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| THE CERI AND THE WAR 1914-1918 |  |
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Eugubini in War | The Festival is Prohibited but... | The situation on the front line | The Festa dei Ceri of 1917 | The following months
Eugubini in War
From 1914-1918, Europe lived through the dramatic and sad years of the First World War. Even the young Eugubini were called to arms. The Alps bore witness to many heroic acts by sons of Gubbio, best described by the writer Curzio Malaparte as "men full of inspiration and marvelous courage".
When the Eugubini were called to duty, they were assigned to the "Alpi" brigade (heir of the volunteer corp of Garibaldi called the "Cacciatori delle Alpi"), comprised of the 51st and 52nd regiment of Fanteria.
Because many Eugubini belonged to this brigade, they found themselves fighting on the Col di Lana (in the Dolomites), which, with 8,000 casualties, later became known as the "Col di Sangue" (or Hill of Blood).
The Festival is prohibited but...
It was a very sad period even for those who were not sent into battle. The desire to pay homage to S. Ubaldo was greater than ever.
Unfortunately, an official decree issued by the Italian government at the beginning of the war prohibited all public gatherings and parades, of both civil and religious nature.
Therefore, the city council and mayor of Gubbio, Giammaria della Porta, decided to suspend Festa dei Ceri in 1916 and it was understood that any future festivals would be suspended until "all souls have returned joyful and happy".
It was so that the Festa dei Ceri was not held for three years, 1916-1917-1918, but the Festa dei Ceri in 1917 went on as planned!
In fact, when the Eugubini soldiers of the 51st regiment saw that the Ceri would not take place in Gubbio, they decided to celebrate them there, a few hundred meters
The situation on the front line
The great and bloody actions of war in this sector occurred primarily in the first two years of war, 1915 and 1916. In 1917, the front was rather calm as the Italians had conquered the summit of Col di Lana, forcing the Austrians to retreat from Monte Sief by some meters, sufficient enough to keep the lower valley of Pian di Salesei from being exposed.
The Festa dei Ceri of 1917
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Here our troops decided to have the Festa dei Ceri. The decision was made many months in advance. It was the assistance of Captain Rinaldo Chelli (photographer of the pictures shown here) and other high command that made it possible to construct the three ceri, complete with the carrying stretchers and the saints.
These fellow citizens succeeded in thinking of everything. The Festa dei Ceri, in that bloody place, became the festival of the celebration of life.
Some of the heroic ceri bearers were Filadelfio Agostinucci (1st Captain), Salvatore Albini, Angelo Camponovo, Alessandro Farneti, Ettore Ferranti, Basilio Grasselli, Guido Maranghi, Raffaele Mazzacrelli, Giulio Menichetti, Giovanni Panfili, Settimio Rosati, David Tasso, Adolfo Vispi and all the other Eugubini that comprised the 51st infantry.
That particular May 15th was a rainy day, but the schedule of the Festa went on as planned with Mass at 9, the raising of the ceri at 12 and the running at 5. Gerarodo Dottori writes "the chaplin blessed the Ceri and the ceri bearers, dressed in gray green, with a red scarf tied around their necks and with the famous tune of the march of the ceri bearers, issued forth the three great machines as they launched up the steep mule track up the side of Col di Lana that leads to Salesei. Everyone threw themselves into the crazy chase of Gubbio, each wanting to reach one of the Ceri to lift it high on their shoulders. With overwhelming enthusiasm, they ran the zig-zag course in 20 minutes and the cero of the sainted protector of Gubbio, S. Ubaldo, touched the small clearing with the hut where the Commander of the 51st infantry resided".
Certainly it was not like arriving at the Basilica, but the troops had reached it in their hearts.
The following months
A few months later, Caporetto retreated on October 24. The Italian army had to hastily abandon their conquered position and withdraw on Monte Grappa-Montello-Piave. The ceri of 1917 were lost in the retreat, but they had already served their purpose well.
Today at Pian di Salesei there is a small military cemetery with 4,700 unknown soldiers, 685 identified Italian soldiers and 19 Austrians.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BARBI A.
La Festa dei Ceri e la Grande Guerra - "Edizioni Ceraiole" direzione A. Barbi -Gubbio 1999.
DOTTORI G.
Ceri in grigioverde - "Centro Italia" - 17/23 maggio 1954
MALAPARTE C.
Umbria Matta - "Corriere della Sera" - 3 luglio 1938.
VIAZZI L.
Col di Lana monte di fuoco - Milano 1998.