A great and very ancient tradition, a wonderful and enchanting event that brings crowds oftourists and visitors to Umbria every year, putting into motion an impressive, well-honed organisational machine.
The most important day of the Festa dei Ceri takes place in Gubbio on May 15, as every year.
In town the atmosphere of celebration begins as early as the first Sunday of May when, according to tradition, the Ceri (enormous wooden structures) are brought back down into Gubbio in a horizontal position, from the Basilica of the Patron Saint at the top of Mount Ingino.
Additionally, for the whole month of May the city is marvellously decorated in celebration and one can breathe an atmosphere of cheer and excitement.
Even the days following the 15th are very special for the people of Gubbio: satisfaction and celebration for the families of the Ceraioli (the men who race with the Ceri) who brought home good results, and disappointment for those who believe the race did not go well, on the other hand.
In fact this is one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Festa dei Ceri: there is no official winner and the conditions that determine a successful race are never quite clear, therefore every edition leads to lengthy debates and friendly rivalry between participants, but this is part of the charm of the event.
The Ceri di Gubbio
The Ceri are three wooden structures made up of two stacked octagonal prisms with a bar going through the middle and coming out both ends, at the top and bottom.
At the bottom the structure is fitted onto a support called a “gurney” that the ceraioli (Ceri carriers) use to carry the structure on their shoulders.
Statues are placed on top of them, representing the Saint Protectors of the Three Districts: Saint Ubaldo, who is also the patron saint of the city and who is the protector of bricklayers, Saint Giorgio who is the protector of Milliner’s shops and Saint Antonio the protector of farmers.
The race is between these three Families of ceraioli: Santubaldari, Sangiorgiari and Santantoniari.
The Festa dei Ceri Race
The race is certainly the most important part of the celebration: spectacular and imprudent it is especially characterised by the great involvement of the crowd which, right after “ready, set, go” sings: “Via ch’eccoli” (There they go).
It takes place along four stretches along the narrow streets of the city, creating a singular and thrilling show, with the Ceri brushing past the buildings.
The ceraioli ‘pass the baton’ with an incredible skill and they are not always able to avoid minor accidents and injuries.
The aim is to run with the Cero as vertical as possible, while it is strictly necessary to avoid falling and tilting off balance: this is what the result of the race for each family of ceraioli depends on most. It is also considered poor performance to get too far behind the Cero in front of you.
Speed is therefore certainly important even if overtaking is not allowed and the three statues get to the finish line in the same order they left in: Saint Ubaldo, Saint Giorgio and Saint Antonio.
The circuit is approximately 4 kilometres and 300 metres: the starting line is at the Chiesa dei Neri and the finish line is at Basilica di Saint Ubaldo, at the top of Mount Ingino.
The Ceri Mezzani and the Ceri Piccoli (youth Ceri and children’s Ceri)
For the city of Gubbio, the days following the celebration on the 15th of May are filled with other events.
In particular there are the Ceri Mezzani (youth Ceri), held on the first Sunday after May 17th and are carried by teens, and the Ceri Piccoli (children’s Ceri) held on June 2nd and are carried by children.
The history of the Festa dei Ceri
The Festa dei Ceri is not a historical re-enactment because it has always been held on the anniversary of the death of Saint Ubaldo on May 16, 1160 and is therefore one of the most ancient folkloric celebrations in Italy: throughout all of these centuries the tradition has never been lost and this is a significant indication of the enthusiasm and connection that the people of Gubbio have to this event.
Obviously, over time the event has undergone changes, but it has always maintained its original spirit and meaning. The celebration is well-known and loved across Umbria, so much that in 1973 the Ceri were chosen as the Region’s symbol and the stylised depiction of them is on the gonfalon and official flag.
For more information and updates of the Festa dei Ceri di Gubbio: www.ceri.it.
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