Five days of motors, landscapes, and Italian history
From 9 to 13 June over 400 historic cars will cross Italy along the
traditional eight-way route between Brescia, Rome and back, in one of the
most famous car events in the world.
Italian Traditions offers a journey along the roads of the 2026 1000 Miglia, the
event that more than any other has contributed to transforming the car into an element
of Italian culture. From June 9th to 13th over 400 historic cars will cross the country
following an itinerary that unites cities of art, mountain passes, historic centers and symbolic territories
of Made in Italy, retracing the tradition of a race that is preparing to celebrate its
centenary in 2027.
Defined by Enzo Ferrari “the most beautiful race in the world”, the 1000 Miglia was born in 1927 as
road speed race between Brescia and Rome. After the interruption of the original competitions
in 1957, the event was reborn in 1977 as a regularity race for historic cars,
while maintaining intact the charm of the event that had contributed to building the myth
of Italian motoring. Today only models who took part can participate, or
who were eligible to participate in the editions held between 1927 and 1957.
The 2026 1000 Miglia confirms the route “eight-a-side”, already adopted in recent editions and
inspired by the tracks of the first twelve historic races. A choice that allows you to enhance
different territories and to recreate part of the original spirit of the competition. The journey
will start in Brescia on June 9th and will end in the same city on June 13th, after
five race days that will take the crews across part of the peninsula.
The first stage will take the cars from Brescia to Padua. After passing through Lumezzane,
one of the main new features of this year’s route, the crews will tackle the Passo del
Horse and the Sand Valley before reaching Lake Garda and crossing the Veneto to
upon arrival in the city of Padua. The second day will take the caravan towards Montecatini
Terme, crossing Ferrara, Modena, Reggio Emilia and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.
The third stage will represent one of the most anticipated moments of the event. From
Montecatini Terme the historic cars will continue towards Siena and central Italy until
reach Rome, the traditional turning point of the race. The capital continues to be one
of the symbols of the 1000 Miglia: the entry of cars through monuments, squares and historic buildings
It has always been one of the most emblematic images of the event.
After the Roman stop, the race will resume its journey north. The fourth day will connect
Rome to Rimini crossing territories different in history, architecture and landscape. The last
finally, the stage will take the crews back to Brescia passing through the Adriatic coast, from the areas
lagoon areas of Cervia and Comacchio, from Ferrara and Mantua, symbolically closing the
route where it all started five days earlier.
The strength of the 1000 Miglia lies not only in the sporting competition. In the course of the
years the event has become an international showcase for cultural heritage and
Italian landscape. Each edition passes through cities of art, UNESCO sites, historic villages and
territories that represent the identity of the country, transforming the race into a great story
itinerant of Italy. It is no coincidence that thousands of spectators spread out along the route
to watch the cars pass by, creating a link between motoring, tourism and
valorization of the territory.
What also makes the event unique is the level of the participating cars. The over 400
admitted cars constitute a real travelling museum: models from some of the
most famous brands in the history of the automobile parade along Italian roads bringing back to
movement technologies, lines and mechanical solutions that have marked almost a century of
motor evolution.
The race thus becomes an opportunity to observe up close not
only rare cars, but also a significant part of Europe’s industrial heritage.
The 2026 edition also takes on a particular value because it represents the last major
stage before the celebrations for the centenary of the race, scheduled for 2027. In this
meaning the event does not only look to the past, but also to the future of an event that
continues to renew itself while keeping its identity intact. More than a competition
automotive, the 1000 Miglia once again confirms its ability to tell the story
Italy through its streets.