The Festa
\ndei Ceri<\/span><\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>- <\/i><\/span>\n
May 15th, every year<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
through the streets of the city<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
from 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
Festival program<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>- <\/i><\/span>\n
Map of the route and useful info<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>The Most Beautiful Festival in the World<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Festa dei Ceri, held every May 15th in Gubbio, is undoubtedly a great celebration of the people. It\u2019s a mystery linked to the sacred. A rite miraculously preserved, saved, and protected. Words often fall short when it comes to describing the Ceri of Gubbio.
The love from which it was born\u2014devotion to the patron saint, Saint Ubaldo\u2014almost certainly grew from even older rituals, perhaps dating back to the ancient Umbrian people, according to some historians and anthropologists. This tradition has survived everything: wars, emigration, and monumental changes in daily life and community culture. For the people of Gubbio, it is the most beautiful festival in the world\u2014and they\u2019re probably right.
So let\u2019s start with this premise (while admitting we might be proven wrong): if the most beautiful festival in the world is in Gubbio, then you must experience it at least once in your life\u2014on May 15th.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ilikegubbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/CERI-1.jpg\" "\\"CERI")
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<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Never been to
the Festa dei Ceri
of Gubbio? Is it
your first time?<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>We\u2019re here to help with some useful information: how to understand its meaning, how to approach it, and how to embrace its language and spirit. Remember, the Festa dei Ceri truly belongs to the people of Gubbio, who have lovingly guarded its memory for at least a thousand years. As they say here, \u201c\u2018l Cero \u2018n se ferma<\/em>\u201d\u2014\u201cthe Cero doesn\u2019t stop.\u201d When it runs, the Eugubini enter a kind of trance and won\u2019t let anything get in the way.
If crowds overwhelm you, don\u2019t worry\u2014you can still enjoy the festival by finding the right places and times. We\u2019ll guide you through. The sheer energy radiating from the ceraioli (the Cero bearers) and the crowd chasing the Ceri may be hard to grasp at first. That\u2019s okay. Experience the festival based on who you are, with your own sensitivity.
But if you love diving into a joyous, vibrant humanity\u2014so rare to find in our modern world\u2014then you have nothing to fear. The embrace of the people will protect you.
This is not a historical reenactment. It\u2019s not a parade. It\u2019s not even a race in the usual sense. There are no fences, no entry tickets, no grandstands. You may have heard that on the Day of the Ceri, people seem a bit mad\u2014and that\u2019s partly true. You have to let go of reason and logic and accept this: the Festa dei Ceri cannot truly be explained. It must be lived.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Are you ready?
Let\u2019s begin.<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>First essential tip. To experience everything fully, you\u2019ll need to be in Gubbio early on the 15th. And on the evening of May 14th, at 7:00 PM, you can go to Piazza Grande<\/strong> to hear the toll of the Campanone<\/strong>, the great bell of the Palazzo dei Consoli, rung by hand by the bellringers. You can\u2019t miss it\u2014this is when the atmosphere starts to ignite.
Under the arches of the piazza in Via Baldassini<\/strong>, the traditional \u201cBaccal\u00e0 alla ceraiola\u201d<\/strong> (salt cod) is served. Improvised bands play in the streets, neighborhoods burst with toasts and dancing. You\u2019ll hear songs and rhymes that will return the next day during the parade\u2014a great way to get to know the locals and their playful spirit.<\/p>\nIf you’re staying in the historic center: At 5:30 AM<\/strong>, you\u2019ll be awakened by drums roaming the streets, waking the Captains<\/strong> and Capodieci<\/strong>. Captains are two: the First Captain commands the city race, while the Second Captain is in charge of the morning \u201cAlzata\u201d (raising of the Ceri) and the mountain run. During the day you will easily recognize them, because they ride on horseback and always anticipate the arrival of the Ceri. The Capodieci are three\u2014one for each Cero\u2014and can be recognized by the emblem on their shirts: Saint Ubaldo – the mitre, Saint George \u2013 the helmet e Saint Anthony \u2013 the flame<\/strong>. They lead each Cero and its team of ceraioli<\/em> through every phase of the celebration.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.ilikegubbio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/ilg_ceri_cancellotti_01.jpg\")
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<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u00a9 Andrea Cancellotti<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>If you\u2019re up for the full experience, at 7:00 AM<\/strong>, join the crowd at the Civic Cemetery<\/strong> for a tribute to the fallen ceraioli. Yes, the first act of the day is remembering the dead\u2014a reminder that this festival reflects the very cycle of life.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>As you move toward the center, you’ll see people dressed in white pants, red sashes, colored shirts\u2014yellow, blue, or black\u2014and red scarves around their necks. They walk in groups or alone, some rushing, others strolling.
Yellow<\/strong> = devotion to Saint Ubaldo<\/strong>, the lead Cero
Blue<\/strong> = Saint George<\/strong>, always second
Black<\/strong> = Saint Anthony<\/strong>, always third and heaviest<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>The Ceri themselves are impressive wooden structures, around 5 meters tall and weighing approximately 300 kg (660 lbs), carried on the shoulders of the ceraioli.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>\n
May 15th, every year<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>
\nthrough the streets of the city<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>
\nfrom 5:30 AM to 8:30 PM<\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>
\nFestival program<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li>
- <\/i><\/span>
\nMap of the route and useful info<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/li><\/ul>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>The Most Beautiful Festival in the World<\/strong><\/p>\n
The Festa dei Ceri, held every May 15th in Gubbio, is undoubtedly a great celebration of the people. It\u2019s a mystery linked to the sacred. A rite miraculously preserved, saved, and protected. Words often fall short when it comes to describing the Ceri of Gubbio.
The love from which it was born\u2014devotion to the patron saint, Saint Ubaldo\u2014almost certainly grew from even older rituals, perhaps dating back to the ancient Umbrian people, according to some historians and anthropologists. This tradition has survived everything: wars, emigration, and monumental changes in daily life and community culture. For the people of Gubbio, it is the most beautiful festival in the world\u2014and they\u2019re probably right.
So let\u2019s start with this premise (while admitting we might be proven wrong): if the most beautiful festival in the world is in Gubbio, then you must experience it at least once in your life\u2014on May 15th.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Never been to
the Festa dei Ceri
of Gubbio? Is it
your first time?<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>We\u2019re here to help with some useful information: how to understand its meaning, how to approach it, and how to embrace its language and spirit. Remember, the Festa dei Ceri truly belongs to the people of Gubbio, who have lovingly guarded its memory for at least a thousand years. As they say here, \u201c\u2018l Cero \u2018n se ferma<\/em>\u201d\u2014\u201cthe Cero doesn\u2019t stop.\u201d When it runs, the Eugubini enter a kind of trance and won\u2019t let anything get in the way.
If crowds overwhelm you, don\u2019t worry\u2014you can still enjoy the festival by finding the right places and times. We\u2019ll guide you through. The sheer energy radiating from the ceraioli (the Cero bearers) and the crowd chasing the Ceri may be hard to grasp at first. That\u2019s okay. Experience the festival based on who you are, with your own sensitivity.
But if you love diving into a joyous, vibrant humanity\u2014so rare to find in our modern world\u2014then you have nothing to fear. The embrace of the people will protect you.
This is not a historical reenactment. It\u2019s not a parade. It\u2019s not even a race in the usual sense. There are no fences, no entry tickets, no grandstands. You may have heard that on the Day of the Ceri, people seem a bit mad\u2014and that\u2019s partly true. You have to let go of reason and logic and accept this: the Festa dei Ceri cannot truly be explained. It must be lived.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>Are you ready?
Let\u2019s begin.<\/h3><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>First essential tip. To experience everything fully, you\u2019ll need to be in Gubbio early on the 15th. And on the evening of May 14th, at 7:00 PM, you can go to Piazza Grande<\/strong> to hear the toll of the Campanone<\/strong>, the great bell of the Palazzo dei Consoli, rung by hand by the bellringers. You can\u2019t miss it\u2014this is when the atmosphere starts to ignite.
Under the arches of the piazza in Via Baldassini<\/strong>, the traditional \u201cBaccal\u00e0 alla ceraiola\u201d<\/strong> (salt cod) is served. Improvised bands play in the streets, neighborhoods burst with toasts and dancing. You\u2019ll hear songs and rhymes that will return the next day during the parade\u2014a great way to get to know the locals and their playful spirit.<\/p>\nIf you’re staying in the historic center: At 5:30 AM<\/strong>, you\u2019ll be awakened by drums roaming the streets, waking the Captains<\/strong> and Capodieci<\/strong>. Captains are two: the First Captain commands the city race, while the Second Captain is in charge of the morning \u201cAlzata\u201d (raising of the Ceri) and the mountain run. During the day you will easily recognize them, because they ride on horseback and always anticipate the arrival of the Ceri. The Capodieci are three\u2014one for each Cero\u2014and can be recognized by the emblem on their shirts: Saint Ubaldo – the mitre, Saint George \u2013 the helmet e Saint Anthony \u2013 the flame<\/strong>. They lead each Cero and its team of ceraioli<\/em> through every phase of the celebration.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/i><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\u00a9 Andrea Cancellotti<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div>If you\u2019re up for the full experience, at 7:00 AM<\/strong>, join the crowd at the Civic Cemetery<\/strong> for a tribute to the fallen ceraioli. Yes, the first act of the day is remembering the dead\u2014a reminder that this festival reflects the very cycle of life.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
As you move toward the center, you’ll see people dressed in white pants, red sashes, colored shirts\u2014yellow, blue, or black\u2014and red scarves around their necks. They walk in groups or alone, some rushing, others strolling.
Yellow<\/strong> = devotion to Saint Ubaldo<\/strong>, the lead Cero
Blue<\/strong> = Saint George<\/strong>, always second
Black<\/strong> = Saint Anthony<\/strong>, always third and heaviest<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>The Ceri themselves are impressive wooden structures, around 5 meters tall and weighing approximately 300 kg (660 lbs), carried on the shoulders of the ceraioli.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>
- <\/i><\/span>
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