Gubbio, Italy

GUBBIO Hystory of the name The first name was IKUVIUM dated back to the ancient Umbrian people ( about XIII century B.C. till V century A.D. ) During the Roman times it became IGUVIUM, later EUGUBIUM in the Middle Ages, and then AGOBBIO. Finally, in modern ages, it became GUBBIO.

THE BOTTACCIONE GORGE Gubbio is an important geological site because of the discovery place of Gubbio layer , a sedimentary layer enriched in Iridium, that marks the CRETACEOSU-PALEOGENE boundary.

Its characterics support the theory that a devastating meteorite impact was responsible for the dinosaurs extinction event.

THE IGUVINE TABLETS The town has very ancient origins and soon it became a very important cultural centre. The Umbrian people occupied its territory in the Bronze age, as testified by the IGUVINE TABLETS, seven bronze tablets containing religious and cultural rites of the daily life of the population.

Roman Theatre After the Roman Conquest in the second century B.C., the town remained important as attested by its Roman Theatre, the second-largest surviving in the world.

Gubbio In the Middle ages

Gubbio became very powerful in the beginning of Middle Ages, as a real free Common, ruled by democratic laws and a well developed social organization based on commerce and arts and crafts.

Gubbio in the renaissance In the following centuries Gubbio was engaged in wars against the surrounding towns, till when it was incorporated into the territories of Montefeltro family with the Duke Federico.

The majolica production reached its apogee (around 1550) with Mastro Giorgio Andreoli and its innovative Lustro (reflections) technique.

Our school is named after this important artist.

GUBBIO under the Papal States Gubbio became part of the Papal States in 1631 and then in 1860 it was incorporated into the new born Kingdom of Italy with the Savoia family kings.

emigration Gubbio, a depressed economical area, was a town of emigrations from the end of 19째 century to the first decades after the second world war .

The target countries were France, Luxembourg, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and the USA.

GUBBIO IN THE 20th CENTURY

A lot of people took part to the first and second world war. On 22nd June 1944, 40 citizens were killed by the nazist soldiers as a retaliation after the killing of a German officer. This day is called the «40 Martyrs’ Day».

The 40 martyrs spent their last night in our school before to be killed.

GUBBIO nowadays On 2nd June 1946, Italy became a parliamentary Republic, divided into 20 Regions. Gubbio is in the region Umbria, the “green-heart” of Italy.

Nowadays it has got about 32.000 inhabitants. Its principal economical activities are based on tourism, arts and crafts (pottery, iron, wood, leather and “bucchero”- a typical etruskan black pottery –), and cement industries.