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Gubbio () is an Italian town and '' comune'' in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Perugia ( Umbria). It is located on the lowest slope of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the
Apennines The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or  – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
.


History

The city's origins are very ancient. The hills above the town were already occupied in the Bronze Age. As ''Ikuvium'', it was an important town of the Umbri in pre-Roman times, made famous for the discovery there in 1444 of the Iguvine Tablets, a set of
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
tablets that together constitute the largest surviving text in the Umbrian language. After the Roman conquest in the 2nd century BC – it kept its name as ''Iguvium'' – the city remained important, as attested by its Roman theatre, the second-largest surviving in the world. Gubbio became very powerful in the beginning of the Middle Ages. The town sent 1000 knights to fight in the First Crusade under the lead of
Girolamo Gabrielli Girolamo is an Italian variant of the name Hieronymus. Its English equivalent is Jerome. It may refer to: * Girolamo Cardano (1501–1576), Italian Renaissance mathematician, physician, astrologer and gambler * Girolamo Cassar (c. 1520 – after ...
, and according to an undocumented local tradition, they were the first to penetrate into the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hy, Սուրբ Հարության տաճար, la, Ecclesia Sancti Sepulchri, am, የቅዱስ መቃብር ቤተክርስቲያን, he, כנסיית הקבר, ar, كنيسة القيامة is a church i ...
when Jerusalem was seized (1099). The following centuries were quite turbulent, and Gubbio was engaged in wars against the surrounding towns of Umbria. One of these wars saw the miraculous intervention of its bishop,
Ubald Ubald of Gubbio ( it, Ubaldo; la, Ubaldus; french: Ubalde; ca. 1084–1160) was a medieval bishop of Gubbio, in Umbria, today venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church. Saint Ubaldo Day is still celebrated at the Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo in Gu ...
, who secured Gubbio an overwhelming victory (1151) and a period of prosperity. In the struggles of Guelphs and Ghibellines, the Gabrielli, such as the Cante dei Gabrielli da Gubbio (c. 1260–1335), were of the Guelph faction, supportive of the papacy; as Podestà of Florence, Cante exiled Dante Alighieri, ensuring his own lasting notoriety. In 1350
Giovanni Gabrielli, count of Borgovalle Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * '' Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend ...
, a member of the most prominent noble family of Gubbio, seized communal power and became lord of Gubbio.But his rule was short, and he was forced to hand over the town to Cardinal Gil Álvarez Carrillo de Albornoz, representing the Church (1354). A few years later, Gabriello Gabrielli, bishop of Gubbio, proclaimed himself again lord of Gubbio (). Betrayed by a group of noblemen which included many of his relatives, the bishop was forced to leave the town and seek refuge at his home castle at Cantiano. With the decline of the political prestige of the Gabrielli family, Gubbio was thereafter incorporated into the territories of the House of Montefeltro. Federico da Montefeltro rebuilt the ancient Palazzo Ducale, incorporating in it a veneered with intarsia like his at Urbino. The industry at Gubbio reached its apogee in the first half of the 16th century, with metallic lustre glazes imitating gold and copper. Gubbio became part of the Papal States in 1631, when the family della Rovere, to whom the Duchy of Urbino had been granted, was extinguished. In 1860 Gubbio was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy along with the rest of the Papal States. The name of the Pamphili family, a great papal family, originated in Gubbio then went to Rome under the pontificate of
Pope Innocent VIII Pope Innocent VIII ( la, Innocentius VIII; it, Innocenzo VIII; 1432 – 25 July 1492), born Giovanni Battista Cybo (or Cibo), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 August 1484 to his death in July 1492. Son of th ...
(1484–1492), and is immortalized by
Diego Velázquez Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...
and his portrait of Pope Innocent X.


Geography


Overview

The town is located in northern Umbria, near the border with
Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...
. The municipality borders Cagli ( PU), Cantiano (PU), Costacciaro, Fossato di Vico, Gualdo Tadino, Perugia,
Pietralunga Pietralunga is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about north of Perugia. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 2,343 and an area of 140.2 km².All demographics and other sta ...
,
Scheggia e Pascelupo Scheggia e Pascelupo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 40 km northeast of Perugia. The municipal seat is located in the main village of Scheggia, just below Scheggia Pass on ...
,
Sigillo Sigillo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the province of Perugia in the Italian region Umbria, located about 35 km northeast of Perugia. Sigillo borders the following municipalities: Costacciaro, Fabriano, Fossato di Vico, Gubbio. History B ...
,
Umbertide Umbertide () is a town and ''comune'' (township) of Italy, in the province of Perugia and in northwestern Umbria, at the confluence of the Reggia river and the Tiber. It is 30 km (19 mi) North of Perugia and 20 km (12 mi) South ...
and Valfabbrica.


''Frazioni''

The frazioni (territorial subdivisions) of the '' comune'' of Gubbio are the villages of: Belvedere, Bevelle, Biscina, Branca, Burano, Camporeggiano, Carbonesca, Casamorcia-Raggio, Cipolleto, Colonnata, Colpalombo, Ferratelle, Loreto, Magrano, Mocaiana, Monteleto, Monteluiano, Nogna, Padule, Petroia, Ponte d'Assi, Raggio, San Benedetto Vecchio, San Marco, San Martino in Colle, Santa Cristina, Scritto, Semonte, Spada, Torre Calzolari and Villa Magna.


Main sights

The historical centre of Gubbio has a decidedly medieval aspect: the town is austere in appearance because of the dark grey stone, narrow streets, and Gothic architecture. Many houses in central Gubbio date to the 14th and 15th centuries, and were originally the dwellings of wealthy merchants. They often have a second door fronting on the street, usually just a few inches from the main entrance. This secondary entrance is narrower, and a foot or so above the actual street level. This type of door is called a ''porta dei morti'' (door of the dead) because it was proposed that they were used to remove the bodies of any who might have died inside the house. This is almost certainly false, but there is no agreement as to the purpose of the secondary doors. A more likely theory is that the door was used by the owners to protect themselves when opening to unknown persons, leaving them in a dominating position. Among most visited buildings and sites in the city are: *''
Roman Theater Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
'': This ancient open air theater built in the 1st century BC using square blocks of local limestone. Traces of mosaic decoration have been found. Originally, the diameter of the cavea was 70 metres, and could house up to 6,000 spectators. *''Roman Mausoleum'': This Mausoleum is sometimes said to be of
Gaius Pomponius Graecinus Gaius (or Publius) Pomponius Graecinus was a Roman politician who was suffect consul in AD 16 as the colleague of Gaius Vibius Rufus. He was probably a ''novus homo'' raised to the Senate by Augustus. He was a friend and patron of the poet Ovid ...
, but on no satisfactory grounds. *''
Palazzo dei Consoli Palazzo dei Consoli is a medieval building in Gubbio, Umbria, central Italy. It was built in 1332–1349 under design by Angelo da Orvieto, who is mentioned in the inscription on the portal. Description The palace has a square plan, and sits abov ...
'': Dating to the first half of the 14th century, this massive palace, is now a museum housing the Iguvine Tablets. *''Palazzo and Torre
Gabrielli Gabrielli is a surname originating in Italy. Due to Italian diaspora, it is also common in other countries such as the United States, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and France. The surname Gabrielli derives from the given name Gabriello (a variat ...
'' *'' Duomo'': This Cathedral was built in the late 12th century. The most striking feature is the rose-window in the façade with, at its sides, the symbols of the Evangelists: the eagle for John the Evangelist, the lion for
Mark the Evangelist Mark the Evangelist ( la, Marcus; grc-gre, Μᾶρκος, Mârkos; arc, ܡܪܩܘܣ, translit=Marqōs; Ge'ez: ማርቆስ; ), also known as Saint Mark, is the person who is traditionally ascribed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark. Acco ...
, the angel for
Matthew the Apostle Matthew the Apostle,, shortened to ''Matti'' (whence ar, مَتَّى, Mattā), meaning "Gift of YHWH"; arc, , Mattai; grc-koi, Μαθθαῖος, ''Maththaîos'' or , ''Matthaîos''; cop, ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲥ, Mattheos; la, Matthaeus a ...
and the ox for Luke the Evangelist. The interior has latine cross plan with a single nave. The most precious art piece is the wooden Christ over the altar, of Umbrian school. *''Palazzo Ducale'': The Palace built from 1470 by
Luciano Laurana Luciano Laurana (Lutiano Dellaurana, hr, Lucijan Vranjanin) (c. 1420 – 1479) was an Italian architect and engineer from the historic Vrana settlement near the town of Zadar in Dalmatia, (today in Croatia, then part of the Republic of Venice) Af ...
or Francesco di Giorgio Martini for Federico da Montefeltro. Famous is the inner court, reminiscent of the
Palazzo Ducale, Urbino The Ducal Palace ( it, Palazzo Ducale) is a Renaissance building in the Italian city of Urbino in the Marche. One of the most important monuments in Italy, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998. History The construction of the ...
. *'' San Francesco'': This church from the second half of the 13th century is the sole religious edifice in the city having a nave with two aisles. The vaults are supported by octagonal pilasters. The frescoes in the left side date from the 15th century. *'' Santa Maria Nuova'': This is a typical
Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
church of the 13th century. In the interior is a 14th-century fresco portraying the so-called ''Madonna del Belvedere'' (1413), by
Ottaviano Nelli Ottaviano Nelli (1375–1444?) was an Italian painter of the early Quattrocento. Nelli primarily painted frescoes, but also panel paintings. He had several pupils and two painters were influenced by him. Biography He was born in Gubbio in Umbr ...
. It also has a work by
Guido Palmeruccio Guido Palmeruccio, also called Guiduccio Palmerucci (active 1315–1349), was an Italian painter, active in Gubbio. Biography Near nothing is known of his biography, and it is likely some of the works attributed to this painter belong to followe ...
. Also from the Cistercians is the ''Convent of St. Augustine'', with some frescoes by Nelli. * Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo, with a nave and four aisles is a sanctuary outside the city. Noteworthy are the marble altar and the great windows with episodes of the life of Ubald, patron of Gubbio. The finely sculpted portals and the fragmentary frescoes give a hint of the magnificent 15th-century decoration once boasted by the basilica. *''Museo Cante Gabrielli'': This museum is housed in the ''
Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo may refer to: *Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Gubbio * Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Orvieto in Orvieto *Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Reggio Emilia *Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, Siena {{Coord, 43.3170 ...
'', which once belonged to the Gabrielli family. *''Vivian Gabriel Oriental Collection'': This is a museum of Tibetan, Nepalese, Chinese and Indian art. The collection was donated to the municipality by
Edmund Vivian Gabriel Sir Edmund Vivian Gabriel (28 March 1875 – 13 February 1950) was a British civil servant, army officer, courtier and art collector. Biography Edmund Vivian Gabriel was born on 28 March 1875. Educated at Emmanuel College, University of Cambrid ...
(1875–1950), British colonial officer and adventurer, collateral descendant of the Gabrielli who were lords of Gubbio in the Middle Ages. *''Piazza S. Giovanni'': This plaza is mentioned in documents as far back as the 12th century. The nearby church of San Giovanni plan, one nave only with four transversal arches supporting the pitched roof, was taken as a model for other Gubbio churches later on. *''
San Domenico San Domenico may refer to: Catholic saints * Dominic de Guzmán (1170-1221), Spanish priest and founder of the Dominican Order * San Domenico di Sora (951-1031), Italian abbot, patron saint of Villalago Churches * San Domenico, Arezzo (Basilica ...
'', once known as San Martino *'' Sant'Agostino'' *''
Santa Croce della Foce The small church of Santa Croce della Foce is a medieval Roman Catholic church in the lower town of Gubbio, Umbria, in Italy. There is a church of the same name in Sarno in Campania. History The church was built in the 13th-century at the site of a ...
''


Culture

Gubbio is home to the Corsa dei Ceri, a run held every year always on
Saint Ubaldo Day Saint Ubaldo Day or ''Festa dei Ceri'' is an event celebrated on 15 May in the Italian town of Gubbio. It honors the life of Bishop Ubaldo Baldassini who was canonized as protector of Gubbio. It is also celebrated in the American town of Jessup, ...
, the 15th day of May, in which three teams, devoted to Ubald, Saint George and
Saint Anthony the Great Anthony the Great ( grc-gre, Ἀντώνιος ''Antṓnios''; ar, القديس أنطونيوس الكبير; la, Antonius; ; c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356), was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is d ...
run through throngs of cheering supporters clad in the distinctive colours of yellow, blue and black, with white trousers and red belts and neckbands, up much of the mountain from the main square in front of the Palazzo dei Consoli to the basilica of St. Ubaldo, each team carrying a statue of their saint mounted on a wooden octagonal prism, similar to an hour-glass shape tall and weighing about . The race has strong devotional, civic, and historical overtones and is one of the best-known folklore manifestations in Italy; the Ceri were chosen as the heraldic emblem on the coat of arms of Umbria as a modern administrative region. A celebration like the Corsa dei Ceri is held also in Jessup, Pennsylvania. In this small town the people carry out the same festivities as the residents of Gubbio do by "racing" the three statues through the streets during the Memorial Day weekend. This remains an important and sacred event in both towns. Gubbio was also one of the centres of production of the Italian pottery ( maiolica), during the Renaissance. The most important Italian potter of that period,
Giorgio Andreoli Giorgio Andreoli (between 1465 and 14701553), named also Mastro Giorgio Andreoli or Mastro Giorgio, was born in Intra, on Lake Maggiore, and died in Gubbio, where he spent most of his life, in 1555. He is considered to be one of the most importa ...
, was active in Gubbio during the early 16th century. The town's most famous story is that of "The
Wolf of Gubbio The Wolf of Gubbio was a wolf who, according to the '' Fioretti di San Francesco'', terrorized the Umbrian city of Gubbio until he was tamed by St. Francis of Assisi acting on behalf of God. The story is one of many in Christian narrative that de ...
"; a man eating wolf that was tamed by St. Francis of Assisi and who then became a docile resident of the city. The legend is related in the 14th-century ''Little Flowers of St. Francis''.


The Gubbio Layer

Gubbio is also known among geologists and
palaeontologists Paleontology (), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossi ...
as the discovery place of what was at first called the "Gubbio layer", a sedimentary layer enriched in iridium that was exposed by a roadcut outside of town. This thin, dark band of sediment marks the
Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary The Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) boundary, formerly known as the Cretaceous–Tertiary (K–T) boundary, is a geological signature, usually a thin band of rock containing much more iridium than other bands. The K–Pg boundary marks the end of ...
, also known as the K–T boundary or K–Pg boundary, between the Cretaceous and
Paleogene The Paleogene ( ; British English, also spelled Palaeogene or Palæogene; informally Lower Tertiary or Early Tertiary) is a geologic period, geologic period and system that spans 43 million years from the end of the Cretaceous Period million yea ...
geological periods about million years ago, and was formed by infalling debris from the gigantic meteor impact probably responsible for the mass extinction of the dinosaurs. Its iridium, a heavy metal rare on Earth's surface, is plentiful in extraterrestrial material such as comets and
asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...
s. It also contains small globules of glassy material called tektites, formed in the initial impact. Discovered at Gubbio, the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary is also visible at many places all over the world. The characteristics of this boundary layer support the theory that a devastating meteorite impact, with accompanying ecological and climatic disturbance, was directly responsible for the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event.


Gubbio in fiction

In Hermann Hesse's novel '' Steppenwolf'' (1927) the isolated and tormented protagonist – a namesake of the wolf – consoles himself at one point by recalling a scene that the author might have beheld during his travels: "(...) that slender
cypress Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...
on the hill over Gubbio that, though split and riven by a fall of stone, yet held fast to life and put forth with its last resources a new sparse tuft at the top".Herman Hesse, ''Steppenwolf'', chapter 1. ("For Madmen Only") The town is a backdrop in
Antal Szerb Antal Szerb (1 May 1901, Budapest – 27 January 1945, Balf) was a noted Hungarian scholar and writer. He is generally considered to be one of the major Hungarian writers of the 20th century. Life and career Szerb was born in 1901 to assimilate ...
's novel ''
Journey by Moonlight ''Journey by Moonlight'' ( hu, Utas és holdvilág, literally "Traveler and Moonlight") is a 1937 novel by Hungarian writer Antal Szerb. It is among the best-known novels in contemporary Hungarian literature. According to English literary criti ...
'' (1937) as well as
Danièle Sallenave Danièle Sallenave (born 28 October 1940) is a French novelist and journalist. In April 2011, she became a member of the Académie française. In 1980 Sallenave received the Prix Renaudot The Prix Théophraste-Renaudot or Prix Renaudot () ...
's '' Les Portes de Gubbio'' (1980). The TV series ''
Don Matteo ''Don Matteo'' ( en, Father Matthew) is an Italian television series that has been airing on Rai 1, Italian national television's first channel, since 2000. History The protagonist of the series is Father Matteo (portrayed by Terence Hill), a ...
'', where the title character ministers to his parish while solving crimes, was shot on location in Gubbio between 2000 and 2011.


Other

Anna Moroni, a popular cook on the Italian daytime TV series "
La Prova del Cuoco LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figur ...
" discusses Gubbio in many of her TV segments. She often cooks dishes from the region on TV, and she featured Gubbio in her first book.


Transportation

The city is served by Fossato di Vico–Gubbio railway station located in Fossato di Vico; until
1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...
was also operating the
Central Apennine railway Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center (disambiguation), center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa ...
(''Ferrovia Appenino Centrale'' abbreviation ''FAC'') with a narrow gauge which departed from
Arezzo Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...
and reached as far as Fossato di Vico and in Gubbio had his own railway station located in via Beniamino Ubaldi 2, now completely demolished.


International relations


Twin towns – Sister cities

Gubbio is twinned with:


Notable people

*
Giosuè Fioriti Giosuè Fioriti (born 3 May 1989, in Gubbio) is an Italian football forward who currently plays for A.S. Gualdo Calcio. Appearances on Italian Series Serie C2 : 1 App Eccellenza : 3 Apps Total : 4 Apps See also * Football in Italy *L ...
(born 1989), Italian footballer


See also

* Roman Catholic Diocese of Gubbio *
Mount Ingino Christmas Tree The Mount Ingino Christmas Tree is a lighting illumination in the shape of a Christmas tree that is installed annually on the slopes of Mount Ingino (''Monte Ingino'' in Italian) outside the city of Gubbio, in the Umbria region in Italy. The tree ...


References


External links


Official websiteGubbio at Associazione Eugubini nel Mondo websiteRugby Gubbio - Official Web SiteSbandieratori di Gubbio (flag-wavers, flag-throwers)
*
''The Gubbio Studiolo and its conservation, volumes 1 & 2''
from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Gubbio (see index)
''Period Rooms in the Metropolitan Museum of Art ''
from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Gubbio (see index) {{Authority control Hilltowns in Umbria Roman sites of Umbria