The people of “Ceri” in Gubbio city

GUBBIO – May 15 forever. Nobody wins. Not a race medieval, although the flag bearers, talented, holding up banners that move in the wind to remember precisely that historical epoch. There is a winner and a loser. The winner, if ever there, because that’s what always comes first, is the same for centuries. And ‘Ubaldo who has the task of protecting Gubbio as it always has to be the bishop of this city that wants to commemorate it every year with the Corsa dei Ceri, every year on the eve of his death on 16 May 1160. The whole town participates in the party with the two saints who follow in strict order, once the emblem of medieval guilds: San Giorgio protector of merchants, St. Anthony of landowners, peasants and students. While Ubaldo represented Masons and Stonecutters. This is the very soul of the Corsa dei Ceri: Ceri Gubbio and Gubbio for Ceri. A competition every year suffered the tenacious will to compete to the best of their ability.

So it may do to perfection and directed millennial happen again

The bell of the Palazzo dei Consoli is the star already before the Wake the sleeping city, joins the sound of Tamburini and together are of the Captains and Capodieci who shoulders the success of the party. Then a magnificent crescendo: the visit to the cemetery to ceraioli citizens who are no longer, the Mass at the church of the Masons, the gift of “bouquets” colored to pin on his shirt, the Procession of the Saints in solemn procession, followed the parade to reach the square. The yellow shirts, blue and black, the colors of Ceraioli, out of the closet. The great room of the “bona Table”, in the Sala dell’Arengo, with courses that are repeated always with the famous salt cod Gubbio who are also here, mountain area, was the only fish that could be dried and stored once consumed. After the exciting ceremony of the lift will be fulfilled the show in which the Ceri are taken around the city to greet the old families of Gubbio and ceraioli seniors who can no longer move and run behind their Cero. Then they will support on pedestals woodworks, the “strains”, four per Cero, built between 1899 and il1901 and restored several times. They shall rest in the afternoon waiting for the procession that will start the race from the Descent of the Blacks.

Everyone, Ceri stop, they can touch them or just touching them with his hand, to make their own, even if only for a moment, the physicality of Cero

The lift, the launch of the pitchers and the three colors of the candle makers dominate the square is fervent for the spirits in the Piazza Grande, the one hanging in space. The First Captain Piero Angelo Radicchi receives the blessing of Bishop Mario Ceccobelli and the key to the city by Mayor Philip Stirati, in the investiture ceremony: “I give you this key which symbolically assume the government of the city” and will be the key to the city in one hand and the flag in the other !! The blessing of the Bishop “… let it be lived in serene joy this day of celebration in honor of St. Ubaldo” The Second Captain, Francesco Ranghiasci, draws his sword. It is all ready. The joy had already exploded in a roar exit of the Candles from the Palazzo dei Consoli with the Capodieci Andrea Marcheggiani for Ubaldo, Andrea Fronduti San Giorgio Battistelli Daniele and Sant’Antonio. The three “birate” must be rather slow in a square filled up to capacity. Jugs launched, produced by Giampietro Rampini, become beautiful colorful protagonists, made this year with the addition of new fees emotional to renew the ancient and established itself as a unique and unrepeatable.

The three colors of Ceraioli stand in the Piazza Grande in the middle of the swarm of people. Above is the “boil tumultuous” described by Folco Quilici

The harmony of colors and shapes Ceraiolo you meet and the relationship with the candle, without thinking of the pre-existing, but only in the sense of co-existence of ‘hinc and now. And so every time. In this way people can be reunited with his patron, remember, merge with Him again and perpetuating its history. A kind of lonely crowd in which everyone participates of having a single currency, as the integral, as organic mass combined experience present, the quota of a passion and a common faith, lived each time as if for the first time.

A kind of humanization of Cero and deification of Ceraiolo

The statue of the saint and his candle become one and one with their ceraioli The statue of the saint and his candle are hooked by the ” incaviamento “and both expect their ceraioli them and raise them and carry It becomes almost a relationship between creator and creature. Mutual contact and mutual recognition. The touch stroking the Cero is part of that believe that through the physical contact the desired object becomes immediately subject. It ‘an animate Cero with his touch, infuse life and at the same time capture quell’allure of holiness that can infuse Cero.

Clinging to the staircase, the windows, cheering from the balconies, attached dangling grateful to historical historic buildings, narrow stood in the square and in the streets, the people of Gubbio look eagerly waiting

In the race the candles are assimilated to life Parties, Street ch’Eccoli! Here every ceraiolo is ready to give his all “to come down” in a perfect manner. All are supportive and understand now the universal dimension of the festival. The first part of the race is the Descent of the Blacks, one sung by poets, portrayed by painters and writers. That ‘s where a lot of passion, skill and there are recorded many heroic acts and many misfortunes, including falls and accidents or great joys, just as life itself. The Ceri shove racing course Garibaldi and Via Cairoli. Ubaldo has gained a few meters, a matter of moments. The crowd in the terraces, on balconies, stuck on the window frames to praise! Any foothold is saving and interesting to observe the Ceri. Now Ceri stop and expect the end of the descent that ran quiet street, in the usual alignment of all time.

All are united in the universal dimension of the festival

The second part is the descent of ferranti Broken down! The race is perfect, here is the convent of San Francesco, built on the site where the saint of Assisi found hospitality by the family Spadalonga. Various changes, of course, of ceraioli. The bugler makes its way with the sound of the trumpet; Via Cavour, the old way of customs, Piazza San Lorenzo, and it’s all a cry and a precede Ceri and follow them. Via dei Consoli from where he will begin the climb up to the Piazza Grande. All three are fine, Anthony swaying noticeably, but is now upright again. Here is the famous Fountain of the Bargello …

While online messages arrive and poems from all over the world, who can not be present today in Gubbio

If Umbria is an embroidered handkerchief, then right now is Umbria Gubbio with the white handkerchief, he embroidered, raised by the Mayor, which starts the third leg of the race that begins with “birate” tours who want to pay tribute to and greet the authorities present and also the delegations of twin cities Gubbio today intervened to stroke. And now off to Via degli Uffizi, now Via XX Settembre. And here is the “first little hole” terribly tight, where once there was a convent of nuns from behind the grates were following the passage of the Candles. The “second little hole”, ever more closely, is surrounded by high walls where it grew, and yet one can see beyond the wall, fig trees, and here the Bugle before and welcomes Ceri and warns before the climb towards the mountain. People are pressed against the walls and try to proceed slowly. It sways, there is crushed and it goes on. Here it pours wine from carboys and there are hundreds of cups served: forward, straight into the Basilica.

There air is elated by the wine drunk, propellant Authentic Race of the Candles

The candles are straight to the sky and to the Mount St. Ubaldo start, always first, to the nine stradoni of the mountain, passing the door. “If it does not rain on April 25 does not rain even on the day of the race of the Candles” is the proverb that resonates, and so it went, despite the doomsday predictions. Begins the ascent of the Candles to the Basilica of St. Ubaldo, the mad dash to the Mount. The effort of Ceraioli is huge. The Ceri, straight into the sky, they are next to each other: 260 and 270 pounds of weight on their shoulders and in addition the oscillation stroke and uphill road. The last highway. Spin the curve Ubaldo, the crowd shouts, we are at the final moments. Crowd and candles are inseparable.

The crowd is part of the orgiastic feast

Ubaldo can close the door with San Giorgio close, really stuck. Ubaldo is inside and turns, happy and blessing his people, around the well of the cloister with the crowd around him cheering. Ubaldo is now the master of your Basilica. Others Ceri that remains is to wait out the final decision. But it is celebrated for the beautiful race of all. Ubaldo lowers Cero and following heated discussions. A majority decides for the choral festival and follows a clap of consensus. Gets up the candle and you open the door, the other Ceri are ushered inside the Basilica. We celebrate all together. They prevailed “values ​​ubaldiani” peace and serenity.

Marilena Badolato

www.umbriatouring.it