Mille Miglia announces its route and a move to mid-June for 2022

WORDS: ELLIOTT HUGHES | PHOTOGRAPHY: Mille Miglia

Organisers have confirmed that the 40th edition of the re-enacted Mille Miglia will be held from June 15-18, 2022. The prestigious event has traditionally been held in May, but 2022 will set the precedent for future editions to also be scheduled for June.

The event may have been pushed back to later in the year, but the customary 1000-mile clockwise route of attrition from Rome to Brescia and back will remain intact, after running anti-clockwise this year.

Leg One commences from Brescia in north-western Italy on Wednesday, June 15, with some 400 classic cars beginning their journeys through Italy’s Eden-like landscape. Salò is the first town the competitors will reach as they head towards Lake Garda, with its blend of azure and emerald waters complemented by stunning historic architecture.

After passing the waypoint of Salò, the cars will snake three kilometres down the coastline before reaching the resort towns of Desenzano del Garda and Sirmione on Lake Garda’s southernmost coast. A parade through Sirmione’s Sigurtà Garden Park precedes the final portion of the first leg, which then heads south to the city of Mantua, famed for its Renaissance-era architecture.

The penultimate stop of day one is the city of Ferrara in the Emilia-Romagna region, recognised as a World Heritage Site for its stunning beauty and cultural significance. A 55-mile run from Ferrara to Cervia-Milano Marittima, nestled on the Adriatic coast, concludes the first demanding day through the magnificence of Italy.

Leg Two of the race begins on Thursday, June 16 and opens with a detour inland towards the medieval city of Forlì. A twisty climb towards the mountainous republic of San Marino follows, before a near-500km trail to Rome via the commune of Passigano sul Trasimeno and the city of Norcia. Leg Two is capped off with the Roman parade along Via Veneto – one of the most opulent and famous streets in the Italian capital.

Despite covering a vast distance in a matter of days, the third leg of the race on Friday, June 17 offers crews little respite as the longest of the event. But before any substantial distance is covered, competitors will have to free themselves from the busy, narrow streets of Rome, without the benefit of modern sat-nav systems.

Once released from the congested streets of the capital, the remainder of the leg’s approximately 600km odyssey north can begin. The first waypoint comes relatively quickly at just 60km from Rome: the small, ancient city of Ronciglione. Cars will then continue to the Tuscan city of Siena, renowned for the 14th-century Gothic wonder of its town hall: the Palazzo Pubblico.

The next major city on the itinerary of the Mille Miglia’s third leg is Viareggio on the northwestern coast above Pisa, passing through the industrial town of Pontdera en-route. The final 160-odd kilometre stint from Viareggio is concluded by reaching Parma, nestled in the heart of northern Italy.

With hundreds of kilometres covered, the fatigued cars and competitors face the final day of the challenging race on Saturday, June 18. As the grand finale of the Mille Miglia, the day kicks off with a series of trials at the Varano de’ Melegari circuit.

Then, competitors will continue their voyage in the wheel tracks of Stirling Moss, Fangio and Ascari by heading to Salsomaggiore Terme, Stradella and Pavia before arriving at the temple of speed that is Monza.

The Monza Grand Prix Circuit is a particularly special destination of the event — and not just because of its legendary history. Here, drivers will drive around the fabled Ascari Chicane, Parabolica and Curva Grande against the clock to celebrate 100 years of the Italian Grand Prix.

Cars will then head on to the finish line in Brescia via Bergamo, in anticipation of the twinning of the two cities in 2023 for the Brescia-Bergamo Capital of Culture project.