The Race of the Ceri

The date of May 15 has been a very special day for the town of Gubbio since ancient times. It’s the day of "Festa dei Ceri." The climax of this historic festival is the Corsa dei Ceri — Ceri race. Three teams of 20 people compete in a race carrying three heavy wooden statues — of three saints, on palanques up through the city to the cathedral on top of Mount Ingino. The race is not won by who arrives first (the team carrying St. Ubaldo always arrives first) but who arrives in the best style.

The origins of this festival are unknown, but most theories link the festival to the patron saint of the city, Saint Ubaldo, a bishop who died in 1160. According to other theories the origins are to be found in pagan celebrations of Ceres, the Roman goddess of the harvest, later appropriated by Christian tradition.