History, facts and travel tips about Gubbio
Hugging the lower slopes of the Mount Ingino stands the enchanting medieval town of Gubbio. The name of this town may be familiar to many for the legend that depicts it, together with St Francis of Assisi, in the famous episode where he ascended the mountain to confront the fierce wolf terrorizing the population. Although it is uncertain whether this is a historical fact or a legend passed down from generation to generation, the city of Gubbio remains a lively and thriving center, which continues to fascinate visitors from all over the world.
Stroll through the narrow streets and marvel at the stone work of these ancient buildings including the curious doors of the dead. These are a secondary door which is so named as it's thought when someone died the body was brought through this alternate door. Superstition played a big part in medieval times and the second door could be due to this. It is also believed that if you circle the font in the town's square 3 times you will go crazy. Although we can laugh and joke about these superstitions now, there was a time where these were believed.
The main plaza is called Giordano Bruno's square which was named after the Dominican Friar who was burned at the stake for heresy. This was for a combination of his lack of belief in many deeply held Catholic ideals and his seemingly far fetched astrological ideas. He believed the stars were the suns for other planets and solar systems. This we now know is the case but back then you had to tow the line or risk becoming toast.
The Palazzo dei Consoli is a huge building, akin to a medieval skyscraper. Its external staircase graciously spills out into the Piazza Grande welcoming the people to come and explore further. From here take a cable car up to the church of Ubaldo who is the city's patron saint. His corpse is housed in a glass case in the church. It is here that the famous candle race or Corsa dei Ceri is run.