From June 28th to September 1st, 2024, the Rocca di Lonato del Garda will host an exhibition dedicated to the legendary Mille Miglia car race. This event is part of the rich cultural program of the monumental complex of the Ugo Da Como Foundation, which also includes other artistic and historical exhibitions.
While waiting for “Lonato in Festival,” which will take place from August 11th to 13th and will be dedicated to contemporary circus, the Ugo Da Como Foundation presents a trio of different exhibitions in terms of theme and content. Among these, the photographic exhibition by Eleni Albarosa on the early editions of “Città di Circo” stands out, as well as the exhibition “Nino Ferrari. The art of metal between tradition and modernity,” curated by Stefania Cretella, which will remain open until September 22nd.
The centerpiece of the current cultural offering is undoubtedly “Mille Miglia Non Stop,” an exhibition recently inaugurated in collaboration with the Negri Archive of Brescia. Set up in the evocative Sala del Capitano of the Rocca Visconteo Veneta, this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the beginnings of the famous car race.
The Mille Miglia, conceived in 1926 by Giovanni Canestrini, Franco Mazzotti, Aymo Maggi, and Renzo Castagneto, has become over time an iconic event worldwide. Although interrupted by the tragic accident in Guidizzolo in 1957 that claimed the lives of eleven people, the race has risen from its ashes stronger than ever. Today, it is not only a sporting competition but a true international spectacle with a wealth of collateral events.
The photographic documentation of the early editions of the Mille Miglia is particularly scarce due to the logistical difficulties of the time and the lack of dedicated professional photographers for the event. However, thanks to the work of the Tuscan photographer Ferruccio Testi and the subsequent safeguarding of his images by Franco Zagari during the Florence flood, we can now admire a precious selection of these photographs.
These images have been made available thanks to an agreement with the Negri Foundation of Brescia. The exhibition features approximately forty black and white reproductions that illustrate the pioneering period of the Mille Miglia, offering a unique glimpse into what this competition was like in its early days.
In addition to the Mille Miglia exhibition, visitors can explore the Casa del Podestà through guided tours organized by the Friends of the Ugo Da Como Foundation Association. This museum house is one of the most interesting in Northern Italy and contains in its twenty rooms the valuable collections of Senator Ugo Da Como.
The “Mille Miglia Non Stop” exhibition will be open to the public from Monday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm until September 1st, 2024. Residents of the Municipality of Lonato del Garda can access for free, while the cost for other visitors is 5 euros for the exhibition only or 10 euros for the entire monumental complex.
For further information or reservations:
– Address: Via Rocca, 2 – Lonato del Garda (Brescia)
– Phone: 0309130060
– Email: prenotazioni@fondazioneugodacomo.it
– Website: www.fondazioneugodacomo.it
Italian Version
