Gubbio has preserved its medieval appearance almost intact. The town walls still skirt the historic centre, which consists of buildings from different eras – from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance – perched on the slopes of Monte Igino: unique architectural gems in a breath-taking, panoramic setting. Try to discover Gubbio’s amazing treasures by exploring the town streets!
Entering the town from below, you are immediately immersed in the local history by visiting the Chiesa della Madonna del Prato and then the Mausoleo dei Quaranta Martiri (victims of the Germans in 1944, to whom the square of the same name was dedicated nearby), and the older Mausoleo di Pomponio Grecino which, together with the Antiquarium and the Teatro Romano, are the most significant tributes to the great power of Gubbio in the Imperial age. You can enter the town centre from Via del Teatro and Via Matteotti, arriving at Piazza Quaranta Martiri where you’ll see the Logge dei Tiratori, which are linked to the work of the woollen yarn workers, who ‘pulled’ clothes into the desired size, and the monumental Chiesa di S. Francesco with the adjoining Convent, where tradition has it that St Francis of Assisi wore a habit for the first time. Heading up Via della Repubblica, Piazza di S. Giovanni is on your left, with the church of the same name, before you reach Via Baldassini, one of the centre’s main streets, where there are numerous monuments worth seeing: turning right you’ll see the churches of S. Giuseppe and S. Francesco della Pace, linked – respectively – to the universities of Carpentry and of Masons and Stonecutters, while on the left is the famous Casa di S. Ubaldo, an incredibly well-preserved 13th-14th-century building that was probably never actually used as a residence by the patron saint. At this point, what you’ll see before you is one of the most extraordinary works of urban architecture ever built in the Middle Ages, the beating heart of the town of Gubbio: the beautiful Piazza Grande, a wonderful example of a ‘hanging’ piazza (i.e. supported on pillars), framed by the elegant facades of Palazzi Ranghiasci, Palazzo del Podestà (or Pretorio) and the twin Palazzo dei Consoli, which, due to its elegance and dominating position, has become a symbol of the town itself. From the Palazzo’s loggia, you can walk along Via dei Consoli to another very important icon: Piazza del Bargello with its homonymous Palazzo and the famous Fontana dei Matti where, according to tradition, you can acquire a licence for madness and citizenship of Gubbio by performing a ritual that involves walking round the fountain three times. From here, heading towards the north-western end of the town centre, you will reach Via del Capitano del Popolo and the eponymous Palazzo del Capitano del Popolo, not far from other unmissable buildings: Palazzo Beni and the 18th-century Teatro Comunale. Passing through the adjoining Ranghiasci Park, you’ll arrive at the upper part of the town, which is home to two more symbols of Gubbio: the Duomo, dedicated to the Martyrs Mariano and Giacomo and the Palazzo Ducale, commissioned by Federico di Montefeltro in the 15th century. And if you think you’ve covered everything at this point, think again because at the opposite end, to the east of the town, along the town walls, you will find the beautiful Statue of S. Ubaldo, the churches of S. Pietro, SS. Trinità, and also S. Agostino immediately outside the walls. Once you get here, make the effort to climb the picturesque Via dell’Appennino, which leads to the top of Mount Igino, giving you a breath-taking view of the surrounding valley and the wonderful Basilica di S. Ubaldo, patron saint of Gubbio, where the famous Ceri (huge pedestal-like statues) are carried and then laid down every 15th May.