The ancient city of Gubbio

This morning I visited Gubbio.  This is a Bronze Age city that has many beautiful vistas.  I first stopped at the ruins of a Roman theater.   Gubbio was a big factor in the Crusades, and where do you think the Gubbio Layer came from? 

There is also a very interesting indoor display at this site.  Imagine it's the first century BC, and you have a hankering to be entertained... well this is where you went.

Street markets...one of the best markets I have ever been to in Italy is the Mercato Centrale in Firenze.. I love it, maybe you will too - I'll be back this fall! 

So you walk through these doors, into a piazza, and YOUR IN! Inside the walls of the old city that is.

This is known as the "Madmen's Fountain." Yes there's a story but you can Google it.

Waaaay cool door knocker.  I'd like to have one.

Gubbio's old city is built into the side of a mountain.  The Basilica of St Ubaldo sits on top of that mountain. That is where I'm going today!  It's a long twisty turny slog up the side of the mountain and it's 33 C. Giddy-up.

The view from the trail on the way up is simply beautiful.

I took a bunch of pics of switchbacks and steep trails... that's just too boring to post.  So I arrived at the Basilica and wha... what's going on up ahead?

Why it's a beautiful bride and handsome groom walking down the steps to their limousine.  Yes, I have some rice throwing pics too, but those will be for another post about the dangers of slipping on rice while walking on ancient steps... I sure wish them well! This also made me think of the Ponte Vecchio...

When you walk through the doors in the last pic, this is what you find.  The courtyard of the Basilica.

Still adorned with wedding flowers and white "carpet" Yes I have a pic of the "Three Candles."

Hot, thirsty and trying to remember what street the gelato place was on...

But then I realized... the trail still goes on and it goes up too.  So I followed it up to an ancient defensive wall and now I can say...

That I hiked to the very top of  Mt. Ingino, a small mountain that is part of the Apennines.

The reward is a beautiful view and a cool breeze.  I didn't meet a single person on this last part of the trail. I don't know the vertical height, but if you see the village below, well that's where you start!

So many Ducati's!  There's nothing like the sound of a Duc with Termi's...  Maybe it's time to do something about this!

In the "Never seen that before" category... In a store window there was this pic of a potter making a pot while on a sideboard of a Fiat 500 as it was moving...  I have to wonder - where did the idea to do this come from?

I hope you all enjoy the pics.  Miss you NLO and JRO and of course SEC.

From Umbria,

Ciao

Lee