli, a noble Eugubine family of Ghibelline orientation. One of whose representatives, Bosone Novello, became friends with Dante Alighieri near Arezzo where he had taken refuge after the expulsion of the Ghibellines from Gubbio.
Tradition reports that the great poet, exiled from his homeland, found refuge with his friend Bosone who, once he returned to Gubbio, settled in this castle where Dante, his guest, wrote part of the Divine Comedy.
Former Branca station
The station was inaugurated on April 5, 1886, and remained active until May 22, 1945, when the railway, destroyed by bombing during the Second World War, definitively ceased operation.
The last convoy that ran on the line stopped in Branca: it was a passenger train that was machine-gunned by the Germans just before the station, and was then towed by a tractor in the station square itself. The 12 holes caused by bullets on the track-side facade of the passenger building have been maintained and made clearly visible.
