Polenta and Culture - Ceri, January 26, 2013

Click here to print the presentation

This time, there were a truly large group of us: over 50 friends and nearly 30 cars. In addition to our beautiful MGs, several particularly prestigious vehicles participated, starting with Gianni Tesauro's Alfa Romeo 6C Superleggera Touring, now a regular at our rallies, followed by a beautiful Lancia Aurelia B20 and many Jaguars (E-type and MK2), for the traditional polenta dinner at the beginning of the year.

{gallery}raduni/polentata_la-8297{/gallery}

The sun, a regular guest on our outings, couldn't be missed. It blessed us with a truly splendid day, one of the few this season, with a clear, bright sky and a crisp temperature. The harsh weather, however, discouraged most drivers from using convertibles, preferring more comfortable sedans and coupes. Very few ventured to drive without a top, even though the total mileage was modest.
Having resolved the small problems encountered by some crews at the start—which are, after all, part of the rules of this game and the pleasure of playing it—we gathered in good numbers for the first event of the day, now a classic on par with the fine dining experience, reserved for the cultural component of the gathering. For this occasion, we decided to visit the Castello di Torre in Pietra: a veritable fortified village, with a central core dating back to the Middle Ages and subsequent notable 17th-century Baroque additions. The property, passed through the hands of princes, cardinals, and popes over the centuries, came to the Albertini-Carrandini family in the 1920s, who still own it and who renovated the ancient rooms to their former glory. The complex is still partially inhabited, and the main floor and the 17th-century octagonal church are used for events. Our exceptional guide, the hostess, Livia Carrandini, accompanied the guests on a tour of the castle, recounting its rich history and legends.
It is rather strange that, especially until a few years ago, such an important reality, just a stone's throw from the city, was completely unknown to the general public, so much so that most of the crews, even though they came from Rome, visited the castle for the first time in their lives and were left in awe of it.
After the tour, the pilots and navigators literally stormed the adjoining winery, which Slow Wine awarded a prestigious recognition in 2012, and the organic produce shop of the farm and dairy that complement the property. This made it difficult to set off again, which was only possible after the vegetables and fresh cheeses were sold out. Emptying the barrels had proven impossible from the start, even for the most dedicated, given the modest trunk capacity of their vehicles. Nevertheless, we noticed more than one crew returning to their cars overwhelmed by the load of demijohns of wine.
Luckily, the final stop of the gathering, the village of Ceri, wasn't many kilometers away, allowing even the riders who had lingered longer than the others over the wine tasting to reach the destination of the banquet quickly and easily.
There's little to write about Ceri and Sora Lella, having already done so at last winter's polenta festival. The repeat, loudly requested by last year's participants, held no surprises or disappointments, as sometimes happens with remakes. Indeed, the polenta earned the praise of a connoisseur like Gianni Tesauro, who, despite his origins, became one after a long stay in the far North, the lands that gave birth to this humble yet extremely popular dish, thanks to the many recipes it lends itself to and the infinite number of condiments it can be paired with.
The polenta party was also an opportunity to celebrate two important and eagerly awaited motorsport events: the first was the official award ceremony for the Giampiccolo-Ceribelli team for their brilliant placing in the 2012 Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti, thanks in part to the sponsorship of Scuderia Jaguar Storiche and 3 Italia, which allowed them to improve (by one place) on their ranking in the Coppa delle Alpi the previous year. In light of this success, our Group decided to double the prize (two plaques instead of one) and offered to sponsor the valiant team in 2013 with a contribution at least equal to that provided by the 2012 sponsors. The second event was the presentation of British Day 2013, a highly anticipated multi-brand meeting that will celebrate its first edition on May 4-5 in Radicofani, and which in just two days of registration has already garnered over 50% of the expected registrations. British Day, a genuine expression of the bond between enthusiasts of the most prestigious British classic car brands (Jaguar, MG, Morgan, and Triumph), which has developed over time independently of their respective Clubs, represents the natural evolution of a project undertaken years ago by our Group. Its success fills us with pride and is a necessary condition for the development of increasingly important and prestigious initiatives, all based on the principle of sharing authentic passions through equally genuine and deep-rooted feelings of friendship. All of this leads us to cultivate an incurable optimism, even in challenging times like these, inspired by the people we associate with rather than by structures or things.
Ad Maiora!
Claudio N.