Every year on 15 May, Gubbio hosts a festival famous throughout Italy and beyond: the Festa dei Ceri. It is not a simple religious festival (closely linked to the celebration of the patron Saint Ubaldo) or a historical re-enactment, but a day that encapsulates the soul of an entire region, where tradition and culture intertwine in the closest embrace. The three candles, each surmounted by the statues of St Ubaldo, St Giorgio and St Antonio, are carried on the shoulders in a race through the alleys of Gubbio's historic centre. Already from the first light of morning, you can hear the tolling of the big bell that calls all the participants to take part in the 'race'. The 'raising' of the Ceri takes place in Piazza Grande, where the 'capodieci' with a spectacular manoeuvre pull up the imposing wooden structures (each weighing almost four hundred kilos). In the afternoon, the race begins: at 6 p.m., the captains of the previous year give the start, the people of Gubbio exult with the chorus "Via ch'eccoli!" and immediately the colourful crowd opens up and lets the Ceri pass. The race begins along the uphill lanes, towards Mount Ingino, where the basilica of Sant'Ubaldo, the final destination, is located. The race is spectacular: there are points where the Ceri seem to brush against houses and roofs, and the ceraioli risk falling. The skill of the ceraioli is to make the Cero run as vertically as possible while avoiding 'falls' and 'pendants'. This is the victory considering that there is no overtaking and that the Ceri arrive at the top of the mountain in the same order in which they started: Sant'Ubaldo, San Giorgio and Sant'Antonio. After the race, you can stroll through the streets of the city and discover that every corner is celebrating with toasts, singing and dancing: the inhabitants of Gubbio dress up for the occasion in the colours of their saint and populate the taverns, where you can taste some of the local dishes. Participating in the Festa dei Ceri you discover not only a local event, but a unique access to a tradition deeply felt by the Gubbio and Umbrian people, which manages to fascinate every tourist who, at least once, witnesses the event.   For further information: website: FestaDeiCeri