Place of an Italian TV Serial and of Madmen – Gubbio

On my way from Umbria to Le Marche I came through Gubbio. I already knew it is one of the medieval towns worth to see and then I remembered the TV series ‘Don Matteo’ with Terence Hill as protagonist shot int his location.

Not far away from Perugia and on the road 73 I wanted to take for Urbino I stopped just outside the walls of this ancient town in a side street. Just a few hundred meters farther I entered the old city gate to dive again in history.

Gubbio is situated in the Apennines at the foot of Mount Ingino. First people lived here in the Bronze Age and before the Romans came here the Umbrian people lived this strategical perfect place. I unfortunately missed to see the Eugubian Tablets, a series of tablets in ancient Umbrian. They were found already in 1440 and actually are preserved in the Palazzo dei Consoli (I didn’t enter because didn’t want to pay the entrance fee. Now I know where to spent again some money next..)

Already at that period the city was important and remained also under the Roman influence like that as the second largest surviving Roman theater shows.

I remembered the Religious important of Iguvium – like it was called before its name Gubbio. In the middle age the town sent more than a 1.000 knights for the first Crusade into the Holy Land. It’s said that exactly these knights were the first ones to enter the Holy Sepulcre in 1099.

In the following centuries the town didn’t hesitate to fight for its freedom and was involved in many disputes. The bishop St. Ubaldo Baldassini played an important role in 1151 when he secured a victory and long time prosperity to the city.

The town became later a Papal States’ part and then of course part of Italy in 1870.

I entered the city from the gate just under the Palazzo dei Consoli. Passing over a river and then a lot of stairs up to a church and the Palazzo where I was amazed by the incredible view I had over the surrounding city and land. This palace is from the late 14th century and is housing the museum I didn’t enter to see the Eugubine tablets.

I saw a lot of churches of course but I didn’t enter because in every church there was a mess as it was Easter Sunday.

I learnt about the city that the Corsa dei Ceri is a famous run in mid May. They are carrying a heavy statue of the three teams saint running up from the piazza in front of the Palazzo dei Consoli at the hill up basilica of St. Ubaldo. Reading about this important event for the town I found out that there is a town in the United States of America called Jessup that has exactly the same tradition. Maybe the people from there are coming originally from Gubbio? Anyone out there to tell me?

I noticed the many majolicas, pottery. Very impressive in colors and designs. I was tented to buy some but as I have a total different style in my home it doesn’t suit nowhere. But they are so vivid and colorful.

Interesting I thought also the ‘pane dei matti’ (bread of the madmen). A specialty of the town. Doing some research I found out that the people of Gubbio are called ‘matti’ (crazy) because of their decisions they made/make.

There is also a story about a wolf and Saint Francis of Assisi, the Wolf of Gubbio. A hungry wolf in that period terrorized the town. Saint Francis was called in help and he had ‘a word’ with the wolf. So he asked the compromise that the town had to feed the wolf and the wolf would not enter anymore the town looking for food.

I walked through the ancient city center and liked it a lot. It’s definitely a town not to miss on a tour through this part of Italy. I saw a lot of small b&bs and thought it would be also nice to stay for a few nights here in summer when festivals and concerts are held. I will return anyway here..

Have you ever been to this town or would you like to?