Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo, Gubbio


The Basilica of Sant'Ubaldo is a Roman Catholic church atop Mount Ingino, outside central Gubbio in Umbria, Italy. The church houses the body of the patron saint of Gubbio, Saint Ubaldo, kept atop the main altar on a marble plinth, surmounted by a glass case.

History

The church and adjacent convent was originally built in the first decade of the 1500s by Canons Regular of the Lateran. Once rich in stucco decoration from the Baroque era, much of this decoration was destroyed during bombing during the second world war, and the interior was reconstructed. The church is accessible through a long, winding trail from the city or a more adventurous chair-lift ride.

Saint Ubaldo Day

The church is the finishing-point for the annual Saint Ubaldo Day procession on May 15 of each year. The procession includes a race between three team of men each representing one of the town's three guilds:
The participants dress in colourful ceraioli and carry three nearly-900-pound wooden stands and statues of their saints through the city to the city gates. Thereafter, the teams sprint up Mount Ingino to the basilica where the statues remain until the following May. A similar festival is celebrated in Jessup, Pennsylvania. The event is considered an important contribution to the town's tourism industry.

Artworks

Among the works inside the church are: