Hidden Treasures
The castles and the “pievi” located in the vast countryside of Gubbio, represent one of the most characteristic element of the landscape and contribute from centuries to the image and identity of the whole territory. Some of them are striking examples from an historical and artistic point of view. Many are now transformed in economic activities in the field of agriculture or tourism, maintaining in this way even now the crucial role they had in the past, creating living conditions for a countryside, in many ways, otherwise not so generous. The existence of an historical city center overwhelmingly beautiful and evocative, a place where revive the most ancient rituals of collective land, on the other hand has relegated the countryside castles and the “pievi” to a prolonged marginalization in the public imagination. Neverthlesst these hidden treasures can gather a strategic importance in the development of tourism and the promotion of the area; already in 1979, introducing his significant and valuable study on “Castles, fortified palaces, forts, towers of Gubbio from the XI to the XIV century“, Piero Luigi Menichetti, a fine and generous researcher, noted, and wished that on the basis of the collected data someday we could “draw a tourist itinerary of our castles“. This project is based on such beliefs, it consists of an easy and user-friendly guide as well as some signage panels that, in addition to those installed in the City, (each one with QR codes that gives access to web further resources) provide information and stimulate more in-depth investigations for the most curious visitors. We hope that the enthusiasm, interest and curiosity of the visitors to walk and explore the paths and routes proposed could be at least equal to those experienced by researchers and by all people (associations, private owners or entrepreneurs) in having created a network of these beauties and have brought to light stories, public knowledge, mystery and curiosity.