XIV Settecolli Trophy - June 15, 16, and 17, 2012
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As a regular attendee of classic car events for nearly 25 years (and a contributing organizer of three Mayflowers), I've often wondered what the winning formula for a rally is. That is, despite the objective difficulty of trying to accommodate all attendees' tastes and desires, what to offer in the hope of achieving general satisfaction.
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The location, for starters. One or more well-known tourist destinations, perhaps undiscovered or rediscovered, ideally not a popular holiday destination, at least during the chosen period. Therefore, places you wouldn't specifically visit without the gathering. The timing: avoid July and August, opting for the shoulder seasons, where prices are lower, the service is more attentive, and the event experience is enhanced, benefiting from it. Relaxation and culinary moments: hotels don't necessarily have to be five-star, but they certainly need to be comfortable, and as for food... we Italians are known for being quite picky and easily seduced by food! Last, but perhaps I should say first, is the cultural aspect, which significantly enhances the meeting, often taking it to a significant level. The scenic, architectural, historical, and artistic beauties that Italy boasts must be fully savored, and therefore guides and "ciceroni" are essential to entertain you and explain what you're seeing.
Well, honestly, all of this happened at Sette Colli in the Rieti area last June. Along with the unrestricted implementation timeframe and the usual inconveniences that unfortunately happen to our "old ladies," these were resolved to the satisfaction of the vehicle owners, as I'll tell you later.
So we begin on Friday early afternoon. Some arrive in the morning, and some even the day before, like Santino Margotta and myself. Most leave for lunch, with a briefing shortly afterward, with Claudio, the organizer, handing out the rally materials. The Leo Hotel, our host, is truly excellent. What's most striking is the exquisite kindness and exceptional helpfulness of the staff. And dinner will be even better!
Our first stop is Monteleone di Spoleto, a dozen kilometers away. It's an ancient city of Etruscan origins, which became an autonomous republic in 1535 and still retains a charming historic center. We're welcomed for refreshments, which, given the almost oppressive heat, are very welcome. Our gracious and knowledgeable guide tells us, among other things, the story of the chariot discovered in 1901 in the Colle del Capitano area. Constructed of wood and covered with embossed bronze plates, it is believed to depict scenes from the life of the Greek hero Achilles. The chariot is kept at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which purchased it from an antiquities dealer who managed to steal it and smuggle it across the border. The artifact is therefore at the center of bitter battles between the New York museum and the Monteleone municipal administration, which has long been demanding its return.
After a short stroll along the main street, enjoying the joy and enthusiasm of the locals, we return to Leonessa, where two tour guides share the task of taking us on a guided tour of the town. The town's territory was originally divided into six districts, each of which also includes a certain number of hamlets. Important annual events, such as the Palio del Velluto and the Sagra della Patata, take place here. Despite being struck by earthquakes several times, it boasts valuable churches and monuments, such as the Church of San Francesco and the adjoining convent, now home to the Civic Museum.
This afternoon, the first problem occurred with one of our MGs, Piero di Giovanna's dark red A Mark II. Unfortunately, the head gasket blew, and a tow truck will be needed. But Piero and his wife Daniela will still be able to enjoy the rally, because some participants, like myself, came alone and will be hosting them in their cars.
The dinner is particularly refined: in addition to local specialties, there's a truly excellent wine tasting, both white and red. I come from an area that produces them (Oltrepò Pavese), so I understand a little about it, and I'm truly delighted. But all the menus for the three days, while simple, were selected with the aim of introducing you to traditional local elements and dishes.
Saturday is always the highlight of a meeting, as it's the central day and therefore the most enjoyable. After breakfast, we set off for Labro, which boasts the Touring Club Italiano's Orange Flag—a mark of quality for tourism and environmental inland areas. The village enjoys a unique geographical location, once on the border between the papacy and the empire, making it a battleground between the Guelphs and Ghibellines. It overlooks the Rieti valley where Saint Francis found refuge from the vanities of the world.
Meanwhile, we're joined by a good number of Umbrian cars (Franco Vigna's black VA and Piero Fusaroli's white A) and several F and TF cars, which join us for the tour. At the top of the village is a relaxing, English-style meadow-like plateau offering a magnificent view of all the surrounding nature, including Lake Piediluco, where we're about to head. The day is truly scorching, and once we arrive at our destination, some can't resist the temptation to take a dip in the waters off the beach and restaurant, where lunch includes a buffet of lake specialties. At the table, we discuss everything, but with Paolo Marziale (a beautiful ivory TF) nearby, whom I met at the Raduno dei Due Mari, it's inevitable to take advantage of his medical expertise to get some advice... And then the doctor administers it, along with a dose of uncommonly charming irony! We don't live on MGs alone, for goodness sake...
The next stop is Greccio: we don't actually go to the medieval village (we had planned to, but we're pressed for time), but instead we visit the majestic Sanctuary of the Nativity, a complex of buildings seemingly born from the rock and one of the most important monuments in the religious history of Saint Francis. Tradition holds that the saint (who built the original nucleus) created the world's first living nativity scene in 1223. These are truly moving moments, because I don't think any of us have ever seen as many as 100 nativity scenes from all over Italy. We're struck by the intimate atmosphere, which takes us back to the simplicity of Franciscan origins, and by the aphorism that accompanies us: "Simplicity is honored there, poverty is exalted, humility is praised, and Greccio is transformed into a new Bethlehem."
From the sacred to the profane? We're indeed heading to Monte Terminillo, but some of us get sluggish, and Francesco Riccardi's Triumph TR6 is giving them a few headaches. But didn't they say in Coventry, "It's better to push a Triumph than drive an MG?" Jokes aside, it's the fuel pump that's acting up, and we'll have to call a tow truck here too, but the problem isn't insurmountable... I tell Francesco not to get discouraged or irritated; his car is one of the most beautiful TR6s I've ever seen. And I'd like to add that his skill is responsible for the original design, the rally poster, which pictorially recalls an Impressionist painting, a work of rare and extraordinary expressive beauty.
The traditional dinner is in a sort of cabin, and the menu is fabulous: four first courses, tonnarelli with truffles, fettuccine with porcini mushrooms, pappardelle with wild boar, and polenta with spicy mushrooms (I don't make it until the last minute...), not to mention the pork shank! The return to the hotel is along a difficult road, especially at night, descending through the woods from an altitude of 1,750 meters, but we all manage it easily, with the caution Claudio recommended.
We arrive on Sunday, when the program includes a tour of Petrella Salto and the lake that takes its name. We pass through Rieti and the dam of the same name, built to power the Cotilia hydroelectric plant. We have lunch in Borgo San Pietro, in a charming panoramic room overlooking the lake, with a menu of typical dishes made with fresh catch from the Salto.
I realize I've probably talked more about monuments, art, and... culinary moments than about our MGs, but as always, I come away from a rally with something new and beautiful that I've seen and learned. For example, Massimo Guinetti (a red MG F VVC) teaches me how to fold the hood properly without jamming, Carlo Fiani, the mechanic from Rome who follows us, 30 cars owned... he tells me about an absolutely unmissable TB and A, Francesco Morisani (with a black-plated PA!) is getting involved in the project for the May rally of the Channel Islands, Jersey, and Guernsey, Santino Margiotta asks me about the Morgan he sees in the photos on my phone... Still beautiful, old and new friendships, in short!
I'd like to conclude these notes by completing the initial discussion of our rallies with a few considerations on the economic aspect. This is more important than ever, as we live in times when our hobby, our passion, is one of the first things to be cut in the current crisis. Therefore, paying attention to each of our personal budgets is paramount: the cost/benefit ratio (and I also mean a serious offer at a fair and sustainable price) must be safeguarded as much as possible, otherwise, as Fabio rightly said, we'll find ourselves holding rallies with 10 crews... This is made worse by a calendar that, if too packed, forces us to choose and reluctantly pass up attractive offers. With Gabicce ending on May 27th, the Mayflower in France from June 6th to 10th, and the Sette Colli the following week, a significant portion of the season has been jammed: at least three weeks between events is absolutely necessary, especially considering that Gabicce—for those, like foreigners, who wanted to treat it as a vacation—entailed a full week. Let's think carefully about this, for the sake of our passion, our club, and its future.
Peter Noah
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