The Mille Miglia, a vintage car race that makes a loop from Brescia to Rome each May, has been on my radar for almost a decade. This year, I finally got to see the spectacle as the cars paraded down Rome’s Via Veneto.
Of course, I took photos…and some videos, too:
The original Mille Miglia ran from 1927 to 1957, pausing during World War II. Vintage car enthusiasts in Brescia re-instituted the event in 1977 – and the 1,000 mile road rally in 1982 – stipulating that all cars must have been made in 1957:
Participation is limited to cars, produced no later than 1957, which had attended (or were registered) to the original race. The route (Brescia-Rome round trip) is similar to that of the original race, maintaining the point of departure / arrival in Viale Venezia in Brescia.*
As promised, here are a few videos that I took during the Via Veneto viewing. The cars began entering Via Veneto (from the north side via Villa Borghese) around 20:15 and continued for at least two hours.
The event was mostly a masculine affair, but there were at least a dozen female co-drivers/passengers by our count. Now you know the context for the comment “There’s another woman” in the following video.
Outside the Aurelian walls is a road in the Villa Borghese that leads into the Via Veneto. We moved up the parade route to the entry point as the night drew on in order to get a better view of the cars yet to enter the walls.
One thing I hadn’t bargained on when seeing this lovely stream of antique autos is just how nauseating the smell of fuel would become. These cars are beauts, but they certainly pollute.
I am so glad I finally made it to the Mille Miglia and I would recommend this event to anyone visiting Rome in May.
To learn more about the Mille Miglia, the cars, the race, and its history, check out the Mille Miglia website.
Last updated on November 19th, 2019Post first published on May 18, 2018
