The Corsa dei Ceri, Gubbio

The ceri are three octagonal wooden pillars, each several metres tall and weighing a few hundred kilos, topped with figures of Ubaldo, George and Anthony. On 15 May teams in coloured shirts carry them at a run through the streets of Gubbio and then up the steep track to the basilica on Monte Ingino, changing carriers on the move without ever stopping. The order never changes and there is no winner, which visitors find hard to accept; the point is to get all three up without dropping one. The day starts with the raising in the main square and finishes in the last of the light. UNESCO lists it with similar processions elsewhere in Italy.

What you actually see

• The raising - the three ceri lifted upright in the main square before the run.
• The run up Monte Ingino - a steep track taken at speed, carriers swapping on the move.
• The ceraioli - the teams in yellow, blue and black, joined by family as much as choice.
• The basilica finish - the church on the mountain, reached at the end of the day.

When to go

The date is fixed: 15 May, every year, whatever day of the week it falls on. Come the evening before, since the town fills and the roads in are closed for most of the day itself. The raising is around midday and the run up the mountain is in the late afternoon.

Honest expectations

Gubbio is packed and you will see the ceri pass for a few seconds unless you take a position hours ahead. Rooms for the night before book out months in advance and prices rise sharply. Standing close to the teams is genuinely risky, since the pillars are heavy and the streets are narrow. The rest of the year the town is quiet.

Nearby

The Roman theatre lies below the walls; Perugia and Assisi are an hour south.