Mugello has always been a land of engines.

Even before the construction of the current Mugello Circuit, the “Grand Prix of Mugello” took place on the Mugello Road Circuit. This automobile competition, organized by the Automobile Club Firenze, took place from 1914 to 1970.

THE PATH

It was a circuit between the streets of the different municipalities of Mugello. The roads used for this circuit were mostly mule tracks and full of potholes. Until that moment it was only traveled by mules and some peasants. It stretched along 66 km and started from San Piero a Sieve (while in the last 5 editions it started from Scarperia).  After continuing through the Passo del Giogo, it descended to Firenzuola up to the Via Bolognese in La Casetta. Here began the climb that led to the Passo della Futa and from there passed next to Villa Le Maschere and villa di Cafaggiolo until returning to San Piero a Sieve.

Initially the race had to take place according to regularity and not for speed. Motorists had to travel the entire circuit in 1 hour and a half with an average speed of 45 km / h. Those who employed more or less suffered a penalty.

This circuit was particularly loved by motorists because of the difficulty of the route and the beauty of the landscape that the pilots admired during the competition.

THE FIRST RACE

The first race took place on 21 June 1914 and 36 cars participated. He also attracted a large audience of spectators who went to the track. Unfortunately, the spectators did not remain enthusiastic about the formula chosen. In fact, many cars stopped just before the finish line to wait for the time imposed by the regulation.

THE POST-WAR

The week after the first Mugello Road Circuit race took place the assassination at the Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Hapsburg. Then the First World War broke out. Precisely for this reason car races were suspended for several years.

In 1920 the car races resumed and for the first time the competition takes the name of Mugello Circuit. The competitions continued until 1929. There was a brief stop in 1926-1927. In these years, very important people competed on the track like Giuseppe Campari, Alfieri Maserati, Enzo Ferrari, Tarabusi and Morandi. Each of them drove the fastest cars of those times. Many Tuscan drivers also competed in this track.

Due to some organizational problems, in 1955,of the Cup of Tuscany, the Automobile Club Firenze re-proposes the Mugello Road Circuit. In this way motorcycle races were also organized. Some were disputed on the reduced circuit of Barberino del Mugello (a 19 km loop developed around Barberino di Mugello, which had to be repeated twenty times).

The 1968 race called the Grand Prix of Mugello, is considered the most beautiful, exciting and hard-fought race held on the Mugello Circuit. The Alfa Romeo squadron, directed by Carlo Chiti, triumphed.

THE END OF MUGELLO ROAD CIRCUIT

Until 1970 to ensure a certain security during the race, Carabinieri, Police, Fire Brigade, runway commissioners and volunteers (in total about 1000 people) were arranged along the perimeter of the track. In 1971, however, the organizers asked to fence the entire circuit for security reasons. These requests also came after two fatal accidents where a pilot and a child died. Unfortunately, however, this proposal was not accepted because it was impossible to achieve. This decision led to the end of the Mugello Road Circuit.

Today the race has been reborn as a historical re-enactment and brings on the old track a large group of historic cars and an audience interested in engines.

ROLL OF HONOR

– 1914: Eugenio Silvani (Diatto)
– 1920: Giuseppe Campari (Alfa Romeo)
– 1921: Giuseppe Campari (Alfa Romeo)
– 1922: Alfieri Maserati (Isotta Fraschini)
– 1923: Gastone Brilli-Peri (Steyr)
– 1924: Giuseppe Morandi (OM)
– 1925: Emilio Materassi (Itala)
– 1928: Emilio Materassi (Talbot)
– 1929: Gastone Brilli-Peri (Talbot)
– 1955: Umberto Maglioli (Ferrari)
– 1964: Gianni Bulgari (Porche)
– 1965: Mario Casoni e Antonio Nicodemi (Ferrari)
– 1966: Gerhard Koch e Jochen Neerpasch (Porche)
– 1967: Gerhard Ritter e Udo Schutz (Porche)
– 1968: Lucien Bianchi, nino Vaccarella e Nanni Galli (Alfa Romeo)
– 1969: Arturo Merzaio (Abarth)
– 1970: Arturo Merzario (Abarth)

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