The 2013 Carovana Romantica rally takes place in Tuscany to discover iconic places for wine lovers and beyond such as the "Chianti-shire" to visit Siena, Perugia, San Sepolcro, Cortona.
The operational base is the Borgo Scopeto Wine & Country Relais, a fascinating and exclusive location on the Sienese hills. The Caravan begins with the Siena stop, with the cars on display in the area of the ancient market, the so-called "tartarugone", a few steps from Piazza del Campo, unique for its particular and very original shell shape, and known for hosting the famous Palio di Siena, for a visit to the historic center and the Cathedral of Siena preceded by a special welcome at the Contrada della Torre Museum, which preserves the relics and historical costumes of the Elephant Society, and where life takes place daily life of the rock pigeons, from dinners to tombolas. An Aperi-lunch with champagne at the exclusive Champagneria Cava dè Noveschi, to set off again towards Chianti.
A special welcome in period costume by the girls of Radda in Chianti flanks the passage of vintage cars, coming from the historic center of Gaiole in Chianti and headed to the Badia a Coltibuono for refreshments and an exclusive visit. Too bad for the persistent rain, which blocks the view of some crews who proceed quickly past the crossroads!
The following day, the cars cross the wonderful hills of the Val d'Orcia to reach Montalcino, with an exhibition in the historic center followed by a special tasting in the barrel cellar at the Montalcino winery. Then down south towards Trasimeno, heading to Bettona, city of 100 churches, of Etruscan origin and wonderful "natural balcony over Assisi" for the day's stage.
The following morning, a stop in Perugia, with a display of the cars in Piazza IV Novembre. and reception of participants at Palazzo dei Priori. After the visit to the National Gallery of Umbria, we set off again for a tasting lunch with show cooking at the Enoteca Lungarotti, the winery that made the wine history of these lands. In the evening Bettona and its squares transform for us into a medieval market complete with jesters, stilt walkers and acrobats, for an unforgettable evening/show.
The following day the stop in Assisi awaits us, with the cars displayed in Piazza del Comune and the subsequent lunch at the Osteria del Mulino, in the heart of the Bosco di San Francesco.
This is Gubbio, for an exclusive performance of the flag-wavers in full force in Piazza Grande. The day ends at the Park Hotel ai Cappuccini, with a challenge between pilots and chefs.
The following morning we leave for Umbertide, for a tasting and a short visit to the splendid Montecorona estate, before reaching Sansepolcro with a display of the cars in Piazza Torre di Berta, and a welcome by musicians in medieval clothes.
The last day is dedicated to Cortona for the guided tour of the MAEC (Etruscan Museum) and the Diocesan Museum, and a special welcome for medieval groups in Piazza della Repubblica.
The Caravan ends at Tenimenti d'Alessandro, an exclusive oasis hidden among the hills of Tuscany, where the extraordinary vocation of the territory for Syrah, the company's symbolic wine, and for Viognier has been rediscovered.
Rally 2013 Map
Highlights
Siena - Badia a Caltibuono- Radda in Chianti
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Cinque Terre offer one of the most fascinating landscapes of the Ligurian Riviera, with their rugged and rugged hills, softened by the construction of terraces for the cultivation of citrus fruits and vines, which drop sheer down towards the sea. Hidden in the small fjords, there are the five villages ("Terre"): Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, Riomaggiore. Portofino is one of the most iconic places in Italy: a magnificent seaside village, set in the green promontory, with its tall pastel-colored houses arranged in a semicircle around the famous Piazzetta. Of very ancient origins, documented in the imperial age with the name of Portus Delphini, it preserves the Roman road layout, with orthogonal meshes. Not far away is Camogli, the most romantic village on the Riviera di Levante where we will stay at the Hotel Cenobio di Dogi. In the surrounding area we will visit the Abbey of San Fruttuoso: a unique medieval monastery overlooking the sea in a bay hidden in the greenery of the Portofino mountain.
Perugia - Lake Trasimeno - Assisi
But Emilia is also a land of culture and music. We will cross the Terre Verdiane (Busseto, Parma, Soragna, Fontanellato, Salsomaggiore Terme), the places where the artistic and musical life of the famous musician Giuseppe Verdi took place, and we will attend an exclusive show, a tribute to the great master. Not far from Parma, we will visit “Il Labirinto della Masone”, conceived and wanted by Franco Maria Ricci is the largest existing bamboo labyrinth, made up of about 200,000 plants up to 15 meters high, along a path of over 3km. It houses an impressive collection of unique art of its kind, spread over five thousand square meters, of about five hundred pieces from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. There will be tastings of the gastronomic excellence of which Italy is known throughout the planet: Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia, culatello, tagliatelle, tortellini, accompanied by wines of tradition such as Sangiovese and Lambrusco.
Tenimenti d'Alessandro
But Emilia is also a land of culture and music. We will cross the Terre Verdiane (Busseto, Parma, Soragna, Fontanellato, Salsomaggiore Terme), the places where the artistic and musical life of the famous musician Giuseppe Verdi took place, and we will attend an exclusive show, a tribute to the great master. Not far from Parma, we will visit “Il Labirinto della Masone”, conceived and wanted by Franco Maria Ricci is the largest existing bamboo labyrinth, made up of about 200,000 plants up to 15 meters high, along a path of over 3km. It houses an impressive collection of unique art of its kind, spread over five thousand square meters, of about five hundred pieces from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. There will be tastings of the gastronomic excellence of which Italy is known throughout the planet: Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena and Reggio Emilia, culatello, tagliatelle, tortellini, accompanied by wines of tradition such as Sangiovese and Lambrusco.
Val D'Orcia - Montalcino- Bettona
Dozens of castles, fascinating fortresses and crenellated towers dot the hills that rise in the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza. For long centuries these stone sentries were witnesses of battles, invasions and sieges, today they are evidence of history, art, culture and food and wine. We will visit some of the best preserved and highly suggestive castles, such as the castles of Torrechiara, Tabiano Felino, Fontanellato and the fortified medieval villages of Vigoleno, and Castell'Arquato. A unique concentration in the world of car and motorcycle manufacturers (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati, Dallara, Ducati), racetracks, museums and private collections. To fully experience the Motor Valley we will visit, in addition to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, also some highly prestigious private museums, such as the Umberto Panini Museum, with one of the most complete collections of Maserati cars in the world from 1926 onwards, housed in a building in Art Nouveau style.
Gubbio- San Sepolcro- Cortona
A unique concentration in the world of car and motorcycle manufacturers (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Pagani, Maserati, Dallara, Ducati), racetracks, museums and private collections. To fully experience the Motor Valley we will visit, in addition to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, also some highly prestigious private museums, such as the Umberto Panini Museum, with one of the most complete collections of Maserati cars in the world from 1926 onwards, housed in a building in Art Nouveau style.
