The three wood structures, which rest on stone bases, are kept in the Basilica and brought to the city on the first Sunday of May; then, on 15 May, they are brought back through an exciting run on the “chosen hill” in honour of Sain Ubald. The sacred and the profane, remains of primitive spring rituals and Christian religion, converge into the Festa dei Ceri, which makes Gubbio famous all over the world, in addition to the episode of Saint Francis and the wolf. The three holy candles are also the official emblem of Umbria.
It’s not easy to tell the story of this particular feast: it’s probably the most ancient traditional event of Italy.
The feast has always had a great importance for the entire community of Gubbio.
There are two main explanations about its beginning: one is religious and the other one is pagan.
The first hypothesis, which is well-documented, claims that the feast started in 1660 as a solemn and devout act from the citizens for the Bishop Ubaldo Baldassini’s death.
Since then, every 15th May, the eve of his death, this devotional offering for the patron saint has become a regular appointment and the Eugubini citizens have started joining a mystic procession to create a huge “Luminaria” (illumination) made up of candles, walking through the city towards the Ingino mountain, where the body of Saint Ubald lies.
The holy candles, donated by the Arts and Trades Corporations, probably became too heavy to carry and were replaced with the three modern and lithe wood structures in the late XIV century, which preserved their original shape up to the present day.
Also the date and most part of the course haven’t change over the centuries.
