6 replies to this topic

[MichaelJP]

With a few days in Sicily, I hope to drive my rental car around a lap of the Piccolo Madonie circuit.

Not having been to the island before, does anyone have any tips? Is it possible to drive the original circuit all the way round?

Is there a museum anywhere or any infrastructure to see?

Many thanks,
- Michael

[Buford]

Can't answer but I envy you. Have fun.

[Alan Cox]

See this thread - In particular posts 16 and 18 regarding museums.
http://forums.autosp...p;#entry2912399
When I was last there, you could still do a virtually complete lap of the course, subject to a few road alterations/flyovers etc.

Sig. Catanzaro's Museo Vincenzo Florio
http://www.flickr.co...57614547593456/
http://www.acs-prota....it/en/home.htm
Museo Targa Florio
http://www.museotarg...io.it/en/targa/
Photos of the course
http://www.flickr.co...ga1961/page226/

Edited by Alan Cox, 30 June 2009 - 21:16.

[Michael Oliver]

You can drive just about all of the circuit, apart from the drag down through the centre of Campofelice, which is a one-way street unfortunately in the wrong direction! You have to turn left just after the bridge over the motorway and work your way round the back of the town and pick up the route on the hill exiting the town, leading down to the long straight.

The two museums are great - one in Cerda (the curator Signor Catanzaro will give you a personal guided tour) and the other in Collesano, which has more great photos. The Cerda one is housed down a ramp under a hotel/cafe/bar, apparently where the Alfa Romeo team used to base itself in the races. It is not the easiest place to find, but it is on the right as you come into the straight part of the main street in Cerda. The Collesano museum is just off the circuit down from the market square a bit after you have gone round the hairpin bend on the course which features in so many photos.

Good luck and enjoy...

Michael

[MichaelJP]

You can drive just about all of the circuit, apart from the drag down through the centre of Campofelice, which is a one-way street unfortunately in the wrong direction! You have to turn left just after the bridge over the motorway and work your way round the back of the town and pick up the route on the hill exiting the town, leading down to the long straight.

The two museums are great - one in Cerda (the curator Signor Catanzaro will give you a personal guided tour) and the other in Collesano, which has more great photos. The Cerda one is housed down a ramp under a hotel/cafe/bar, apparently where the Alfa Romeo team used to base itself in the races. It is not the easiest place to find, but it is on the right as you come into the straight part of the main street in Cerda. The Collesano museum is just off the circuit down from the market square a bit after you have gone round the hairpin bend on the course which features in so many photos.

Good luck and enjoy...

Michael

Thanks to all who replied - had a great time driving round this amazing circuit (watch out for the subsidence, especially Cerda-Caltavaturo!).

Plus points - the winding road, the amazing views, sleepy villages.

Minus points - unfortunately both museums were closed (maybe because it was a Sunday?), and my low-powered rental Punto, which had a horrible gearbox, struggled uphill and cooked its brakes downhill. Would love to go again with something a bit more suitable.

[PMac]

With a few days in Sicily, I hope to drive my rental car around a lap of the Piccolo Madonie circuit.

Not having been to the island before, does anyone have any tips? Is it possible to drive the original circuit all the way round?

Is there a museum anywhere or any infrastructure to see?

Many thanks,
- Michael

I'm about to embark on the same trip as Michael this summer. Back in the early 1990s, I was lucky enough to be 'posted' to Sicily to cover a F3000 race. As flights back then were expensive and scarce, we were flown in a couple of days early, and I was lucky enough to pair up with the late Russell Bulgin, who suggested a trip around the old circuit to kill time.

Whilst it was a bit of a hike up from Enna where we were staying (Russell was 6'7", about three times the size of the 600cc Fiat Panda we had hired), we were rewarded by the sight of plenty of the original circuit infrastructure. As RB was just getting into his Polaroid photography at the time, the long and frequent stops involving painstakingly-thought-out photoshoots meant we only covered a fraction of the lap before darkness sent us back down south.

I cherish the time I spent on that trip with Russell (and a subsequent one a few weeks later in a Nissan 380ZX to the Nordschliffe), and will raise a glass to him when I return to Sicily. My son is 12 years old and I've already got him 'primed' for a day away from the beach - I'm sure he won't mind!

[MCS]

Good luck with your trip. It would be great to see some pictures if that's possible.