Known for its Maiolica, Italian tin glazed pottery, and the Corsa di Ceri, St. Ubaldo’s Day every May 15th, Gubbio is a hill town and comune located on the slopes of Mt. Ingino, a small mountain of the Apenninines, in the far northeastern part of the Italian province of Umbria.
Well worth the effort to reach by train or bus from Rome and definitely worth renting a car and driving northeast from Rome. The trip really becomes beautiful once you exit the Autostrada and wind your way through the hills toward Gubbio. We happened to go in late October and while chilly it was nice to have the town mostly to ourselves.
The historical center of the town definitely has a medieval feel and at times seemed desolate because of the enormous amount of stone, narrow streets, and Gothic architecture that surrounds you. Many of the houses in the town, built by a wealthy merchant class, date to the 14th and 15th centuries. Walking around the town you will find most every kind of shop to walk into and I strongly encourage you to stop in the local wine shops. We stopped at Enoteca Calzuola and met Corrado Angel who helped us pick out some fantastic wines, Sangrito di Montefalco, to ship home for friends and family.
When visiting a hill town expect to climb a lot of stairs. Gubbio has the distinction of a rather unique way to get to the top of Mt. Ingino. Residents and visitors can use the Funivia Colle Eletto, an open air birdcage attached to a cable, to go from town to the sanctuary of Sant’Ubaldo. Opened in 1960 and carrying passengers ever since.
One of the best day trips we have had and definitely a place I hope to return to in the future! Buon Viaggio!
Related Information
- Official Webpage of the City of Gubbio (www.gubbiofacentro.it)
- Planning a Trip from Rome to Gubbio (www.frommers.com)
- Hotel Relais Ducale (www.relaisducale.com/en)
VIsited Gubbio 2 Septembers ago and loved it as well! Though we were there during a particulary HOT Sept. so had the opposite feeling. We were melting along with all of the other visitors. Loved the local wine as well, as well as it’s name…so much so that we had it at lunch as well as dinner..which is not the norm for our traveling patterns. Was such a different “hill town” from the other 30 or so we visited that trip. Definately worth a stop. Glad you are sharing it with others. You both look great. Thanks.
Look at the red of that piazza! New region, new paint palette. Gubbio sounds fascinating.