The 39th Carovana Romantica Rally starts from the "Ligurian Riviera" in Camogli, one of the prettiest villages on the coast with its typical colorful buildings, surprisingly tall for a small port. After the motorboat ride in the Cinque Terre Natural Park and the visit to the Abbey of San Fruttuoso (the medieval monastery hidden in a bay, overlooking the sea), the cars moved to Portofino, a meeting place for the jet-set , for a cars display in Piazza Martiri dell'Olivetta. Crossing the passes of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, the Rally reached the Compiano Castle, for a truly special welcome in medieval settings, to arrive in Salsomaggiore Terme.
The next stage is dedicated to the discovery of the Castles of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza, touching the medieval villages of Vigoleno and Castell'Arquato. A special evening was organized in Busseto, hometown of the musician Giuseppe Verdi, for a special tribute concert at the Casa Barezzi Museum.
The next morning, we cross the historic center of Parma, the refined and elegant capital of good food, to visit the Farnese Theater and the Palazzo della Pilotta. In the evening, after a wine tasting and a light lunch at the Labirinto della Masone, the largest bamboo labyrinth in the world, with an incredible art collection collected by Franco Maria Ricci, including a Jaguar E-Type. The next stop takes place in the "Motorvalley", the land of the main world car manufacturers, to visit the Ferrari Museum in Maranello and the Umberto Panini Maserati collection. Lunch in the iconic Acetaia Leonardi and folk evening in the Hotel. Another stop at Castello di Torrechiara, a magical castle declared a national monument, to have lunch among the vineyards and hills in a magnificent winery. From here the rally leaves to cross the legendary Cisa Pass, scene of a thousand car races, to reach Pontemoli, and visit the Piagnaro Castle which houses the Statue Stele of Lunigiana. With the arrival in Camogli, for the final evening, this spectacular itinerary ends.
Rally 2023 Map
Highlights
Camogli- Portofino-Cinque Terre
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.
Parma and Salsomaggiore Terme
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.
Duchy of Parma and Piacenza
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.
The "Motorvalley"
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.
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