GIRO D'IT ALIA TV RO ADBOOK

T V R O A D B O O K

#G

I RO

10

1

E NG L I SH

EDITED BY GIUS EP P E FIGINI

GIR

O D

’ITA

LIA

TV

RO

AD

BO

OK

COVER_GIRO_DITALIA_2018_ROADBOOK_ITA_EN.indd 6 11/04/18 18:14

G IRO D’ ITALIA 2018

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2

INDE X

STAGES

REGIONS

JERUSALEM JERUSALEM

HAIFA TEL AVIV

BE’ER SHEVA EILAT

CATANIA CALTAGIRONE

AGRIGENTO SANTA NINFA ( VALLE DEL BELICE)

CALTANISETTA ETNA

PIZZO CALABRO PRAIA A MARE

PRAIA A MARE MONTEVERGINE DI MERCOGLIANO

PESCO SANNITA GRAN SASSO D’ITALIA (CAMPO IMPERATORE)

PENNE GUALDO TADINO

ASSISI OSIMO

OSIMO IMOLA

FERRARA NERVESA DELLA BATTAGLIA

SAN VITO AL TAGLIAMENTO MONTE ZONCOLAN

TOLMEZZO SAPPADA

TRENTO ROVERETO

RIVA DEL GARDA ISEO

ABBIATEGRASSO PRATO NEVOSO

VENARIA REALE BARDONECCHIA

SUSA CERVINIA

ROME ROME

SICILY

CALABRIA

CAMPANIA

MOLISE

ABRUZZO

UMBRIA

MARCHE

EMILIA ROMAGNA

VENETO

FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

TRENTINO-SOUTH TYROL

LOMBARDY

PIEDMONT

VALLE D’AOSTA

LAZIO

Fri 04/05/18

Sat 05/05/18

Sun 06/05/18

Tue 08/05/18

Wed 09/05/18

Thu 10/05/18

Fri 11/05/18

Sat 12/05/18

Sun 13/05/18

Tue 15/05/18

Wed 16/05/18

Thu 17/05/18

Fri 18/05/18

Sat 19/05/18

Sun 20/05/18

Tue 22/05/18

Wed 23/05/18

Thu 24/05/18

Fri 25/05/18

Sat 26/05/18

Sun 27/05/18

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

07

15

23

35

45

55

67

79

89

101

111

121

135

147

159

169

181

193

207

217

227

62

74

86

96

97

109

118

131

144

155

176

190

204

225

234

ISRAEL 31

3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

RE AD ING GUIDE

STAGE TYPOLOGY

INFO ABOUT THE RACE

D ISTINCTIV E ICONS ABOUT HIGHLIGHT E D T HE ME S

T I M E T R I A L

S P R I N T

G E O G R A P H Y

G e o g r a p h i c a l a n d n a t u r a l

l a n d m a r k s

M O N U M E N T S

H i s t o r i c a l , a r t i s t i c a n d

c u l t u r a l l a n d m a r k s

H I S TO R Y

H i s t o r i c a l e v e n t s , n o t a b l e ,

p e o p l e , t r a d i t i o n s

S TA G E S TA R T A N D F I N I S H

S TA G E

L E N G H T

S TA G E

D I F F I C U LT Y

M E D I U M M O U N T A I N

I N T E R M E D I A T E S P R I N T

K O M

I N T E R M E D I A T E

T I M E K E E P I N G P O I N T

H I G H M O U N T A I N

CALTAN IS S E TTA E TNA06 06CALTANISSETTA ETNA10 MAGGIO 2018 GIOVEDÌ km 16410 MAGGIO 2018 GIOVEDÌ km 164

C altanissetta o spi ta la partenza de l la 6° t appa del G i ro d ’ I t a l ia 2018, la terza e u l t im a nel l ’ i -so la d i S ic i l ia . D i ant ica or ig ine , la c i t t à ha un grande sv i luppo a part i re da l Medioevo e ha o ggi un aspetto mo de rno. La t appa, seppur breve, present a un’a l t im et r ia m ossa e pone nel f ina le l ’ impe gnat ivo t raguardo su l l ’Et na , pr im o in sa l i t a de l G i ro 2018.

CA LTA NISSETTA /CALTANISSET TA/SICIL IA

E NNA /ENNA/SICIL IA

C alt anissetta sorge nel cuore de l l ’ iso la , a 570 metr i d ’a l t i tud ine , d isposta ad arco

su t re r i l iev i a l le pendic i mer id ional i de l monte S an G iu l iano, ne l la va l le de l f iume

S also . Nota ant icamente come Nissa , ne l tempo s i è estesa in quattro quart ier i , o l -

t re le m ura medieval i . L ’economia de l la zona conobbe una part ico lare v ivaci tà dopo

l ’U ni t à d ’ I ta l ia graz ie a l l ’ industr ia minerar ia de l l ’estraz ione de l lo zo l fo , test imoniata

da l la fondaz ione, ne l 1862, de l pr imo Ist i tuto Minera le d ’ I ta l ia , af f iancato , in tempi

p iù recent i , da un Museo Minera log ico che r icorda la dura att iv i tà minerar ia per

l ’est raz ione de l lo zo l fo . Entrambi sono int i to lat i a Sebast iano Mottura (1831-1897) ,

ingegnere p iemontese, geologo, c i t tad ino onorar io d i C a l tan issetta .

D i r i l ievo la C attedra le che affaccia su p iazza G ar iba ld i , centro de l la v i ta c i t tad ina ,

un i t am ente ad a l t r i ed i f ic i monumental i , come l ’ant ica abbaz ia d i S anto Spir i to .

O l t repass ato i l V i l laggio S anta Bar -

bara , l ’ i t inerar io prevede i l passag-

gio ne l la prov inc ia d i Enna, capo-

luogo d i prov inc ia p iù a l to d ’ I ta l ia .

La c i t t à , ch iamata C astrogiovanni ,

assunse nuovamente negl i anni

Trent a i l suo ant ico nome d i Enna.

È conosciuta anche come i l “be lve-

dere d i S ic i l ia” , perché consente d i

godere d i un ’ampia v ista su tutto

l ’a l top iano con d istese d i u l ivet i , d i

grano e i l panorama del le var ie lo-

ca l i t à c i rcostant i .

PART E NZA 164 KM

135 KM

L ’unica vo l ta che la corsa rosa ha fatto tappa in questa c i t tà fu ne l 1976. Era

la 2° f raz ione, la S i racusa-C altanissetta , d i 210 km e i l f iammingo Roger De

V laeminck, gran cacciatore d i tappe e c lass iche, ant ic ipò a l lo spr int P iermat-

t ia G avazz i e Francesco Moser ; P atr ick Sercu, suo compagno d i squadra ne l la

Brookly n , ve loc ista d i c lasse, conservò la magl ia rosa pr ima d i cederg l ie la due

t appe dopo.

V e d u t a d i E n n a

4 1G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 14 0

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 4

RE A DING GU IDE

S TA G E

T Y P O L O G Y

D I S TA N C E TO T H E F I N I S H

CITY/PROVINCE/REGION

OF THE TRANSIT POINT

DISTINCTIVE ICONS ABOUT

HIGHLIGHTED THEMES

IN PINK: STORIES RELATED TO

GIRO D’ ITALIA AND CYCLING

G A S T R O N O M Y

L o c a l s g a s t r o n o m i c

s p e c i a l t i e s

E N O L O G Y

L o c a l s e n o l o g i c a l

s p e c i a l t i e s

O T H E R B O X :

CALTANISSETTA ETNA0 6 06CALTANISSETTA ETNA1 0 MAGGIO 2 018 GIOVEDÌ km 16410 MAGGIO 2018 GIOVEDÌ km 164

C alt anissetta o spi ta la par te nza de l la 6° tappa de l G i ro d ’ I ta l ia 2018, la terz a e u l t ima nel l ’ i -so la d i S ic i l ia . D i ant ic a o r ig ine , la c i t tà ha un gr ande sv i luppo a part i re da l Medioevo e ha oggi un aspetto mo de r no . La tappa, se ppur breve , presenta un’a l t imetr ia mossa e pone nel f ina le l ’ impe gnat ivo t r aguardo su l l ’ Etna , pr imo in sa l i ta de l G i ro 2018.

CALTANISSETTA/CALTANISSETTA/ SICIL IA

ENNA/ EN NA/SICIL IA

C altan issetta sorge nel cuore de l l ’ iso la , a 5 7 0 metr i d ’ a l t i tud ine , d ispo sta ad arc o

su t re r i l iev i a l le pendic i mer id ional i de l mo nte S an G iu l iano , ne l la va l le de l f iume

S also . N ota ant icamente come Nissa , ne l te mpo s i è e ste sa in quattro quar t ie r i , o l -

t re le mu ra medieval i . L ’economia de l la zo na c o no bbe una par t ic o lare v ivac i tà do po

l ’Uni t à d ’ I ta l ia g raz ie a l l ’ industr ia miner ar ia de l l ’ e str az io ne de l lo zo l fo , te st imo niata

da l la fon daz ion e, ne l 1862, de l pr imo Ist i tuto Mine r a le d ’ I ta l ia , af f ianc ato , in te mpi

p iù recent i , d a un Museo Minera log ico c he r ic o rda la dur a att iv i tà mine r ar ia pe r

l ’estraz ion e d e l lo zo l fo . Entrambi sono int i to lat i a Se bast iano Mottur a (1831-1897 ) ,

ingegn ere p iemontese, geologo, c i t tad ino o no r ar io d i C a l tan issetta .

D i r i l ievo la C attedra le che affaccia su p iazza G ar iba ld i , c e ntro de l la v i ta c i t tad ina ,

un i tamente ad a l t r i ed i f ic i monumental i , c o me l ’ ant ic a abbaz ia d i S anto Spir i to .

O l t repassato i l V i l laggio S anta Bar -

bara , l ’ i t in erar io prevede i l passag-

gio n e l la provinc ia d i Enna, capo-

luogo d i provin c ia p iù a l to d ’ I ta l ia .

La c i t tà , ch iamata C astrogiovanni ,

assunse n u ovamente negl i anni

Trent a i l su o ant ico nome d i Enna.

È con osciu ta an che come i l “be lve-

dere d i S ic i l ia” , perché consente d i

godere d i u n ’ampia v ista su tutto

l ’a l top ian o con d istese d i u l ivet i , d i

grano e i l pan orama del le var ie lo-

ca l i tà c i rcostant i .

PARTENZA 164 K M

135 K M

L ’u n ica vo l ta che la corsa rosa ha fatto tappa in que sta c i t tà fu ne l 197 6. Er a

la 2° f raz ione, la S i racusa-C altanis setta , d i 2 10 km e i l f iammingo R o ge r De

V laemin ck, gran cacciatore d i tappe e c lass ic he , ant ic ipò a l lo spr int P ie r mat-

t ia G avaz z i e Francesco Moser ; P at r ic k Se rc u, suo c o mpagno d i squadr a ne l la

B rooklyn , ve loc ista d i c lasse, conser vò la magl ia ro sa pr ima d i c e de rg l ie la due

tap p e dop o.

V e d u t a d i E n n a

4 1G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 14 0

CONTRIBUTION TO

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

CELEBRITIES

AND NOTABLE PEOPLE

LOCATION


OF F ICI A L BR O A D C AS T E R S

OF F ICI A L A PPAv a i l a b l e o n A p p l e S t o r e a n d G o o g l e

P l a y S t o r e

R A DIOR a d i o R a i 1 , R a d i o R a i 2

OF F ICI A L W E BSI T E W W W . G I R O D I T A L I A . I T

E UR O P E I t al y R A I 2 , R ai S p o r t +HD |

E u r o p e E u r o s p o r t | Fr a n c e L a C h ain e L’E quip e

MID D L E E A S T Is r a e l S p o r t 5 |

Mi d d l e E a s t & N o r t h A f r i c a O S N

A F R I C A S o u t h A f r i c a S u p e r s p o r t |

S u b S a h a r a n A f r i c a Kw e s e S p o r t s

A ME R I C A S U S A & C a n a d a F UB O .T V |

L a t in A m e r i c a E S P N L a t in o a m e r i c a |

B r a z i l E S P N B r a s i l | C o l o m b ia R T V C S e ñ al C o l o m b ia |

C o l o m b ia R CN | C a r ib b e a n s E S P N C a r ib b e a n |

M ex i c o & C e n t r al A m e r i c a T D N

A U S T R A L A S I A A s ia P a c i f i c E u r o s p o r t A s ia P a ci f i c |

J a p a n D A Z N | N e w Z e ala n d S K Y S p o r t

W O R L D W ID E S p o r t 24

S O CI A L ME DI A | # GIR O1 01

F a c e b o o k ( g i r o d i t a l i a ) | Tw i t t e r

(@ g i r o d i t a l i a ) I n s t a g r a m (@ g i r o d i t a l i a ) |

G o o g l e + ( G i r o d ’ I t a l i a ) | Yo u t u b e

( G i r o d ’ I t a l i a ) D a i l y m o t i o n ( G i r o d ’ I t a l i a )

E V ERY W HERE A LWAYS

S T A Y

C O N N E C T E D

W I T H U S

ADV_EVERYWHERE_ALWAYS_2018.indd 1 03/04/18 17:24

J E R U S A L E M

J E R U S A L E M

0 1

04 MAY 2018 FRIDAY

km 9 ,7

ISRAEL

NATION

OF F ICI A L BR O A DC AS T E R S

OF F ICI A L A PPAv a i l a b l e o n A p p l e S t o r e a n d G o o g l e

P l a y S t o r e

R A DIOR a d i o R a i 1 , R a d i o R a i 2

OF F ICI A L W E BSI T E W W W . G I R O D I T A L I A . I T

E UR O P E I t al y R A I 2 , R ai S p o r t +HD |

E u r o p e E u r o s p o r t | Fr a n c e L a C h ain e L’E quip e

MID D L E E A S T Is r a e l S p o r t 5 |

Mi d d l e E a s t & N o r t h A f r i c a O S N

A F R I C A S o u t h A f r i c a S u p e r s p o r t |

S u b S a h a r a n A f r i c a Kw e s e S p o r t s

A ME R I C A S U S A & C a n a d a F UB O .T V |

L a t in A m e r i c a E S P N L a t in o a m e r i c a |

B r a z i l E S P N B r a s i l | C o l o m b ia R T V C S e ñ al C o l o m b ia |

C o l o m b ia R CN | C a r ib b e a n s E S P N C a r ib b e a n |

M ex i c o & C e n t r al A m e r i c a T D N

A U S T R A L A S I A A s ia P a c i f i c E u r o s p o r t A s ia P a ci f i c |

J a p a n D A Z N | N e w Z e ala n d S K Y S p o r t

W O R L D W ID E S p o r t 24

S O CI A L ME DI A | # GIR O1 01

F a c e b o o k ( g i r o d i t a l i a ) | Tw i t t e r

(@ g i r o d i t a l i a ) I n s t a g r a m (@ g i r o d i t a l i a ) |

G o o g l e + ( G i r o d ’ I t a l i a ) | Yo u t u b e

( G i r o d ’ I t a l i a ) D a i l y m o t i o n ( G i r o d ’ I t a l i a )

E V ERY W HERE A LWAYS

S T A Y

C O N N E C T E D

W I T H U S

ADV_EVERYWHERE_ALWAYS_2018.indd 1 03/04/18 17:24

0104 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 9,7

J E RUSALEM JERUSALEM

Jerusalem wi l l be host ing the “Big Start” of the 2018 Giro d’ I ta l ia . On this occasion, naming i t

a “big” start is the most f i tt ing and appropriate def init ion for this extraordinary event, in a l l

respects.

For the f i rst t ime in history, a major stage race wi l l cross the borders of Europe and hit the

road from this over 3,000-year old city.

With the f i rst Magl ia Rosa up for grabs in this individual t ime tr ia l , the effort required from

anyone wi l l ing to succeed wi l l be relat ively short but intense, athlet ical ly harsh. Maximum

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 8

0104 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 9,7

THE HISTORY OF JERUSA LE M

Jerusalem r ises on a plateau in the Judaea Mountains ( just over 750 m) between the

eastern Mediterranean coast and the Dead Sea, and has a Mediterranean cl imate.

I t is located, geographical ly, to the east of Tel Aviv. The city is the most populated

in Israel , with nearly 900,000 inhabitants (referred to as “Jerusalemites”) . The four

major rel ig ious and ethnic communit ies in Jerusalem – Jewish, Musl im, Christ ian and

Armenian – mostly reside in their respective quarters. Israel i Jews account for over

70% of the populat ion, whi le the Israel i Arabs are around 24%; the rest are different

Christ ian denominations.

The thousand-year old history of the city can be roughly summarized start ing from

circa 1000 BC, when King D avid conquered the city and establ ished i t as the capital

of h is k ingdom. He was then succeeded by his son, King Solomon, who commissioned

the bui ld ing of the First Temple. Fol lowing the Babylonian invasion, under Nebucha-

dnezzar, the populat ion was exi led to Babylonia. The Jewish exi les could eventual ly

return to their homeland in 538 BC, fo l lowing the edict of Cyrus. In 331 BC, Jerusalem

was conquered by Alexander the Great and then endured other dominations. Jewish

sovereignty was restored in 165 BC for approximately one century; then, Rome con-

quered the town and handed it over to Herod. Jesus was crucif ied under Pontius Pi-

late’s rule as a governor. Fol lowing the destruct ion of the Temple of Jerusalem in 70

BC, Jewish communit ies scattered across the world (Diaspora) . The Roman Emperor

Constantine I (The Great) and his successors ordered the construct ion of the Church

of the Holy Sepulchre to “adorn” the places l inked to the stor ies from the Gospel .

After the Arab and Ottoman rule, the Kingdom of Jerusalem came into being with the

Crusader capture of the city under Godfrey of Boui l lon, around 1100, and lasted unt i l

1291. Jerusalem was again conquered by the Ottomans unti l November 1917, when it

fe l l under Br it ish rule and became the capital of Palest ine under the Br it ish Mandate,

which expired on 14 May 1948 when the State of Israel was declared under UN Reso-

lut ion 181 (29 November 1947), which received considerable opposit ion.

effort wi l l a lso be required from those wi l l ing to hit the top of the general c lassif ica-

t ion, even though the short d istance should not cause major gaps. In any case, this

wi l l be a chal lenging test ing ground for the aspirat ions of a l l the r iders.

The route is wavy, bumpy and markedly undulat ing, with an elaborate course and

prof i le . An endless ser ies of c l imbs and descents is bound to leave the peloton brea-

thless. Special r id ing ski l ls wi l l be required to set the proper l ines and keep or step up

the pace throughout the route. The stage course is punchy and “nasty” , and requires

f lawless execution, ful l attent ion and maximum effort .

JERUSAL E M J E RU SA L E M


01 J E RUSALEM JERUSALEM

The unpara l le le d h isto r ic a l , arc hae o lo g ica l

and monumenta l he r i tag e of J e rusale m c om-

bines and coexists with a l l the m o d e rn fa c et s

of the c i ty – art , c u l ture , m usic and c uis ine –

a l l in a un ique and evo c at ive land sc a p e .

The O ld C i ty is a t re asure c he st b r im m in g

with sp lendou r. S urro und e d by the anc ient

wal ls , constructe d und e r the O tto m an S ultan

Sule iman in 1538 , i t was d e c lare d a U N ES-

CO Wor ld Her i tag e S i te in 19 8 1. S eve n g ates

grant access to the h isto r ic a l and ho ly s i tes .

Wander ing the stre ets of J e rusale m fe e ls l i ke

stepping back in t im e , in tho usa nd s ye ars

of h istory. Wo r ld -re nowne d la nd m arks of

utmost re l ig io us s ig n i f ic a nc e c an b e fo u n d

packed in les s than o ne sq uare k i lo m etre:

the Western Wa l l – a lso refe rre d to as Wai l in g

Wa l l – t h e Temple Mou nt , t h e Ch u rch of t h e

H o ly Sepu lch re an d t h e Dome of t h e Rock.

Thro u gh t h e mi l len n ia , t h e c i t y was bes ieged

ove r an d over again , dest royed an d rebu i l t

twic e , capt u red an d recapt u red dozen s of

t im es.

I t is sacred to t h e t h ree great mon ot h eist ic

re l ig ion s . I t is a h istor ic symbol of t h e Jewish

ho m elan d wit h t h e Temple of Jer u salem – t h e

ho l iest s i te in Ju daism. In t h e Ch r ist ian t r ad i-

t io n , i t was t h e p lace wh ere Jesu s l ived be-

fo re h e was cr u ci f ied , an d wh ere , accord in g

to fa i t h an d t r ad i t ion , h e was bu r ied an d t h en

re sur rected. For Mu sl ims, t h is was t h e p lace

whe re Moh amed ascen ded to h eaven , a l ive ,

a fte r a mir acu lou s n ight jou r n ey.

JERUSALEM/JERU SA LE M/ IS RA E L

START AND FINISH

T h e D o m e o f t h e R o c k

V i e w o f t h e T e m p l e M o u n t

a n d o f t h e O l d C i t y

T h e W e s t e r n W a l l

T h e C h u r c h o f t h e H o l y S e p u l c h r e

04 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 9,7

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 0

01JERUSAL E M J E RU SA L E M

T h e G a r d e n o f t h e R i g h t e o u s A m o n g

t h e N a t i o n s a n d t h e W a l l o f H o n o u r

T h e n e w t o w n d e v e l o p e d a r o u n d t h e O l d C i t y , w i t h r e s i d e n t i a l a r e a s a n d a d -

v a n c e d p o l e s f o r a n u m b e r o f a c t i v i t i e s .

The open in g st age of t h e 10 1 st G i ro

is t h e so-cal led “ t appa Bar t a l i ” , ac-

k nowledgin g n ot ju st t h e at h let ic

m er i t of t h e great Tu scan ch ampi-

o n. Du r in g t h e Ger man occu pat ion

of I t a ly, Bar t a l i wou ld h ide cou nter -

fe i t docu ment s in h is b icycle an d

tran sfer t h em t h rou gh Tu scany

a nd Umbr ia to h e lp t h e persecu t -

e d Jews. For t h is reason , h is n ame

was in scr ibed in t h e Wal l of Hon -

o ur, in t h e G arden of t h e R ighteou s

a mon g t h e Nat ion s . Th e G arden ,

e st abl ish ed in 1953, is dedicated

to a l l the men and wo m e n who to o k p o s i t io n a g ain st d iscr imin at ion of h u man be-

ings , tota l i tar ian isms a nd g e no c id e s thro ug ho ut h istor y. Th e G arden belon gs to t h e

complex housing the Wo r ld H o lo c a ust Re m e m b ran ce Cent re .

Back in Apr i l 1979, G ino Barta l i e m b a rke d o n a s or t of “Tou r of Isr ae l ” . H is f r ien d

Batt ista Mondin , Xave r ia n p r ie st , p h i lo so p he r an d t h eologian at Har vard Un iver -

s i ty, Dean of the Dep artm e nt of Phi lo so p hy a t th e Pont i f ica l Ur ban Un ivers i t y in

Rome, and a keen b icyc le to ur ist , we nt fo r a cycl in g tou r in Isr ae l wit h some 30

fr iends and just as m a ny fa m i ly m e m b e rs/ c o mpan ion s . Th ey rode f ive st ages

on long d istances, to v is i t so m e of the h isto r ic p laces of Ch r ist ian i t y an d pr ay

there . Father Mondin , b o rn in V ic e nz a, se rve d as sp i r i t u a l ass ist ant at Udace,

a major I ta l ian ama te ur cyc l ing asso c iat io n . H avin g received a “Specia l iss ima”

f rom Ernesto Colnag o , he was a ke e n lo ng -run b icycle goer s in ce 1971. Owin g

to h is c lose f r iendship with the Tusc a n r id e r , h e was a lso n ickn amed “padre

Barta l i ” . A documente d p ub l ic at io n of that t im e abou t t h is “cycl in g p i lgr image”

is stored on the pre m ise s of the C ic lofe r c o m pany, in S aron n o, created by t h e

two Ferrar io s ib l ing s who had ta ke n p art in i t .


1 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

01

The r iders wi l l c a st off f ro m Y itsha k Ka r iv St reet , a lon g K in g D avid St reet , ju st

outs ide the c i ty wa l ls , ne a r the J a ffa G ate . Next , t h e pe loton wi l l pass by P lu mer

Square , Keren H a Ye so d S tre et , Ram b an St reet , Derech Ru ppin , n ear t h e K n esset ,

the imposing P a r l iam e nt b ui ld ing . A l i t t le past t h e st adiu m, t h e r iders wi l l t ake t h e

route leading the m toward s the f in ish l ine , n ot f ar f rom t h e st ar t , a lmost for min g

a c i rcu i t . The s tag e c o urse wi l l p ass by E l iezer Kaplan St reet , Sderot Y i t sh ak Rabin

and Shmu’e l h a-N ag id S tre et (afte r c ro ss in g a t u n n el) , an d reach Trsar f at Squ are;

here the course wi l l c o nt inue fo r a p p roximately on e k i lomet re , u nt i l t h e f in ish l in e

in Shlomo ha Me le k h S tre et .

The route wind s i ts way in the stunning set t in g of a h istor ica l c i t y t h at is h ost in g

the f i rst-ever “ G ra nd To ur” start o uts id e Eu rope. Af ter 2 1 st ages an d n ear ly 3 , 60 0

km, the G i ro w i l l c e le b rate i ts “ g rand f ina le” in an ot h er wor ldwide-ren own ed sym-

bol ic c i ty : Rome .

K n e s s e t J a f f a P o r t a l


J E RUSALEM JERUSALEM

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 2

NOT E S 01NOTE


YOUR ULTIMATE SUNNY VACATIONThe best City Break in the world is waiting for you in Tel Aviv & Jerusalem! Escape to sunny Tel Aviv with its amazing beaches, stunning boutique hotels, a sensational culinary scene, vibrant culture and unrivaled nightlife. Walk the streets of Jerusalem and experience 3,000 years of history in one of the most famous and fascinating cities in the world! Your sunny escape is only a few hours flight away.

Book your trip now! www.citiesbreak.com

Jerusalem

H A I F A

T E L A V I V

0 2

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE

05 MAY 2018 SATURDAY

km 167

H A I F A

T E L A V I V

0 2

ISRAEL HAIFA

NORTHERN DISTRICT

CENTRAL DISTRICT

TEL AVIV

NATION


km 167

YOUR ULTIMATE SUNNY VACATIONThe best City Break in the world is waiting for you in Tel Aviv & Jerusalem! Escape to sunny Tel Aviv with its amazing beaches, stunning boutique hotels, a sensational culinary scene, vibrant culture and unrivaled nightlife. Walk the streets of Jerusalem and experience 3,000 years of history in one of the most famous and fascinating cities in the world! Your sunny escape is only a few hours flight away.

Book your trip now! www.citiesbreak.com

Jerusalem

05 MAY 2 018 SATURDAY km 167

HAIFA TEL AVIV02

The second Giro d ’ I ta l ia sta g e starts in H a i fa and f in ish es in Te l Av iv. Owin g to t h e mi ld ly u n -dulat ing prof i le and the m o d e ra te le ng th , th is f i rst mass-st ar t st age of t h e 10 1 st G i ro sh ou ld be part icu lar ly su i ted to sp r inte rs .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 6

0 5 MAY 2 018 SATURDAY km 167

HAIFA TEL AVIV 02

HAIFA/HAIFA/ IS RA E L

According to an unclear tra-

dit ion recal led in the Gos-

pels , Haifa is named after

the High Pr iest who chaired

the Sanhedrin ( legis lat ive

assembly) from 18 to 36

AD. Located in northern Is-

rael and with a populat ion

of around 270,000, Haifa is

a major industr ia l and port

c ity. There is a popular Is-

rael i saying that goes “Haifa

works, Jerusalem prays, and

Tel Aviv plays” .

The city is bui l t on the s lopes

of Mount C armel (with a modern subway l ine connecting the top of the mountain

and the centre) in a wide natural bay, dotted with lovely beaches, in the Upper G al i-

lee. Fol lowing recent urban development, Mount C armel has been “embedded” in the

metropol i tan inner city, and is now home to the University of Haifa. Because of i ts

structure, locat ion and l ivel iness, i t is a lso referred to as “ Israel ’s San Francisco” .

Major landmarks include the marvel lous Bahà ’ i G arden s, which were declared a

UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 as a holy place in the Bahà’ i re l ig ion. Besides

being a major industr ia l centre, the city is a lso a leading cultural pole in northern

Israel , with a l ively scene

including theatre, music,

f igurat ive and visual arts ,

with f i rst-class nat ional

and internat ional events

and part ic ipants. Major

inst itut ions include the

Madatech Mu seu m of

Sc ien ce an d Tech n ology

( Isr ae l Nat ion al Mu seu m

of Sc ien ce) and the Hai f a

Mu seu m of Ar t .

START 16 7 K M

T h e B a h à ’ i G a r d e n s i n H a i f a

T h e M a d a t e c h M u s e u m o f S c i e n c e a n d T e c h n o l o g y


HAIFA TEL AVIV02

ZIKHRON YA’AQ OV/ H A IFA / IS RA EL

ACRE/NORTHERN DISTRICT/ IS RA E L

Here the route m ove s in land , he ad ing to t h e

south , across the G al i le e ( “ the Israe l i Tu s-

cany”) , on f la t ro ad s . The ro ute p a sse s by

Ahihud, a doze n k i lo m etre s f ro m A k ko , an d

reaches the f ixe d fe e d zo ne , a lo ng wid e ro ads

that lead back to the c o ast , so uth of H a i f a .

The route take s in the 4th c ate g o ry c l im b in

Z ikhron Ya’aqov. The na m e transla te s a s “Ja-

cob’s Memor ia l ” , a nd the town wa s the f i rst

Jewish sett leme nt in the a re a , fo und e d in

1882 by Baron Ed m o nd J am e s d e Rothsc hi ld

and named in ho no ur of h is fathe r , J ac o b .

After passing by the Kiryat Bial ik sub-

urb, the route takes in an intermediate

spr int in Acre (also referred to as Akko),

at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay.

Acre’s Old City is home to large numbers

of s ites relat ing to the Crusades, to the

Templars and to other histor ic and rel i-

gious events, and has been designated

as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

76 K M

14 5 K M

A c r e

T h e r e f e c t o r y o f t h e H o s p i t a l l e r

f o r t r e s s

A s p r i n g i n Z i k h r o n Y a ’ a q o v


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 8

HAIFA TEL AVIV 02

The route takes an in land ro a d p a ss ing by Kfa r Mon ash , in an environ ment a l ly pro-

tected natura l area w ith va luab le f lo ra a nd fa una . In t h is cooper at ive agr icu l t u r a l

community, located in the no rthe rn p a rt of the S haron p la in , t h e agr icu l t u r a l ist Zv i

Y izhar found a hoard of m eta l o b je cts d ate d to the Ear ly Bron ze Age, kn own as K f ar

Monash Hoard , in 1962 .

The route goes on , southb o und , a lo ng f lat ro ad s , i n a lu sh an d most ly agr icu l t u r a l

scenery. The stage pas se s by H ad a r im Inte rc hang e an d reach es K f ar S aba, mean in g

“grandfather ’s v i l lage” . The c i ty is d e nse ly p o p ulated (approx . 90 , 0 0 0 in h abit ant s) ,

T h e R o m a n A m p h i t h e a t r eT h e R o m a n A q u e d u c t

CAESAREA/HAIFA / IS RA EL

KFAR MONASH/CENTRA L DISTRICT/ IS RA EL

KFAR SABA/CENTRAL DISTRICT/ IS RA E L

Next on the route is C aesarea, s i t t ing halfway between Haifa and Tel Aviv. The c ity,

bui l t under Herod the Great between 25 and 13 BC, was the administrat ive centre

of the Roman province of Judea and, later, the capita l of the Byzant ine province.

The archaeological legacy of the c ity – such as the Amphitheatre and the Roman

Aqueduct – attests to i ts age- long h istory. The C aesarea Mar it ima Nat ional Park was

establ ished near the ru ins of the o ld c i ty in 1952, when the new town was being

bui l t . C aesarea is home to an extraordinary underwater archaeological park offer ing

snorkel l ing and underwater exper iences to d iscover Roman and mediaeval ru ins .

6 2 K M

4 1 K M

30 K M




HAIFA TEL AVIV02

TEL AVIV/TEL AV IV / IS RA EL

The large histor ic Yarkon Park, marking the entrance into the terr itory of Tel Aviv, in-

cludes extensive lawns, sports faci l i t ies, botanical gardens, an aviary, a water park,

two outdoor concert venues and a lake. The park is named after the r iver that f lows

through it , and was opened to the publ ic in 1973. The peloton wi l l take Ibn G abirol

Street , a major road named after a medieval poet and phi losopher, then wi l l ro l l a long

the wide Rothschi ld Boulevard, and eventual ly reach the f in ish, at the heart of the

town, in a stunning architectural scenery near the sea. The stage wi l l most l ikely end

in a bunch spr int .

Tel Aviv (meaning “spr ing hi l l ”) is located on the Mediterranean coast l ine, with large

numbers of beautiful beaches, at the Yarkon River mouth. I t s its at the heart of Is-

rael ’s largest metropol i tan area, total l ing approx. 4 mi l l ion inhabitants. The city was

founded in 1909 and experienced steady and impressive urban development and

FINISH

T h e K f a r S a b a P a r k

J a f f a

and was bui l t to i ts c urre nt structure

in 1903, fo l low ing an eve ntfu l h isto ry.

Contrary to wha t i ts nam e im p l ie s , the

populat ion is two -th i rd s und e r 40 ye ars

of age, and m o st ly fe m a le . The c i ty is

extremely l ive ly in m any re sp e cts: i t

has a thr iv ing e c o no my (a lso owing to

the recent d isc ove ry of o i l f ie ld s) , a lo ng

with a r ich legacy of m e m o r ie s and ev-

idence of i ts c usto m s a nd d eve lo p m e nt

over t ime.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 0


HAIFA TEL AVIV 02

T e l A v i v

populat ion growth ever s ince, expanding

to the north, a long the sea and inwards. In

1950, i t incorporated Jaffa, a charming an-

cient port town, famous for c itrus cult iva-

t ion (especial ly oranges and grapefruits) .

The conurbation has a total populat ion of

approx. 900,000, growing steadi ly.

Or iginal ly planned to become a “garden

city” , Tel Aviv comprises over 4,000 Bau-

haus bui ld ings. This is the world’s largest

concentrat ion of Internat ional Style archi-

tectures, according to the pr inciples of the Modern Movement that marked archi-

tecture and design in the inter-war years. The project was planned and executed,

especial ly in the 1930s, by famous German Jewish architects that emigrated after

the Nazi r ise to power in German. Owing to the large concentrat ion of this style , Tel

Aviv is referred to as “the white city” , and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage

Site in 2004.

The extraordinary l ivel iness of Tel Aviv is ref lected in a long, continuous ser ies of

cultural and le isure act iv it ies. Entertainment and relaxat ion, according to personal

taste, are offered night and day, with large numbers of d iverse venues along the 14-

km seafront , and long beautiful beaches.

C armel Market is a l ively and busy marketplace, with traders sel l ing everything from

spices to f lowers, to fresh f ish, fruit and vegetables. Equal ly popular is the Ar t ist

Quarter , at the heart of the ancient Ottoman city of Jaffa, with dist inct ive bui ld ings

and large numbers of craft workshops, a l l in a stunning scenery.

The Ceramics, Glass, Art, Jewish People and Technology Museums are well worth a visit.


NOTE02 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 2

H A I F A

T E L A V I V

0 2

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

B E ’ E R S H E V A

E I L A T

0 3

ISRAEL SOUTHERN DISTRICT

NATION

06 MAY 2018 SUNDAY

km 229

06 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 229

B E ’ E R SHEVA EIL AT03

T h e r o u t e o f t h e t h i r d a n d l a s t s t a g e i n I s r a e l h e a d s f u r t h e r s o u t h , f o l l o w i n g a w a v y p r o -f i l e a t t h e b e g i n n i n g a n d i n t h e c e n t r a l p a r t . T h e s t a g e w i l l l i k e l y b e s u i t e d t o s p r i n t e r s . I t c a n b e d e f i n e d a s t e c h n i c a l l y d e m a n d i n g , w i t h s o m e v a r i a b l e s – s u c h a s t h e h o t w e a t h e r a n d t h e u n p r e d i c t a b l e g u s t s o f w i n d – t h a t c o u l d i n f l u e n c e t h e p r o g r e s s o f t h e s t a g e , b e s i d e s t h e d i s t a n c e a n d t h e n a t u r e o f t h e c o u r s e i t s e l f . A b u n c h s p r i n t f i n i s h c a n n o t b e t a k e n f o r g r a n t e d .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 4

0 6 MAY 2018 SUNDAY km 229

BE’ER SHEVA EIL AT 03

BE’ER SHEVA/S O U TH E RN DISTRICT/ IS RA E L

Be’er Sheva l ies in

southern Israe l . The

populat ion amounts

to over 200,000,

and the average age

is very low. The c i ty,

whose name means

“seven wel ls” , is

the largest one of

the reg ion north of

the Negev desert

(which is why i t is

often referred to as

the “C apita l of the

Negev”) , and wi l l be

start c i ty of the last

stage in Israe l .

The remains found

near today’s c i ty sugge st tha t the a re a wa s a l re ady in h abited back in t h e 4 t h mi l -

lennium BC, and that a lo ng and eve ntfu l h isto ry fo l lowed. Af ter t h e Byzant in es ,

who abandoned the c i ty in the 7 th c e ntury, B e ’e r Sh eba was lef t u n in h abited u nt i l

the 19 th century, when the O tto m a ns c re ate d a sor t of mi l i t ar y post (wh ich is st i l l

v is ib le in i ts structures) to e nc o urag e sett le m e nt of t h e Bedou in s . I t was t h e f i rst

c i ty occupied by Great Br i ta in afte r WWI , the n i t became a major admin ist r at ive

centre under the Br i t ish Mand ate of P a le st ine a nd h as been growin g ever s in ce. Te l

Megiddo, Te l Hazor and Te l Be ’e r S heva we re d e c la red UNESCO Wor ld Her i t age S i tes

in 2005. A “ te l l ” (meaning “ h i l l ” ) is a n a rc ha e o lo gica l mou n d made of mater ia ls ,

main ly mud br icks , ac c um ula te d ove r lo ng p e r io d s .

The c i ty is home to th e Be n-G ur io n Unive rs i ty of th e Negev, an d h as a major focu s

on cul tura l studies , h i - te c h re se arc h, p re se rva t ion of h istor ic s i tes an d n ew con -

struct ions harmoniz ing with the te rr i to ry, as a ttested to by t h e C ar asso Scien ce

P ark , the Stream P ark (a la rg e g re e n lung ) a nd th e Abr ah am’ s Wel l Inter n at ion al

V is i tor Centre (a majo r refe re nc e p o int fo r to ur is t s) . Accord in g to t r ad i t ion , t h e

P atr iarch Abraham sett le d he re .

START 229 K M

T e l B e ’ e r S h e v a



SDE BOKER/SOUTH ERN DISTRICT/ IS RA EL

AVDAT /SOUTHERN DISTRICT/ IS RA EL

The route fo l lows the g e nt le und ula t io ns

leading to Sde Bo ke r, afte r ro l l ing p ast

Havat MaShas h and T la l im J unct io n . S d e

Boker is a h isto r ic a l k ib b utz – a vo lun-

tary associat io n of wo rke rs fo und e d o n

egal i tar ian ru l e s a nd c o m m o n p ro p e rty

– establ ished in 19 52. The v i l la g e is a lso

known for hou sing the g rave s of D avid

Ben Gur ion , the f i rst Pr im e Min iste r of

the State of Is ra e l , and of h is wife P a ula ,

in nearby Mid re shet . The c o up le m ove d

to Sde Boker in 19 53 ; the i r ho use was

later turned into a m use um to re m e m b e r th is leadin g f igu re , h is love for t h e Negev

and h is v is ion of c u l t ivat ing and m ak ing the deser t b loom.

The stage course passes through the Avd at Na-

t ional P ark , a long the so-cal led “ Incense Route”

(1 st century BC-7 th century AD). Avdat and Petra

were the two major Nabatean cit ies (a popula-

t ion of traders and caravaneers) . Avdat , with

i ts monumental bui ld ings, has been l isted as a

18 4 K M

174 K M

T h e g r a v e s o f D a v i d B e n G u r i o n

a n d o f h i s w i f e P a u l a

T h e r u i n s o f A v d a t A d v a t N a t i o n a l P a r k


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 6


A d v a t N a t i o n a l P a r k

M i t z p e R a m o n

T h e N e g e v d e s e r t a s s e e n f r o m t h e c r a t e r

T h e R a m o n C r a t e r

UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, together with three other s ites in the Negev:

Haluza, Mamshit and Shivta.

Thanks to increasingly advanced irr igat ion systems, the area is a fert i le farmland,

whose pr imary output is grapes.

The Ein Avdat Nat ional Park (meaning “spr ing” in Hebrew) offers an outstanding nat-

ural her itage: a deep canyon in the Negev desert , with stunning waterfal ls , rocks

and caves, and the unique r i fts of the Nakhal Tsin canyon. I t is a popular dest inat ion

among hik ing enthusiasts.

Avdat was chosen as f i lming locat ion for the famous movie “Jesus Christ Superstar” .

Mitzpe Ramon, next on the sta g e c o urse , is lo c a ted a lon g t h e Rou te 40 , t h e major

road leading to E i lat thro ug h the stunning a nd uniqu e scen er y of t h e Negev deser t .

The route descends s l ig ht ly, p ass ing

by En S aharonim and Shd e m a J unct io n ,

after the feed zone. The stag e c o urse

then takes in the 4 th c a te g o ry Ra m o n

Crater c l imb. The Ramo n C rate r – 3 8 k m

long, 6 km wide and 45 0 m d e e p – is the

wor ld ’s largest crater . I t is not a vo l-

canic crater , nor an im p act c rate r , b ut

rather an eros ion c i rqu e .

MITZPE RAMO N/ S O U TH E RN DISTRICT/ IS RAEL

15 2 K M




YOTVATA /SOUTH ERN DISTRICT/ IS RA E L

The stage course continues across the

desert , fo l lowing a var ied, mi ld ly undula-

t ing and often windswept route, passing

by Shit im and Neot Samadar, an agr icul-

tural communal v i l lage producing organic

grapes, o l ives and dates. The vi l lage is

a lso home to an Art Centre with a number

of workshop for g lass, ceramics, text i le ,

wood and metalworking. Local produce

( including fresh goat mi lk cheeses) is

sold in a typical restaurant a long the road.

St i l l ro l l ing ac ro ss the ic o nic d e -

sert landscape of the N e g ev, the

route passes by Q etura J unct io n

and reaches Yotva ta . Th is is a m a -

jor oas is in the N e g ev d e se rt , whic h

is ment ioned twic e in the De ute r-

onomy, a co l le ct io n of J ewish laws

rev ised in anc ie nt t im e s, whe n the

people of Israe l , d e l ive re d f ro m the

s lavery of Egy pt , wa s p re p ar ing to

reach the Pro m ise d Land , f lowing

with mi lk and ho ney, as the Lo rd

4 3 K M

T h e A r t C e n t r e i n N e o t S a m a d a r

Y o t v a t a

C o p p e r m i n e s

h ad promised to t h e P at r iarch s .

Th ese p laces are teemin g wit h

r u in s an d an cient for t resses ,

wit h n ar row passages amon g t h e

rocks an d even a savan n ah in t h e

var ied lan dscape. Here , t h e Yot-

vat a Hai-Bar Nat u re Reser ve is

des ign ed to breed an d foster ex-

t in ct an imals , ment ion ed in t h e

Scr ipt u res , an d to protect ot h er

en dan gered deser t creat u res .

Yot vat a is h ome to a ren own ed


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 8


E i l a t

dairy, employing many of the re s id e nts; the o as is a lso h as a var ied agr icu l t u r a l

product ion , despite th e d ro ug ht , owing to ad vanc ed water wor ks . T imn a P ar k , c lose

by, is a major archaeolo g ic a l s i te , with anc ie nt c opper min es (t h e o ldest on es in

the wor ld) and archae o lo g ic a l exc ava t io ns , a lo ng wit h h erds of wan der in g gazel les

and ibex (ste inbocks) .

The route levels out and f lanks the c o urse of the Jordan R iver , a l l t h e way to t h e

f in ish in E i lat .

E i lat is Israe l ’s southernm o st c i ty, a t the e d g e of t h e Red Sea. I t h as a popu lat ion

of approx . 50,000. The c i ty, a l re a d y m e nt io ne d in t h e B ib le , h as a mi l len n ia l h isto-

ry dat ing back to the K ing d o m of Isra e l , thro ug h th e Roman per iod to t h e Mu sl im

per iod . Owing to i ts strate g ic p o s i t io n , the c i ty has a lways been a major mar i t ime

hub. In a few dozen km, fo ur sta te s ove r lo o k the sea in t h e n or t h er n Gu l f of Aqaba:

Israe l , Egypt , Jordan and S a ud i A ra b ia .

E i lat is def ined as Israe l ’s wind ow o nto the Re d S e a. I t st an ds again st t h e backdrop

of the Negev Desert an d ha s an e nvia b le c o nsiste nt ly war m c l imate . Th e st u n n in gly

beaut i fu l bay is a pop ular inte rna t io nal d e st ina t ion for d iv in g ent h u siast s , wit h a

number of lovely beache s. G ive n i ts c o nsid e ra b le an ch or age dept h , t h e por t of E i lat

is a lso accessib le to la rg e r c ru ise sh ip s . To ur ism st ar ted to t h r ive in t h e ear ly 2 0 t h

century, with beach reso rts , c u l tura l act iv i t ie s , m useu ms, t h eme par ks , mu sic fes-

t iva ls , enterta inment ve nue s a nd re staurants b e ing t h e main dr ivers .

Major attract ions inc lud e the Do lp hin Re ef, a p ara dise for do lph in lovers , t h e Cor a l

Beach Nature Reserve, exte nd ing a lo ng 1 ,200 m eters , wit h co lou r f u l t rop ica l f ish ,

and the Underwater M a r ine O b se rva to ry, a m a jor mar in e par k h ou sin g d i f ferent

t ypes of f ish , sh ar ks an d

mar in e an imals .

T h e s u r r o u n d i n g t e r r i -

t o r y i s a p o p u l a r d e s t i -

n a t i o n f o r h i k i n g i n t h e

m o u n t a i n s . O t h e r o p -

p o r t u n i t i e s f o r o p e n - a i r

a c t i v i t i e s i n c l u d e t h e I s -

r a e l B i k e Tr a i l , a m a r k e d

b i c y c l e t r a i l c r o s s i n g I s -

r a e l a l l t h e w a y t o E i l a t ,

t h e H a r H a N e g e v t r a i l a n d

Wa d i Ta m a r , a f a m o u s

c a n y o n w h e r e p e o p l e c a n

EIL AT/SOUTHERN DISTRICT/ IS RA EL

F IN ISH




g o c l i m b i n g o n f o u r d r y w a t e r f a l l s

u s i n g l a d d e r s .

The f i rst G i ro d ’ I ta l ia B ig S tart o uts id e

Europe – an extrao rd ina ry, p io ne e r ing

achievement , and a g re at o rg aniz a-

t ional chal lenge – f in ishe s he re . Isra e l

has thus made i ts d e b ut o n the m a jo r

cycl ing scene, c o nsid e re d as an ex-

traord inary and eff ic ie nt way of p ro -

mot ing and ad ve rt is ing the te rr i to ry.

From here on , the C o rsa Ro sa wi l l b e

staged in I ta ly, with the c urta in c lo s-

ing in Rome.

With the ir extra o rd inary wo r ld wid e sym b ol ism, Jer u salem an d Rome are t h e t wo

c i t ies mark ing the b e g inning a nd the e nd of t h e h istor y of t h e 10 1 st G i ro d ’ I t a l ia .

T h e U n d e r w a t e r M a r i n e O b s e r v a t o r y


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 3 0

03

The State of Israe l is a c o untry in we ste rn A s ia , in t h e Middle East . I t h as borders

with Egypt to the sout h-we st , J o rd a n to the e ast , Syr ia to t h e n or t h -east an d Leba-

non to the north . I t is washe d by the Me d ite rrane an Sea to t h e west , an d by t h e Red

Sea (Gul f of Aqaba) to the so uth .

Israe l is approximately 470 k m lo ng a nd 13 5 k m a cross at i t s widest po int . I t com-

pr ises four geographic a l re g io ns – the Me d ite rra nean coast a l p la in , t h e n or t h er n

and centra l h i l ls , the G re a t R i f t Va l ley a nd the N e gev – each wit h t h e ir d ist in ct ive

physica l features and m ic ro c l im ate s .

The fert i le coasta l p la in , a lo ng the Me d ite rrane an Sea, h as a san dy coast l in e an d

many beaches, and re l ie s o n a g r ic u l ture . I t na rrows to t h e n or t h , towards Mou nt

C armel , in the Hai fa pro m o nto ry. Te l Av iv and H a i f a , wit h t h e ir large an d den sely

populated suburbs , s i t o n the c o ast l ine . The G re at R i f t Va l ley, f u r t h er in lan d, is a

markedly eroded p late au with a lo ng f issure in the ear t h ’ s cr u st , an d a set of va l leys

that cont inues to the so uth , at an ave ra g e a l t i tud e of 80 0 met res . I t degr ades gen -

t ly to the west , whi le i t d ro p s ste e p ly to the e ast , th rou gh t h e Jordan Val ley into t h e

Gul f of Aqaba, by the Re d S e a . The N e g ev is a wid e deser t reg ion , wit h a st u n n in g,

un ique landscape and va luab le a rc ha e o lo g ic a l s i tes , wh ich exten ds in t h e sou t h ,

a l l the way to the Red S e a . A lo ng the e a ste rn b o rder l ies t h e Jordan R i f t Va l ley, a

tectonic depress ion w he re the J o rd an ( Israe l ’s m ajor r iver ) f lows. To t h e n or t h , t h e

r iver f lows into Lake T ib e r ia s (o r S e a of G a l i le e ) an d event u al ly into t h e Dead Sea,

in eastern Israe l , 395 m etre s b e low se a leve l . Th e ext reme sa l in i t y is cau sed by

water evaporat ion , wi tho ut suff ic ie nt c o m p e nsa t ion or integr at ion by any of t h e

t r ibutar ies .

Israe l usual ly has a Me d ite rra ne a n c l im ate a lo ng t h e coast l in e , wit h inf lu en ce of

the desert c l imate fur the r in land .

The modern State of Israe l was e stab l ishe d o n 14 May 1948 as a u n i t ar y par l ia-

mentary Republ ic , fo l lowing an eve ntfu l h isto ry, w it h et h n ica l an d re l ig iou s impl i -

cat ions . I t has two off ic ia l lang ua g e s, H e b rew and Ar abic . Th e Br i t ish Man date , cre-

ated in 1922, saw a ma ssive J ewish im m ig ra t io n f rom arou n d t h e wor ld in t h e ear ly

20 th century, and in the fo l lowing ye ars . I t wa s d iscont in u ed in 1948, af ter WWII .

Present ly, the State of Isra e l has ne ar ly 9 m i l l io n in h abit ant s . Ar ab Isr ae l is accou nt

for approx . 20% of th e p o p ula t io n . By re l ig io us af f i l iat ion , most are Mu sl im, wit h

a lso Chr ist ian and Dru ze c o m m unit ie s .

Despite the complex so c ia l a nd p o l i t ic a l s i tua t io n bet ween Isr ae l an d ot h er su r -

rounding States , which so m et im e s a lso re sul te d in ar med conf l ict , Isr ae l h as expe-

r ienced a l ive ly and ne ar ly c o nt inuo us e c o no m ic development in d i f ferent sectors ,

f rom agr icu l ture (desp ite the unfavo urab le na tura l set t in g , g iven t h e scarce water

resources) to industry a nd to ur ism . Th is was m a de poss ib le by steadf ast co l lec-

t ive commitment and jo int effo rt in a ny are a of act ion , a lso owin g to t h e creat ion

of speci f ic structures a nd fo rm s of p art ic ip at io n for co l lect ive wor k in t h e d i f fer -

ent domains . Considerab le re sul ts we re a lso o bta in ed t h rou gh major research an d

ISRA E L


ISRAE L0 3

advanced indu str ia l te c hno lo g y effo rt , a nd t h rou gh c lose inter n at ion al re lat ion s .

Israe l is the co untry with the h ig he st p e r capit a GDP in t h e Middle East , even in t h e

near ly tota l ab se nc e of natura l re so urc e s .

With i ts severa l tho usand ye a rs of h isto ry, i t s ext r aord in ar y h istor ic locat ion s an d

major landmar ks fo r the thre e m o nothe ist ic re l ig ion s , i t s arch aeologica l s i tes an d

modern accomm o d at io n fac i l i t ie s , Isra e l is a ref in ed, popu lar an d bu sy dest in at ion

for internat ion al to ur ism . A m o d e rn a nd wel l -developed t r an spor t n et wor k makes

travel ing acros s the te rr i to ry ve ry e asy.

Israel offers a wide and var ied cul inary experience, with tradit ional Jewish cuis ine

dishes, middle eastern specialt ies and other internat ional d ishes, inherited by the

migrants who returned to Israel after being scattered al l over the world through-

out the ages. Local wine production has also become increasingly recognized, even

abroad.

Cycl ing has be c o m e inc re a sing ly p o p ular in Isr ae l , in a l l respect s an d for ms,

with a growing p ass io n and larg e num b e rs of in i t iat ives . S in ce 2 0 15, t h e Isr ae l

Cycl ing Acade my p rofe ss io nal te a m ha s e n gaged in promot in g an d developin g

compet i t ive cyc l ing in Isra e l . The p ro je ct was t h e in i t iat ive of Ron Baron , a

bus inessman a nd cyc l ing e nthusiast , and Ran Margal iot , wh o h ad ju st ret i red

f rom his tough exp e r ie nc e a s the “ p io ne er ” of profess ion al r ac in g cycl ist s in

Israe l . In just a few m o nths , the two m anaged to con ceive an d create a team

that offers young Israe l is the o p p o rtunity to st ar t t h e i r cycl in g career , provi-

d ing them with the sup p o rt they re q uire . Th is su ccessf u l in i t iat ive was a lso

advocated by the Wo r ld C ham p io n P ete r S agan , an d backed by con sider able

f inancia l cont r ib ut io n by the C ana d ian ph i lant h ropist an d bu sin ess Sylvan

Adams, who cre a te d fe rt i le b re e d ing g ro und for you n g Isr ae l i r iders . Th e Isr ae l

Cycl ing Academy a lso se rve s as am b assador an d promoter of Isr ae l in inter -

nat ional compet i t io ns . A s of th is ye ar , the r iders of t h e Isr ae l Cycl in g Academy

wi l l be rac ing with I ta l ia n b icyc le s , m anufact u red by De Rosa, a leadin g com-

pany in th is se cto r , b ase d in Mi la n .

The in i t ia l contacts b etwe e n the Isra e l C ycl in g Academy an d t h e G i ro d ’ I t a l ia

organizers we re p ro m ote d by the te a m own ers in 2 0 15. Today, t h e dream of

tak ing the Corsa Ro sa to Israe l ha s c o m e to l i fe owin g to t h e invalu able su ppor t

and cooperat io n of the g ove rnm e nt inst i tu t ion s an d of t h e st age commit tees

involved in the thre e o p e ning sta g e s of t h e 2 0 18 Giro d ’ I t a l ia , wh o st ron gly

be l ieved in th is in i t iat ive .

The Israe l Cyc l ing A c a d e my, a P ro C yc l ing team, wi l l l in e u p at t h e st ar t of t h e

101 st G i ro d ’ I ta l ia in J e rusale m , a nd wi l l a lso be t ak in g par t in ot h er leadin g

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 3 2

03ISRA E L

Celebrat ing i ts hundre d and o ne ye a rs of sp o rt in g h istor y, wh ich a lso embr aces

customs and cul ture , the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia wi l l sta rt i ts 2 1-st age jou r n ey f rom Jer u sa-

lem, and f in ish in Rome .

For the f i rst t ime ever, a m ajo r inte rnat io na l stage r ace wi l l be st ar t in g ou t s ide

Europe. The meaning of th is g o e s eve n b eyo nd the spor t in g event i t se l f (h owever

important th is may be ) , to c o nvey a uniq ue a nd invalu able message. A message

that l ies in the mult ip le fac ets and m e aning s of t h e Corsa Rosa, in h erent in t h e

des ign and fu l f i l lment of th is p ro je ct , tha t we tru ly n eed to u n derst an d. Jer u salem

and Rome are two extrao rd ina ry tote m -c it ie s , two cor n erston es of wor ld h istor y

and c iv i l i zat ion , t ied to g ethe r by cyc l ing as the m ost power f u l symbol of peace.

races of the 2018 inte rna t io nal c a le nd a r. Th is i s t h e f u l f i l lment of an aspir at ion

that was conceived and ac hieve d in a ve ry shor t t ime, in t h e context of Isr ae l ’ s

70 th anniversary ce le b ra t io ns .


NOTE03 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 3 4

C A T A N I A

C A L T A G I R O N E

0 4

ITA LY CATANIA

SIRACUSA

NATION PROVINCE

08 MAY 2018 TUESDAY

km 198

08 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 198

CATANIA CALTAGIRONE04

The wonderfu l c i ty of C a tania we lc o m e s the G iro d ’ I t a l ia back h ome af ter t h e h istor ica l B ig Start f rom Israe l . C atania , the se c o nd m ajo r c i ty in S ic i ly af ter P a ler mo, r ises at t h e h ear t of the P iana d i C atania , a d e nse ly p o p ula te d and fe rt i le p la in in easter n S ic i ly, at t h e sh ores of the Ion ian Sea. Mount Etna towe rs ab ove the c i ty, to t h e n or t h , an d h as become i t s symbol .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 3 6


CATA NIA CA LTAGIRONE 04

CATANIA/CATAN IA / S IC ILY

C at an ia h as grown in r ich -

n ess an d beau t y t h rou gh -

ou t t h e cent u r ies , an d i t st i l l

preser ves an invalu able leg-

acy of t h ose t imes in a n u m-

ber of mon u ment s . Major

h er i t age in c lu des t h e Roman

amph it h eat re , t h e mediae-

val cat h edr a l (h ou sin g t h e

tomb of composer V in cen -

zo Bel l in i , 180 1-1835) an d

P alazzo degl i E lef ant i . V ia

V i t tor io Eman u ele , wit h i t s

r ich mon u ment al , h istor ic

an d cu l t u r a l h er i t age of a l l

ages , is on ly a few step s away. H e re b e g ins a nother lon g, st r a ight aven u e, bu i l t in

the ear ly 18 th century afte r the d evasta t ing 16 9 3 ear t h qu ake: V ia Et n ea. Measu r in g

over 3 km, the road is p ave d with lava sto ne , and s u r rou n ded by magn if icent bu i ld-

ings . Near the Duomo r ise s the C hie sa d i S a nt ’A gat a , on e of t h e many ch u rch es

dedicated to the P atrone ss S a int of the c i ty. A t the cent re of P iazza Du omo st an ds

the b lack- lava Fontana d e l l ’E lefante , the sym b o l of C at an ia .

The mid-12 th century C a ste l lo Urs ino , ne a rby, c o mmiss ion ed by Freder ik I I , is cu r -

rent ly the seat of the C iv ic Muse um . V ia d e i C ro c i fer i is an ot h er mon u ment al road

l ined with Baroque chu rc he s a nd 18 -c e ntury b ui ld in gs .

C atania was hometown to so m e of the b ig g e st n ames in cu l t u re , in c lu din g wr i t -

ers and scholars s uc h a s G iova nni Ve rg a (18 40 -192 2 ) , wh o is recogn ised as

the leading f igure of I ta l ia n Ve r ism o , to g ethe r wit h Lu ig i C apu an a (1839-1915) .

Notable c i t izens a lso inc lud e Em i l io G re c o (19 1 3-1995) , scu lptor , wr i ter an d i l -

lustrator , and Conc etto Ma rc he si (18 78 -19 57) , Lat in sch olar , academic an d pol-

i t ic ian .

C atania was a lso h o m etown to C a nd id o C annavò (1930 -2 0 0 9) , an at h lete in h is

younger years , and the n a suc c e ssfu l jo urnal ist an d wr i ter , en gaged n ot on ly in

sports . He was the h isto r ic a l D i re cto r of the G azzet t a de l lo Spor t (a pos i t ion h e

he ld for a long t ime ) , a nd a lways had a sp e c ia l pass ion for t h e Corsa Rosa.

START 19 8 K M

C a s t e l l o U r s i n o



Local cuisine offers a

wealth of delicious land-

food and seafood spe-

cialities such as “pasta

alla Norma” (spaghetti

with deep-fried egg-

plants, tomato sauce

and salted ricotta),

as well as typical first

courses and side dishes.

Special mention should

be made of traditional

sweets, especially mar-

zipan. Local wine pro-

duction is rich and var-

ied.

In the Province of Catania, the largest amounts of EU funding have been invested in infrastructures and transportat ion. Various route sect ions of the Catania-Palermo rai lway, the water pur i f icat ion plants in Catania, Misterbianco and Acireale, roads and hospitals and over 9,000 intervent ions were carr ied out thanks to EU funding.

C atania hosted m any G iro d ’ I ta l ia stag e f in ish es: in 1930 , v ictor y went to Mi-

chele Mara , spr inte r , f ro m Busto A rs iz io , t h en in 1949 Mar io Faz io roared to

v ictory in h is ho m etown. In 19 76 , B e lg ia n spr inter P at r ick Sercu won t h e ope-

ning ha l f-stag e (start ing a nd f in ish ing in C at an ia) , an d a lso swept to v ictor y in

the afternoon ha l f-sta g e fro m C ata nia to S i r acu sa. Th e f i rst h a l f -st age is sadly

remembered fo r a n a c c id e nt invo lv ing S p an ish r ider Ju an Man u el S ant isteban

(rac ing for Kas ) , who d ie d afte r c ra shing into a gu ardr a i l du r in g t h e r ace. Du tch

r ider Jean-P aul van P o p p e l c l inc he d a d o uble v ictor y, in 1986 an d in 1989 ( in

the opening Tao rm ina-C ata nia sta g e ) . O ther su ccessf u l spr inters roared to v i -

ctory in C atan ia , inc lud ing Mar io C ip o l l in i in 1999 an d A lessan dro Pet acch i in

2003. C atania wa s sta g e sta rt c i ty in 19 65 ( ITT, f in ish in g in Taor min a, wit h

v ictory go ing to V i t to r io A d o rn i) and in 19 67 (t h e f in ish was set at R i f u g io S a-

p ienza on Mt . Etna , with v icto ry g o ing to Fr an co B i toss i) .

CONTRIBUTION TO EUROPEAN COMMISSION

T h e D u o m o o f C a t a n i a a n d t h e F o n t a n a d e l l ’ E l e f a n t e


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 3 8


MISTERBIANCO/CATAN IA / S IC ILY

FERL A/SIRACUSA / S IC ILY

LENTINI/SIRACUSA/S IC ILY

The route heads south , fo l lowing a wavy p rof i le a nd br u sh in g by a n u mber of in du s-

tr ia l s i tes and trad ing c e ntre s , a l l the way to Mister b ian co. Th e town was t h e b i r t h -

p lace of former pro r id e r ( f ro m 19 47 to 19 6 4) P in o Cer ami , wh o was n at u r a l ised

in Be lg ium where he d ie d in 2014. H is re c o rd of ach ievement s in c lu des t h e 1960

P ar is-Roubaix and the P au stag e at the 19 6 3 To u r de Fr an ce. Next on t h e rou te

are S an G iorg io , a dense ly p o p ulate d ne ig hb o urho od of C at an ia , an d Font an arossa,

where the V incenzo Be l l in i a i rp o rt ( the f i rst b us ie st a i r por t by a i r t r af f ic in sou t h er n

I ta ly) is located.

The route c l imbs gent ly towa rd s S o rt ino . The

town is renowned for ho ney p ro d uct io n , a nd

is dotted with lovely Ba ro q ue b ui ld ing s . Afte r

c lear ing the 3rd categ o ry P ietre C ald e c l im b ,

the route descends into Fe r la . Ly ing in a love -

ly scenery at the junct io n of the A nap o r ive r

with i ts t r ibutary, C a lc ina ra , the town b e lo ng s

to the associat ion of the m o st b e aut i fu l v i l -

lages in I ta ly. The Ne c ro p o l is of P a nta l ic a ,

with over 5 ,000 rock -c ut c ha m b e r to m b s,

stretches about 12 km in a p e c ul iar a nd im -

press ive natura l sett ing , in a d e e p , white

rock gorge. P anta l ica was l iste d as a U N E S C O

Wor ld Her i tage S i te in 2005.

Le nt in i is a h isto r ic town ly in g amon g t h e c i t r u s

g rove s whe re the f amou s “b lood or an ge” is produ -

c e d , in the no rthe r n Hyblaean Mou nt a in s; i t mar ks

the e ntranc e into th e provin ce of S i r acu sa. Next on

the ro ute a re C a r lent in i an d i t s “ f r az ion e” , Borgo

R iz z a .

18 9 K M

15 3 K M

111 K M

L e n t i n i

T h e N e c r o p o l i s o f P a n t a l i c a




The town and i ts surro und ing s are no new to cycl in g , h avin g h osted t h e Trofe o P antal ica – a profe ss io na l sp r ing t im e ra c e – u nt i l 2 0 0 3. F i rst organ ised by Fr an -

co Meal l i ’s G .S . Fo rze S p o rt ive Ro m ane in 1975, t h e r ace was t h en h an ded over

to RCS Sport . The ro l l of ho no ur fe ature s an ou t st an din g 5-win record by G iu -

seppe S aronni . The towns with in th is are a u sed to a l ter n ate as st ar t an d f in ish

locat ions for the eve nt a nd fo r the G iro d el la P rov incia di S iracusa .

PAL AZZOLO AC RE I D E / S IRAC U SA / S IC ILY

VIZZINI/CATAN IA / S IC ILY

Next on the route are C assaro , Monte Pavone (in the municipal territory of Buscemi,

sti l l in the Hyblaean Mountains) and P a la z zo lo Acre ide , an ancient town with a Greek

heritage, one example of which is the Greek theatre, near the town centre. Owing to its

remarkable Baroque monumental heritage, including the churches of S an P aolo and

S an Sebast iano , Palazzolo Acreide was l isted as UNESCO World Heritage site in 2002.

The route cuts across Giarratana and Monterosso

Almo (two towns that thrive mainly on agriculture),

briefly entering the province of Ragusa before going

back to the province of Catania. The second categori-

sed climb (4th cat.) is set in Vizzini, which was home-

town to Giovanni Verga. The route then descends into

Licodia Eubea. Lago Diri l lo, nearby, is an artificial lake

created by damming the eponymous river.

8 6 K M

4 7 K M

T h e G r e e k t h e a t r e T h e c h u r c h o f S a n P a o l o

V i z z i n i


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 4 0


GRAMMICHELE/CATAN IA / S IC ILY

CALTAGIRONE/CATANIA / S IC ILY

Next on the route is Gram m ic he le . Majo r la nd m arks in c lu de t h e h exagon al “p iazza” ,

the 18-century cathed ra l , the town hal l a nd the largest su n dia l in S ic i ly. Th e ar -

chaeologica l s i te of Oc c hio là , ne arby, l ie s in a un iqu e scen er y an d of fers a pecu l iar

monumental her i tage. The s i te wa s ho m e to a n e p onymou s set t lement t h at was de-

stroyed by the 1693 e a rthq uake , o n whic h the town of Gr ammich ele was fou n ded.

The route drops al l the way to the junction with the ss. 335 trunk road, and then cl imbs

again past San Bartolomeo, with mild gradients, heading for the f inish in C al t ag iron e.

The town is hosting its f irst Giro d’ Ital ia stage f inish. The historical district is arranged

almost as an amphitheatre over three hi l ls, at the south-eastern foot of the Erean

Mountains, along the road that connects Catania and Gela. Major heritage includes the

outstanding Baroque bui ldings erected after the 1693 earthquake, which earned the

town the inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage l ist in 1992.

Alongside a prosperous agriculture, pottery is one of the main drivers of local econo-

my (with green, blue and yel low glazed ceramics being manufactured since the Arab

era). The city is also renowned for the production of terracotta f igures depicting tra-

dit ional Sici l ian subjects and customs. Over 2,500 exhibits dating back to the fourth

mil lennium BC and later are on display in the Muse o region ale de l la Cer amica, housed

inside a quaint l imestone bui lding dating back to the 1950s). The pottery museum

can be accessed via a scenic belvedere, cal led Te at r in o (1792): an elegant ensemble

of staircases and balustrades. Major landmarks also include the Du omo, the Cor te

C apitania le and the Chie sa d e l C o l le g io (also referred to as Chiesa del Gesù). Equal-

ly noteworthy is the church of S a nta Ma r ia d e l Mo nte , which can be accessed from

Piazza Municipio through a 142-step staircase, rebuilt in 1953 using lava stone and

decorated majol ica.

C al tag irone was ho m etown to d o n Lu ig i S turzo ( 1871-1959) , a pr iest en gaged in

po l i t ics . He was on e of the fo und e rs of the I ta l ian People ’ s P ar t y (P ar t i to Popo-

lare I ta l iano) in 191 9 , a wr i te r , jo urnal ist and te ach er, an d was made Sen ator for

l i fe in 1952. Mar io S c e lb a (19 01-19 9 1) , who ser ved as min ister , Pr ime Min ister

and Pres ident of the Euro p e an P ar l ia m e nt , was a lso n at ive to C al t ag iron e.

Speaking of sports , nota b le c i t ize ns inc lud e A gesi lao Greco (1886-1963) , fen c-

er , who is considere d a s the “ c o nne ct ing l ink ” bet ween t r ad i t ion al an d moder n

fencing, and receive d seve ra l award s of m e r i t wor ldwide.

25 K M

F IN ISH



G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 4 2

NOTE 07NOT E S 04


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 4 4

NOTE04 NOTE S

A G R I G E N T O

S A N T A N I N F A

0 5

ITA LY AGRIGENTO

TRAPANI

NATION PROVINCE

09 MAY 2018 WEDNESDAY

km 153

09 MAY 2 018 WEDNESDAY km 153

AG RIG ENTO SANTA NINFA ( VA LLE DE L BE L IC E )05

Agr igento , the ancient G re e k c i ty of A k ra g as, was fou n ded in 580 BC. I t is kn own wor ldwide as the “c i ty of the tem p le s” fo r the m any Do r ic temples located in t h e icon ic “Val le de i Templ i ” . I ts r ich monum e ntal a nd h isto r ic a l le g a cy ear n ed t h e c i t y a top spot in t h e UNESCO Wor ld Her i tage l ist (199 7) . The uniq ue e nviro nm e nt , at mosph ere an d mon u ment al h er i t age of Agr igento have a lways b e e n a so urc e of insp irat ion for wr i ters an d sch olars wor ldwide.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 4 6


AG RIG ENTO SANTA NINFA ( VA LLE DE L BE L IC E ) 05

AGRIGENTO/AGRIG EN TO / S IC ILY

Agrigento, also known as Akragas in Greek, Agrigentum in Latin and Girgenti in Arabic

and Norman, got its current name in 1927. Today’s urban arrangement is sti l l reminis-

cent of the ancient mediaeval structure. The old town rose on the western hi l l fol low-

ing the late 19th century development. At the foot of the hi l ls, in recent years, there has

been a further urban development – rapid, remarkable, and somewhat controversial .

Agrigento has a lovely seaside, with charming “frazioni” such as San Leone.

Major architectural landmarks include the Cathedral , bui l t in the Norman age, the

Santo Spir ito Abbey, the Regional Archaeological Museum and the majest ic rocky cl i f f

of the Rupe Atenea. The Val le dei Templi (Val ley of the Temples) is a treasure chest of

monuments and archaeology: the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Temple of Heracles,

the sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone, the Temple of Juno Lacinia and the Tem-

ple of Concordia are the best preserved.

START 15 3 K M

T h e T e m p l e o f C o n c o r d i a T h e A g r i g e n t o C a t h e d r a l

Agr igento was hometown to Lu ig i P i ra nd e l lo (1867-1936) , p laywr ight , poet an d

wr i ter , and 1934 No b e l P r ize winne r fo r l i te rat u re . Th e h ou se wh ere h e was

born is current ly a l ib rary-m use um . A nd re a C ami l ler i is n at ive to Por to Empedo-

cle , which former ly b e lo ng e d to the m unic ip a l ter r i tor y of Agr igento . A wr i ter ,

screenwri ter and d i re cto r , C am i l le r i d e p icts scen es of local l i fe in t h e adven -

tures of h is most s uc c e ssfu l c ha racte r , Insp e ctor Mont a lban o.

Agrigento already hosted mult ip le Giro d’ I ta l ia stage f in ishes: in 1965 (with victo-

ry going to Tuscan r ider Guido C arlesi) , in 1982 (Moreno Argentin) , in 1993 (Bja-

rne Ri js – Den) and in 2008, with victory going to Ricardo Riccò. In 1999, the town

was the sett ing of the opening stage of the Corsa Rosa, which f in ished in Modica

and was won by Lombard spr inter Ivan Quaranta. In 1994, Agr igento hosted the

UCI Road World Championships, on a circuit designed in the Val ley of the Temples.

Victory went to Luc Leblanc, fo l lowed by Chiappucci (9” down on him).



PORTO EMPEDOCL E / AG RIG E N TO / S IC ILY

MONTALLEGRO/AG RIG EN TO / S IC ILY

SCIACCA/AGRIGEN TO / S IC ILY

The stage prof i le is in i t ia l ly f la t . The ro ute f i rst reach es Por to Empedocle , t h e for -

mer harbour of a nc ie nt A g r ig e nto unt i l the mid-19 t h cent u r y, wh ich is n amed af -

ter the Greek p hi lo so p he r a nd p o l i t ic ian Empedocles (5 t h cent u r y BC) . Th e town

over looks the Me d ite rra ne a n S e a , a nd ha s a lovely seaf ront an d st u n n in g beach es.

Fo l lowing the re m a rk a b le suc c e ss of the f ict ion al ch ar acters created by An drea

C ami l ler i , the town is a lso k nown by i ts “ screen n ame” , V igat a .

Next on the route, before reaching

Realmonte , is the stunning sight of

the Scala de i Turc hi , a white rock

outcropping of l imestone and clay

along the coast. Past the junction

leading to Sicul iana, the route reach-

es Monta l legro ; this area has a r ich

agricultural production including cit-

rus, ol ives and almonds.

The rou te goes on a lon g t h e coast , in an u n -

var y in g lan dscape, past t h e ju n ct ion s lead-

ing to R iber a an d C al t abel lot t a , a l l t h e way

to Sc iacca – a lovely town wit h massive

16 - cent u r y wal ls . Th e h istor ic d ist r ict r is-

e s u ph i l l , an d t h e t iny a l leys h ave ret a in ed

a n Ar abian inf lu en ce. Th e c i t y s lopes down

towards t h e h ar bou r, as an amph it h eat re ,

with s ight s over t h e Mediter r an ean Sea

ran gin g f rom Agr igento to Mazar a de l Va l-

lo . Th e t h er mal resor t of Se l in u nte is t h e

o ldest of t h e is lan d, an d h as been kn own

14 6 K M

125 K M

9 2 K M

T h e S c a l a d e i T u r c h i

P a l a z z o S t e r i p i n t o


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 4 8


P a l a z z o G a t t o p a r d o

S c i a c c a

s ince Roman t imes. Majo r land m a rks in-

c lude P alazzo Ster ip into (16 th c e ntury) ,

bu i l t in the S ic i l ian-C ata la n sty le . S c ia c c a

is a popular tour ist de st inat io n , with the

lovely coast l ine and fa m o us C a rn iva l b e ing

the leading attract ions .

In the 1986 Giro d ’ I ta l ia , S c iac c a ho ste d the f in ish of t h e open in g st age. V ictor y

went to Lombard r id e r S e rg io S ant im a r ia (a l re ady t h e win n er of t h e 1979 Gr an

Fondo Mi lano-Roma ) , who o utsp r inte d Ro so la an d Bontempi by 1” , c la imin g t h e

Magl ia Rosa. That d ay is a lso sa d ly re m e m b e red for a cr ash involv in g At a la ’ s

Emi l io Ravasio (a yo ung r id e r f ro m Ve ra no Br ia nza) . He made i t to t h e f in ish l in e ,

but started fee l ing unwe l l that n ig ht . H e lo st c on sciou sn ess an d d ied in P a ler mo

a few days later .

MENFI/AGRIGENTO/SIC ILY

SANTA MARGHE RI TA D I BE LI CE / AG RIG E N TO /SICILY

P ast Sc iacca, the rou te he a d s in la nd , ac ro ss the va l ley of r iver Be l ice , reach in g

Menf i . The town thr ives m a in ly o n ag r ic u l ture (v ineyards an d o l ive groves) , an d i t s

wide terr i tory a lso comp r ise s the love ly se a s id e v i l lage of Por to P a lo . Th e arch aeo-

log ica l s i tes of Se l inunte and C atto l ic a Era c le a , wit h t h e ir Dor ic temples , are fou n d

nearby.

The route takes in a 3 rd category cl imb in S a nta M argh er i t a de l

Be l ice; agr iculture is wel l developed in the area, with pr ickly

pears, grapes and dairy being the main produce. P a lazzo G at to-

pardo, current ly the seat of the municipal administrat ion, was the

former residence of Giuseppe Tomasi d i Lampedusa (1896-1957),

the author of “ I l G attopardo” , after which the bui ld ing is named.

The “palazzo” is a lso home to a museum dedicated to the novel

and famous f i lm directed by Luchino Visconti .

75 K M

6 2 K M

Menf i was hometown to S a lva to re Puc c io , a s u ccessf u l act ive Pro r ider wh o

re located to Umbr ia with h is fa m i ly in 2002.




PARTANNA/TRA PA N I/ S IC ILY

POGGIOREALE/ TRA PA N I/ S IC ILY

CRETTO GRANDE / TRA PA N I/ S IC ILY

The route then descends towards

Montevago and the val ley f loor. After

entering the province of Trapani, the

course takes in another categorised

cl imb (3 rd cat.) in Partanna. Major

sights here include the Grifeo Castle,

currently a centre for the promotion

of the territory. The route then pass-

es through the agricultural produc-

tion zone of Salaparuta, where sheep

milk cheese with ol ives and Salapa-

ruta DOC wine are the main local pro-

duce.

The route take s in anothe r 3 rd c a te g o ry c l imb in Poggioreale Vecch ia , a l i t t le past

Poggioreale . T he town was re b ui l t so m e k i lomet res f u r t h er down st ream t h an Pog-

gioreale Vecch ia afte r the d evasta t ing B e l ice ear t h qu ake in 1968. Agr icu l t u re an d

farming are the m a jo r act iv i t ie s in th is fe rt i le lan d.

Next on t h e rou te is S a lapar u t a Vecch ia ,

an ot h er “gh ost v i l lage” , as t h e n ew town

was rebu i l t f u r t h er down st ream. Th e

st age cou rse t h en passes t h rou gh Cret -

to Gr an de, in t h e mu n ic ipa l ter r i tor y of

G ibe l l in a , an ot h er ear t h qu ake-r avaged

town . Cret to Gr an de is a lso n amed Cretto

d i Bu r r i af ter t h e ec lect ic Umbr ian ar t ist

A lber to Bu r r i (1915-1995) , pa inter an d

p hysic ian , wh o con ceived t h is spr awl in g

land art masterp ie c e : a c o nc rete shro ud c over in g t h e r u in s of G ibe l l in a , to memor i-

a l ize the o ld c i ty. The p ie c e was c o m p lete d in 2 0 15, an d is on e of t h e largest of i t s

k ind wor ldwide.

4 1 K M

25 K M

14 K M

T h e G r i f e o C a s t l e

C r e t t o d i B u r r i


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 5 0


SANTA NINFA/TRAPAN I/ S IC ILY

S anta N infa , features in the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia ro ute fo r t h e f i rst t ime, as f in ish c i t y of a

stage that – 50 years late r – re c a l ls the 19 6 8 e a rt h qu ake t h at k i l led arou n d 40 0

people , leaving approxim a te ly o ne tho usand in jured an d 70 , 0 0 0 h omeless . Th e 6 . 4

magnitude earthquake had i ts e p ic e ntre b etwe e n Gibe l l in a , S a lapar u t a an d Poggio-

rea le . The devastat ing effe cts of the e arthq ua ke o n t h e dwel l in gs (main ly bu i l t f rom

tuff stone) a lso sprea d to Mo ntevag o , Me nf i , P a rt an n a, S a lemi , S ant a Margh er i t a

de l Be l ice and S anta N infa . A s m any as 3 45 sho c ks were recorded f rom Jan u ar y to

September, and reconstruct io n wa s lo ng and d i f f icu l t , wit h ser iou s in conven ien ce

for d isp laced persons. S a nta N infa was re b ui l t in an ot h er p lace, t r y in g to recreate

the features of the town that the e a rthq uake had dest royed.

The Grotta d i S anta N infa nature re se rve , ne a rby, was est abl ish ed by t h e Region of

S ic i ly in 1995. Located o n a c ha lk y h i l l , in a un iq ue karst environ ment , t h e reser ve

is part icu lar ly interest ing whe n i t c o m e s to g e o m o rph ology, n at u r a l va lu e an d lan d-

scape.

The G iro d ’ I ta l ia , in i ts c a p ac ity a s evo c a t ive m e mor y, h ere wish es to remember

the 50 th anniversary of the e a rthq uake , and h ig hl ight t h e n ew rea l i t y of t h e reg ion .

F IN ISH

The European Union has registered 67 Sici l ian products as DOP (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, protected designat ion of or igin), IGP (Indicazione Geograf ica Pro-tet ta, protected geographical indicat ion), or STG (Special i tà Tradizionale Garant i ta, t radi t ional special i ty guaranteed). This top-qual i ty produce – extra-virgin ol ive oi ls, f rui ts and wines – is the best we can get f rom the is land’s agr icul ture and Mediterrane-an cl imate. Along the stage route, be sure you stop and taste a bi te of the tradi t ional sheep mi lk cheese from an ancient local breed, cal led Vastedda del la Val le del Bel ice DOP, and some del ic ious oranges (Arancia di Ribera DOP).




NOTE05 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 5 2

07NOT E S 05NOTE


BICISCUOL A 201 8

Att ivo da 17 anni , ne l 2018 i l progetto B ic iscuola ha sensib i l i zzato 7.000 scuole appartenent i a zone interessate da l passaggio de l la Corsa Rosa, con l ’ob iett ivo d i avvic inare i bambin i da i 6 agl i 11 anni a l la cu l tura de l lo sport , a l r ispetto per l ’ambiente e a l l ’educaz ione a l imentare e stradale .I l p iù grande progetto educativo digitale legato al mondo del lo sport mai affrontato in I ta l ia .

Now in i ts 17th year , the B ic iscuola pro ject has involved 7,000 schools in 2018 throughout I ta ly a long the G i ro Route in order to fami l iar ize ch i ldren between the ages of 6 and 11 wi th sports act iv i t ies , respect for the environment , nutr i t ion educat ion and road safety. I ta ly’s largest digital education project connected to the world of sports.

www.biciscuola. i t

7.000

50.000

2.00017

SCUOL E SENSIBIL IZZATE

SENSITISED SCHOOLS (2018)

BAMBINI COINVOLTI KIDS INVOLVED (2018)

CL ASSI

ISCRITTE

REGISTERED

CL ASSES

(2018)

EDIZIONIEDITION

ADV_BICISCUOLA_2018.indd 1 28/03/18 19:28

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

ITA LY CALTANISSETTA

ENNA

CATANIA

NATION P ROVINCE

10 MAY 2018 THURSDAY

km 164

C A L T A N I S S E T T A

E T N A

0 6

CALTANISSETTA ETNA0610 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 164

C altanissetta wi l l host the sta rt of the 6 th sta g e of t h e 2 0 18 Giro d ’ I t a l ia ( t h e t h i rd an d last one in S ic i ly) . Founded in anc ie nt t im e s, i t has g rown an d developed s ign i f icant ly s in ce t h e Middle Ages into the mo d e rn c i ty i t is to d ay. The st age is qu i te sh or t ; t h e prof i le , h owever, is bumpy and wavy, with a c ha l le ng ing f ina le at the top of Mt . Et n a , t h e f i rst su mmit f in ish of th is G i ro .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 5 6

06CALTA NISSE T TA E T NA10 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 164

CALTANISSETTA/ CA LTA N IS S ETTA / S IC ILY

ENNA/ENNA/SIC ILY

Caltanissetta r ises at the heart of the island, at 570 metres, arranged in the form of

an arch along the rol l ing hi l ls at the foot of Monte San Giul iano, in the Salso r iver val-

ley. Known as Nissa in ancient t imes, the town extended outside the mediaeval walls,

into four districts. Sulphur mining became the major driver of local economy after the

Unif ication of Italy, as attested to by the foundation of the f irst Ist i t u to Min er a le (In-

stitute of Minerals) in Italy in 1862 and, more recently, of a Min er a l Mu seu m recall ing

the hurdles of mining activit ies for sulphur extraction. Both are named after Sebas-

tiano Mottura (1831-1897), Piedmont-native engineer and geologist, and an honorary

cit izen of Caltanissetta.

Major landmarks include the C athe d ra l , overlooking Piazza Garibaldi (the very centre

of city l ife), and other monumental bui ldings such as the ancient S anto Spir i to Abbey.

The route passes th ro ug h V i l la g -

g io S anta Barbara and the n e nte rs

the province of Enna, the h ig he st

provinc ia l capi ta l in I t a ly. The c i ty,

former ly ca l led C astro g iovanni ,

changed i ts name bac k to Enna in

the 1930s. I t is a lso refe rre d to as

the “be lvedere of S ic i ly” as i t p ro -

v ides a grandstand v iew c o m p r is ing

the ent i re p lateau, with o l ive g rove s

and cornf ie lds , and w id e s ig hts of

the surroundings .

START 16 4 K M

135 K M

The c i ty on ly hos te d o ne G iro stag e , b a c k in 1976. I t was st age n o . 2 , f rom

Siracusa to C al tanissetta (210 k m ), a nd Ro g er De V laemin ck (Bel) , a su cces-

sfu l stage and c la ss ic s hunte r , o utsp r inte d P ier mat t ia G avazz i an d Fr an cesco

Moser. P atr ick Se rc u, h is te a m m a te at B ro o k lyn , bor n a spr inter , man aged to

keep the Magl ia Ro sa b ut eve ntua l ly p a sse d i t u p to h im t wo st ages later .

A s i g h t o f E n n a


CALTANISSETTA ETNA06

PERGUSA/ENN A / S IC ILY

PIAZZA ARMERI NA / E N N A / S IC ILY

Pergusa, next o n the ro ute , is k nown fo r i ts n at u r a l lake (t h e on ly on e in S ic i ly) an d

i ts un ique land sc a p e , g e o lo g ic a l fe a ture s an d wi ld l i fe . A r acet r ack r u n n in g arou n d

the shore l ine and ho st ing m a jo r m oto rsp o rt event s was bu i l t in 1951.

P iazza Armer ina , , nex t o n the stag e ro ute , is a lovely mediaeval town wit h Baroqu e

and Norman refe re nc e s, surro und e d by lu sh veget at ion an d fer t i le f ar min g lan d.

Major monumenta l he r i tag e inc lud e s the V i l la roman a del C asale , wh ich is con sid-

ered the major le g a cy of Ro m an c iv i l isa t io n on t h e is lan d an d was l isted as UNESCO

Wor ld Her i tage s i te in 19 9 7, owing to i ts f ine mosaics .

Main s ights a l so inc lud e the m a je st ic C at h edr a l , bu i l t in a mixed Rayon n ant -Ba-

roque sty le and d e d ic a te d to Mar ia S a nt iss ima del le V i t tor ie (St . Mar y of V ictor ies) .

Major customs and trad i t io ns inc lud e the P al io de i Nor man n i , a h istor ica l re-en act -

ment in t rad i t io nal c o stum e s, tak ing p la c e mid-Au gu st .

130 K M

10 4 K M

L a g o d i P e r g u s a

A s i g h t o f P i a z z a A r m e r i n a

Piazza Arm e r ina wa s ho m etown to p o l ice in spector an d h ead of P a ler mo’ s F ly in g

Squad Bor is G iu l ia no (19 3 0-19 79 ) , k i l led by t h e S ic i l ian Maf ia .

10 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 164

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 5 8

06CALTA NISSE T TA E T NA

AIDONE/ENNA/SICILY

PONTE BARCA/CATAN IA / S IC ILY

PATERNÒ/CATANIA/SIC ILY

The route c l imbs agai n , g e nt ly, to -

wards A idone. Main s ig hts in the

surroundings inc lude the S ic i l -

ian-Greek-Hel len ic s i te of Mo rg an-

t ina and the Arabic-Rom an c ast le of

P ietratagl iata .

Just before the junct io n to Rad d usa , the ro ute e nters t h e provin ce of C at an ia pass-

ing through Giumarra (a f ra z io ne of C aste l d i Iud ic a) an d Ponte Barca, a n at u r a l oa-

s is a long r iver S imeto p rote ct ing the lo c a l wi ld l i fe , wh ich is n amed af ter an an cient

Roman br idge.

Paternò, next on the route, l ies at the south-western foothi l ls of

the volcano, surrounded by wide orange groves and dominated

by a tal l cl iff. Towering over the town is the N o rm an cast le , bui lt

by King Roger I in 1072 and renovated in the early 14th century.

The sight from the top of the castle is breath-taking and ranges

from Mt. Etna to the plain of Catania and the Simeto r iver val ley.

Major landmarks include the C hie sa Mad re , the Mu seo Civ i -

co G aetano S avasta , the Gal leria d’Arte Moderna, the P alazzo

de l le Art i and the Publ ic L ib rary establ ished in 1853 and named

after the geographer Giovan Battista Nicolosi (1610-1670).

Incidental ly, here is the unfortunate history of the fai led attempt at creating a vel-

odrome around a soccer f ield in Sal inel le. The sporting faci l ity was converted into a

velodrome in 1993, but the track was never type-approved; it was neglected and left

to deteriorate, and the entire faci l ity might now be knocked down.

9 4 K M

39 K M

33 K M

M o r g a n t i n a

T h e N o r m a n c a s t l e

i n P a t e r n ò

Augusto Barbera , c o nst i tut io n-

a l ist , and Enzo B ianc o , p o l i t ic ia n ,

were both nat ive to A id o ne .



CALTANISSETTA ETNA06

RAGALNA/CATAN IA / S IC ILY

ETNA - OSSERVATO RI O ASTRO FI SI CO / CATA NIA/SICILY

Here the road s ta rts to c l im b with a fa i r ly steep gr adient towards Ragaln a . St an din g

at 813 m, and offe r ing a wid e v iew rang in g f rom t h e S imeto va l ley to t h e gu l f of

Augusta , Ragalna is a lso na m e d “ the b a lc ony of Mt . Et n a” . A growin g tou r ist voca-

t ion (especia l ly fo r na tura l a nd e nviro nm ent a l tou r ism) h as developed in t h e area ,

a longside trad i t io na l ag r ic u l tura l act iv i t ie s f ac i l i t ated by t h e fer t i le lava so i l .

The route now takes a first-ever pass up a “new” side of Mt. Etna, to tackle the closing

climb towards the finish l ine. The road is narrow and winds its way among the vegetation

and the former lava flows. The Astrophysical Observatory (Osservatorio Astrofisico), in

Serra la Nave, at 1736 metres, is named after Mario Girolamo Fracastoro (1914-1994), a

university professor and astronomer who worked in Catania for a long time, creating a

local astronomy school. Here the stage ends with a category-one summit finish.

With its crater standing at 3,250 m, Mt. Etna is the highest mountain peak in Sicily and

the tallest active volcano on the Eurasian plate. In 2013, it was declared UNESCO World

Heritage site for its unique environment and landscape, and for its scientific relevance.

ARRIVO

15 K M

A s i g h t o f M t . E t n a R i f u g i o S a p i e n z a


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 6 0

06CALTA NISSE T TA E T NA

The Osservator io A strof is ic o is a p p roxim a te ly 3 km away f rom Ri f u gio S apien -

za (1892 m), whic h was the f in ish lo c at io n of t h e 4t h st age of t h e G i roCento

(Cefa lù-Etna) last ye a r . V icto ry we nt to J a n Polan c (S lo) , af ter a lon g brea-

kaway. Going back ward s , in 2011, A lb e rto C ont ador f in ish ed f i rst at R i f u g io

S apienza; however, v icto ry wa s the n g ive n to José Ru jan o (Ven ) , as Cont ador

was d isqual i f ied fo r te st ing p o s i t ive at the 2010 Tou r de Fr an ce. In 1989, v ic-

tory went to Acac io D a S i lva (Po r) , who f in ished f i rst in P ian o Bot t aro , at 1350

metres . F i rst across the f in ish l ine a t R i fug io S apien za , on t h e top of Mt . Et n a ,

was the versat i le Tusc an r id e r Franc o B i to ss i , in 1967.

Speaking of cycl ing , m e nt io n sho uld a lso b e made of t h e G i ro de l l ’ Et n a , a road

event running f rom 19 8 0 to 2010. The ra c e was promoted by Tu r i D ’ Agost in o

and organised by Franc o Me al l i ’s G .S . Fo rze Spor t ive Roman e, an d t h e rou te

carr ied out a sort of c i rc um navig a t io n of the Mon gibel lo .

180 mi l l ion Euros have been al located from now unt i l 2020 for rural development in Sici ly: 23 local act ion groups (GAL), establ ished in partnership between publ ic au-thor i t ies and pr ivate companies, were selected for funding. Each GAL wi l l have to manage 3 to 7 mi l l ion Euros for investments on farm diversi f icat ion (hol iday farms, B&Bs, chi ldren’s farms, ICT, non-agricul tural act iv i t ies), restorat ion of minor rural in-frastructures (roads, drywal ls, rural v i l lages) and, again, cooperat ion act iv i t ies and care farming programmes for disadvantaged people. These strategies, included in the Rural Development Programme, wi l l be integrated with infrastructure measures funded via the Programma Operat ivo FESR for road connect ions, environmental protect ion and monument restorat ion and preservat ion.




06 RE G IO N SICILY

Sic i ly, of f ic ia l ly refe rre d to as Re g io ne S ic i l ian a , is an au ton omou s region of I t a ly,

and the largest is land in the Me d ite rra ne an Sea. I t compr ises t h ree major is lan d

groups, the Eo l ie , the E g ad i and the P e la g ie Is lan ds, a lon g wit h t h e is les of Ust ica

and P ante l ler ia . I t is the larg e st a nd the fou r t h most popu lated region in I t a ly, wit h

over f ive mi l l io n inhab itants .

I t is d iv ided into the fo l lowing p rovinc e s: P a ler mo, C at an ia , Messin a , Agr igento ,

C a l tanissetta , E nna , Ra g usa , S yra c use a nd Tr apan i .

The ancient “Tr ina c r ia ” (a s i t wa s na m e d for i t s rou gh ly t r ian gu lar sh ape) is wash ed

by the Tyrrhenian S e a to the no rth , by the St r a i t of S ic i ly to t h e west , by t h e Mar

d i S ic i l ia to the so uth , by the Io n ia n S e a to t h e east , an d by t h e St r a i t of Messin a

(which separate s S ic i ly f ro m C alab r ia) to t h e n or t h -east . I t is a lan d of vo lcan oes,

with Mount Et na , S tro m b o l i a nd Vulc a no . Th e ter r i tor y is main ly h i l ly, wit h some

mounta in rang e s, a nd l im ite d lowland s. The sh ore is var ied , an d t h e is lan d en joys a

Mediterranean c l im a te .

In i ts ancient h isto ry, i t wa s sett le d by th e Ph oen ic ian s , t h e Greeks an d t h e Ro-

mans. In the Mid d le A g e s, i t wa s ru le d by t h e Byzant in es , t h e Ar abs , t h e Nor man s,

the House of Anjo u a nd the A ra g o ne se , an d t h en i t was gover n ed by t h e Hou se of

Bourbon under the K ing d o m of the Two S ic i l ies (wh ich a lso compr ised t h e K in gdom

of Naples) . Fo l lowing the exp e d it io n of the Th ou san d, led by G ar iba ld i , i t became

part of I ta ly.

The ancient Gre e k c o lo nisat io n , at the t ime of Magn a Gr aecia , lef t a r ich an d re-

markable h isto r ic a l a nd arc hite ctura l he r i tage, as wel l as major cu l t u r a l legacy by

Archimedes, Em p e d o c le s , S te s ic ho rus and ot h er leadin g f igu res , especia l ly arou n d

Syracuse and A g r ig e nto .

Her i tage of the Ro m an p e r io d inc lud e s the Gr aeco-Roman t h eat re of Taor min a; leg-

acy of the Byz ant ine p e r io d c o m p r ise s the t r ad i t ion al ch apels ca l led “Cu ba” , wh i le

the Is lamic pe r io d left a r ic h art ist ic he r i t age. Va lu able arch i tect u r a l legacy re-

mains of the N o rm an a nd S wa b ian p e r io d s , as wel l as of t h e An jou , t h e Ar agon ese

and the Bourbon ru le , b efo re the annex at ion to t h e K in gdom of I t a ly. Sever a l s i tes in

S ic i ly have been re c o g nise d as U N E S C O Wor ld Her i t age, su ch as t h e Val le de i Templ i

( the Val ley of t he Te m p le s) in A g r ig e nto , S yr acu se an d t h e rocky n ecropol is of P an -

ta l ica , Arab-No rm a n P a le rm o , and the c a th edr a l ch u rch es of Cef a lù an d Mon reale ,

V i l la de l C asale at P iaz z a A rm e r ina , and th e n at u r a l h er i t age s i tes of t h e Aeol ian

Is lands and Mo unt E tna .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 6 2

06RE GION SIC ILY

The customs and fo lk lo re of the is la nd inc lud e a number of re l ig iou s fest iva ls , su ch

as the Festa d i S anta Ro sal ia in P a le rm o , the Fe s t a d i S ant ’ Agat a in C at an ia , t h e

Festa d i S anta Lucia in S yrac use a nd m any othe rs . Not able cu l t u r a l h er i t age a lso

inc ludes the C arn iva l c e le b rat io ns in A c ire a le a nd in ot h er town s, t h e Oper a de i

Pupi ( the trad i t ional ma r io nette the a tre ) , a nd the co lou r f u l car ret to (S ic i l ian car t ) .

Throughout the centur ie s , S ic i ly ha s b e e n ho m e to a large n u mber of inte l lect u als ,

poets , wr i ters and art ists of a l l k ind s . Lo c al c u is in e of fers a wealt h of de l icacies

such as grani ta and ca ssa ta , a lm o nd m i lk , a ranc in i ( r ice ba l ls) an d ot h er de l i spe-

c ia l t ies , a long with en d le ss k ind s of p asta and wine, most ly Marsala l iqu oroso, Z i -

b ibbo, Nero d ’Avola , Mo sc a to d i P a nte l le r ia , Malva s ia an d B ian co d ’ A lcamo.

Major agr icu l tura l prod ucts inc lud e c e re als , o l ive s an d c i t r u s f r u i t s (wit h CDO st a-

tus) , Pomodoro d i P achino ( lo c a l P G I to m a to ) , c arobs , a lmon ds an d p ist ach ios .

F ish ing is st i l l a main and wid e sp re a d a ct iv i ty, wi t h S ic i ly r an kin g f i rst in I t a ly in

terms of f ish catch.

The region boasts a w id e rang e of ind ustr ia l a ct iv i t ies , especia l ly arou n d C at an ia

and P alermo,

and in other dedicated a re as of the te rr i to ry.

Tour ism offers a wide rang e of d e st inat io ns a nd p oss ib i l i t ies , an d is a major p i l lar of

the economy of the is land . H oweve r, the infrastruct u res an d t h e road n et wor k are

not a lways adequate to the g rowing re q uire m e nts of t h is in du st r y.

S ic i ly has been a venue fo r seve ra l m ajo r sp o rt ing event s , an d t h e b i r t h place of

many successfu l ath lete s , b ut c urre nt ly no p rofess ion al cycl in g r aces are h e ld

here . Despite th is , the is la nd was ho m e to a num ber of cycl in g aces , su ch as V in -

cenzo N iba l i , to name just o ne . A nat ive of Me ssin a , V in cen zo is a G i ro , Tou r an d

Vuelta winner, and a ve ry p o p ular and m o st love d r ider .


NOTE06 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 6 4

07NOT E S 06


H A I F A

T E L A V I V

0 2

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

ITA LY VIBO VALENTIA

CATANZARO

COSENZA

NATION P ROVINCE

11 MAY 2018 FRIDAY

km 159

P I Z Z O

P R A I A A M A R E

0 7

11 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 159

PIZ ZO PRAIA A MARE07

The 101 st G i ro d ’ I ta l ia h i ts the m a in land at stag e 7. T h e rou te r u n s ent i re ly a lon g t h e st u n n in g Tyrrhenian coast of C a la b r ia , f ro m so uth to no rth , most ly wit h in t h e provin ce of Cosen za. The stage is short , with just a few m i ld und ulat io ns bu t n o categor ised c l imbs, an d may be part icu lar ly su i ted to s p r inte rs .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 6 8

07

PIZZO/VIBO VALE N TIA / CA LBRIA

L AMEZIA TERME/CATA N Z A RO / CA L A B RIA

The stag e st ar t is set in P izzo (provin ce of

V ib o Va le nt ia) . Th e town r ises on a prom-

o nto ry a t t h e h ear t of t h e Gu l f of S ant ’ Eu -

fe m ia ; the jagged coast l in e is mar ked by

ro c ks a nd coves, interspersed wit h wide

sa nd y b e ach es. Over look in g t h e town is

the m a je st ic late-15 cent u r y Ar agon ese

C a st le , where Joach im Mu r at (1767-1815) ,

g e ne ra l a nd Marsh al of Fr an ce, K in g of Na-

p le s a nd Napoleon ’ s brot h er - in - law, was

he ld p r ison er an d execu ted by f i r in g squ ad

a fte r he came back f rom Cors ica , t r y in g to

regain contro l of h is k ing d o m . H e was b ur ie d in the Ch iesa Mat r ice d i S an G iorg io .

Notable s ights inc lude the C hie setta d i P ie d ig rotta , a ch ar min g l i t t le ch u rch car ved

in sandstone by some shipwre c ke d sa i lo rs f ro m Naples in t h e late 17 t h cent u r y,

north of the town cent re .

P izzo is renowned for i ts to p -q ua l i ty ic e c re am and especia l ly for i t s de l ic iou s “ t ar -

tufo” (which is why i t i s a lso refe rre d to as “ the c i ty of ice cream”) . Local de l icacies

a lso inc lude tuna, strawb e rr ie s and Z ib ib b o white win e .

The route br ief ly ente rs the p rovinc e of C a tanz aro , pass in g n ear Lamezia Ter me,

the major a i rport of th e re g io n . The c i ty was fo unded in 1968, wh en t h e mu n ic ipa l-

i t ies of N icastro , S ambia se a nd S ant ’E ufe m ia La m ezia were u n i ted . Mar in e l la , n ear -

by, is sadly remembere d fo r the d e a th of e ig ht amateu r r iders , wh o were r u n over

and k i l led by a car on D e c e m b e r 5 , 2010, o n a fa tefu l Su n day. A memor ia l ston e was

erected at the s ide of the ro a d , a nd the e nt i re G i ro convoy wi l l pay t h em t r ibu te , as

usual , upon the ir pass ag e .

START 15 9 K M

135 K M

PIZZO P RA IA A M A RE11 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 159

This wi l l be the se c o nd t im e as start c i ty fo r P izzo . Back in 2 0 0 8, in t h e 91 st

ed i t ion of the G i ro , v icto ry of stag e 4 ( f in ish ing in C at an zaro) , went to Br i t ish

spr inter Mark C avend ish .

T h e C h i e s e t t a d i P i e d i g r o t t a


PIZ ZO CAL ABRO PRAIA A MA RE07

A l i t t le furthe r in land , in A c q ua p p e sa, the re is a steep u ph i l l st retch t h at t akes

f rom the coast to the Te rm e Luig ia ne g arden s. Sever a l G i ro st ages a l ready

f in ished there: in 19 9 3 (with v icto ry g o ing to D imit r i Konysh ev) , in 1995 (Mau -

r iz io Fondr ies t) , in 19 9 9 (La ure nt J a lab e rt) , in 2 0 0 3 (Stef an o G ar ze l l i ) an d in

2017, with v icto ry g o ing to S i lva n D i l l ie r (Su i) .

S a i n t F r a n c i s o f P a o l a

T h e m e d i a e v a l t o w e r

o f G u a r d i a P i e m o n t e s e

PAO L A/COSENZ A / CA L A B RIA

GUARDIA PIEMO NTE SE MA RI NA / C O S EN Z A /CAL ABRIA

Past Fa lerna Ma r ina , the route reaches

C ampora S an G iova nni (a frazione of Aman-

tea, marking the entrance into the province

of Cosenza). The vi l lage thrives on agricul-

ture, f ishing and seaside tourism. The route

then rol ls past Lo ng o b ard i Ma r ina and the

junctions to Fiumefreddo Bruzio and San

Lucido (both vi l lages r ise on the hi l ls along

the Tyrrhenian coast). P a o la , next on the

route, was the birthplace of Saint Francis

of Paola (1416-1507), hermit and founder

of the Order of Minims, and beloved patron

saint of Calabria. The large sanctua ry that

was bui lt to him has become a place of

great pi lgrimage, especial ly from southern

Italy. The town centre expands on the hi l l-

side area and offers engaging sights, such

as the Aragone se C ast le .

The route continues in an even landscape

(the sea to the left , and the mountains and

town centres to the r ight), reaching Mar ina

d i Fuscaldo and G ua rd ia P ie m o nte se Ma -

r ina . Guardia is named after the Walden-

sian refugees coming from Piedmont that

founded the town in the 12 th century, and it

is sti l l an Occitan language island.

77 K M

6 3 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 7 0

07

SCALEA/COSENZ A / CA L A B RIA

The route continues along the SS 18, up to Santa Maria del Cedro.

Then, running along the stunning beaches of C alabr ia , the stage

reaches Scalea. The new town l ies at the foot of the old medi-

aeval d istr ict , perched on the top of the hi l l . Major landmarks

include a 16-century Aragonese tower cal led Torre Talao, on the

coast . The route then passes the junction to San Nicola Arcel la

(with a quaint rocky bay) and the junction to Praia a Mare Sud,

and continues along the shorel ine, heading for the f in ish.

19 K M

PIZZO CAL ABRO P RA IA A M A RE

In the 1982 Giro , Fra nc e sc o Mo se r na i le d the C aste l lamare d i St abia-Diamante

stage in a photof in ish , ahe ad of Ro so la and G iu seppe S aron n i . In 2 0 0 5, D ia-

mante hosted the start of stag e 3 , f in ish ing in G i f fon i Va l le P ian a an d won by

D ani lo D i Luca.

O n e o f t h e m u r a l p a i n t i n g s i n D i a m a n t e

C e d a r s

C i r e l l a I s l a n d

DIAMANTE/COSENZA / CA L A BRIA

Next on the route is Cetraro. Perched on a rocky outcrop, the vi l lage supposedly

draws its name from citrons and lemons, which are tradit ional ly cult ivated in the sur-

rounding terr itory. The stage then brushes by Cetraro Marina, with i ts wide beaches.

Past the junction to Belvedere Maritt imo, the route reaches Diamante. Lying at the

heart of the Cost iera dei Cedri , the town is known for i ts mural paint ings, i ts wide

beaches and the quaint l i t t le Cirel la Is land, opposite the eponymous frazione.

34 K M



The beach of Pra ia a Mare

extends 6 km a lo ng the

coast l ine , with a ro und

s ixty beach re so rts .

Tour ism starte d to d eve l-

op and thr ive in the se c -

ond hal f of th e 20 th c e n-

tury, as large inve stm e nt

by major local e ntre p re -

neurs made i t p o ss ib le

to bu i ld the re q uire d fa -

c i l i t ies . Tour ism , b o o ste d

by the cert i f ie d exc e l le nt

water qual i ty, is now the m a jo r d r ive r of loca l econ omy. Sou t h of t h e town are D in o

Is land, opposi te C a p o d e l l ’A re na, and the F iu zz i Tower. Th e lan dscape is mar ked

by numerous c ave s, a lso und e r wa te r , and p lent y of crevices an d c l i f fs a lon g t h e

coast l ine .

Summer tour ism is the m ajo r ind ustry, b ut t h e econ omy of t h e c i t y a lso t h r ives on

h an dicr af t an d smal l -scale

in du st r y, t ied to local pro-

du ct ion .

PIZ ZO CAL ABRO PRAIA A MA RE07

In the 2005 G iro d ’ I ta l ia , S a nta Mar ia d e l Cedro was f in ish c i t y of t h e 2 n d

stage, start ing in C a tanz aro L id o , wo n by Au st r a l ian spr inter Robbie Mc Ewen ,

whi le P aolo Bett in i wa s in p ink .

D i n o I s l a n d

T h e F i u z z i T o w e r

PRAIA A MARE/ C O S E N ZA / CA L A B RIA

F IN ISH


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 7 2

07PIZZO CAL ABRO P RA IA A M A RE

This wi l l be the se c o nd sta g e f in ish fo r P ra ia a Mare . Back in 2 0 16, t h e st age

featured a harsh f ina le up the ste e p Fo rt ino c l imb, an d Tu scan r ider D iego Ul-

iss i , supported by h is te a m m a te Vale r io C o nt i , crossed t h e f in ish l in e f i rst , 5”

ahead of Tom Dum o ul in .

How is publ ic money spent on our terr i tory? What k inds of projects are being funded? “A scuola di OpenCoesione” (which roughly translates as “Open Cohesion School”) is a learning and civ ic chal lenge for students in upper secondary schools. Together with their teachers, students wi l l analyse open information and open data (avai lable on the portal) to understand how publ ic funding (and especial ly EU funds) is spent on the terr i tory. The object ive is to engage ci t izens in monitor ing and discussing the effect ive-ness of publ ic investment. A large number of schools in Calabr ia jo ined this in i t iat ive, and many students have grown more aware.




07 RE G IO N CAL ABRIA

C alabr ia is at the “ to e ” of the I ta l ian P e nins u la .

I t is most ly mo unta ino us, a t a ra ng e of a l t i t u des , an d prot r u des into t wo su bdiv i-

s ions of the M e d ite rrane an S e a: the Tyrrhen ian to t h e west , an d t h e Ion ian to t h e

east . I ts north e rn l im it m e ets the re g io n of Bas i l icat a . To t h e sou t h , look in g ou t at

S ic i l ia of the S tra i t of Me ssina , sta nd s Re ggio C alabr ia , t h e largest town in t h e re-

g ion by populat io n , with i ts m a g nif ic e nt p roman ade an d beau t i f u l bu i ld in gs .

T h e A r c h a e o l o g i c a l M u s e u m o f M a g n a G r e c i a e x h i b i t s t h e c e l e b r a t e d R i a c e

b r o n z e s , t w o f u l l s i z e G r e e k b r o n z e s o f n u d e b e a r d e d w a r r i o r s , c a s t a b o u t 4 6 0 –

4 5 0 B C , d i s c o v e r e d b y a s n o r k e l e r 2 0 0 m e t r e s f r o m t h e c o a s t a t R i a c e , a t a

d e p t h o f 6 – 8 m e t r e s .

C a l a b r i a h a s f i ve p r ov i n c e s : C a t a n z a r o , C o s e n z a , C r o t o n e , R e g g i o C a l a b r i a a n d

V i b o Va l e nt i a .

A g r i c u l t u r a l p r o d u c t i o n c e nt r e s o n o l i ve g r ove s , v i n ey a r d s , b e r g a m o t ( t y p i c a l o f

C a l a b r i a ) , a n d c i t r u s f r u i t . T h e r e i s a l a c k o f i n d u s t r i a l i n f r a s t r u c t u r e , a n d a r a n g e

o f f a c t o r s t h a t i n h i b i t i nve s t m e nt . To u r i s m i s a m a j o r e c o n o m i c a c t i v i t y i n t h e

r e g i o n , t h a n k s t o t h e q u a nt i t y a n d q u a l i t y o f h i s t o r i c a l m o n u m e nt s f r o m eve r y

e r a , a n d s t u n n i n g l a n d s c a p e s f r o m t h e s e a t o t h e m o u nt a i n s , e s p e c i a l l y S i l a a n d

A s p r o m o nt e . C a l a b r i a i s t r u l y a m u l t i f a c e t e d r e g i o n wo r t h d i s c ove r i n g i n a l l i t s

ex t r a o r d i n a r y v a r i a t i o n .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 74

07NOT E S 07


NOTE07 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 7 6

È U N A S T O R I A C H E O G N I A N N O , T R E S E T T I M A N E L ’ A N N O , S I A R R I C C H I S C E D I N U O V I P R O TA G O N I S T I , D I N U O V E AV V E N T U R E , D I N U O V I C A P I T O L I . E C H E N O N C O N O S C E L A P A R O L A F I N E .

I T I S A S T O R Y T H AT TA K E S P L A C E E V E R Y Y E A R , F O R T H R E E W E E K S A Y E A R E N H A N C E D B Y N E W P R O TA G O N I S T S , N E W A D V E N T U R E S A N D N E W C H A P T E R S .A N D I T D O E S N ’ T K N O W T H E W O R D T H E E N D .

M a r c o P a s t o n e s i

R E A L I Z Z AT O P E R L A P R I M A V O LTA N E L 1 9 9 9 , P R E M I A D A L 2 0 0 0 I L C O R R I D O R EC H E V I N C E I L G I R O D ’ I TA L I A .

S I N C E 2 0 0 0 , T H E T R O F E O S E N Z A F I N E I S T H E AWA R D O F T H E G I R O D ’ I TA L I AW I N N E R . I T WA S R E A L I Z E D F O R T H E F I R S T T I M E I N 1 9 9 9 .

P E S O W E I G H T9 , 5 k g

M AT E R I A L E M AT E R I A LR a m e p l a c c a t o O r o 1 8 c a r a t i G o l d - p l a t e d c o p p e r 1 8 c a r a t s

M I S U R E D IM E N S I O N S

2 0 . 4 c m d i d i a m e t r o d i a m e t e r 5 3 . 5 c m d i a l t e z z a h e i g h t

TROFEO SENZ A FINEGIR O D’ I TA L I A OF F ICI A L T R OPH Y

#GIRO10 1

ADV_TROFEO_SENZA_FINE_2018.indd 1 28/03/18 18:13

P R A I A A M A R E

M O N T E V E R G I N E

D I M E R C O G L I A N O

0 8

ITA LY COSENZA

POTENZA

SALERNO

AVELLINO

NATION P ROVINCE


km 209


PRAIA A MARE MONTEVERGINE DI ME RC OGLIA NO08

Heading c lear ly north , ag a in , the e ig hth stag e set s of f f rom Pr a ia a Mare an d f in ish es in Monteverg ine d i Merco g l ia no (C a m p a nia) . The summit f in ish is “an o ld f r ien d” of t h e G i ro . The stage prof i le is ro l l ing and wavy, a l l the way to t h e c los in g c l imb.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 8 0

12 MAY 2018 SATURDAY km 209

P RAIA A MARE MONTEVERGINE DI M E RC OGL IA NO 08

PRAIA A MARE/ C O S E N ZA / CA L A B RIA

Pra ia a Mare , with i ts 6 -k m c o a st l ine a nd i ts B lue -F lag sea, was f in ish c i t y t h e pre-

v ious day. Here the rac e re sum e s and e nte rs B a s i l icat a st r a ight away.

PARTENZA 20 9 K M

T h e r e m a i n s o f t h e C a s t l e o f C a s t r o c u c c o

T h e s t a t u e o f C h r i s t

t h e R e d e e m e r

In the 1965 Giro, Maratea hosted the f in ish of stage

7, start ing in Potenza. F irst over the f in ish l ine was

the powerful Vito Taccone, “the chamois of Abruzzo” .

However, h is spr int was ruled unfair , and victory then

went to Luciano Armani , which caused f ierce debate.

On the fol lowing day, Franz Brands (Bel) won the Ma-

ratea-C atanzaro stage.

CASTROCUCCO/POTEN ZA / BAS IL ICATA

MARATEA/POTENZA/BAS IL ICATA

C astrocucco, f i rst on the ro ute , r ig ht

after the start , marks the p assag e

to Bas i l icata . The v i l la g e is set o n a

smal l h i l l , over the P iana d i C astro -

cucco, the only area of f lat la nd in the

terr i tory of Maratea . On a ro c k y sp ur

are the remains of t he e p o nym o us

cast le , whi le be low is a love ly f ine -

sand beach, ca l led a ’Gno la .

Maratea, is a town with a long, var ied and ancient history,

with dist inct ive architectures and a stunning 44 rel ig ious

bui ld ings, including churches. The huge white s t at u e of

Christ the Redeemer, completed in 1965, r ises on the top of

Mount San Biagio, home to an eponymous sanctuary. Stand-

ing 22 metres high, i t is the tal lest statue in I ta ly.

20 5 K M

19 5 K M



T h e B a y o f S a p r i

T h e f o r t i f i e d t o w e r o f t h e

C a s t l e o f R o c c a C i l e n t o

SAPRI/SALERN O / CA MPA N IA

AGROPOLI/SALE RN O / CA MPA N IA

S apr i , next on the ro ute , is a t rad i t io nal seas ide

v i l lage ly ing in a c ha rm ing b ay in the C i lento re-

g ion , mark ing the p a ssa g e to C am p ania . T h e town

is l inked to C ar lo P isac a ne (18 18 -18 57) , a Neapol-

i tan ar istocrat , e g al i ta r ian and so c ia l ist pat r iot ,

and h is i l l - fate d exp e d it io n . P isac a ne la nded h ere

on 26 June 18 57 to sp ark the up r is ing ag ain st t h e

Bourbon ru le , b ut m any of the re b e ls , inc lu din g P i-

sacane h imsel f , d ie d in the b att le a few d ays later .

Th is is remembe re d in the p o e m “ La sp ig o l at r ice d i S apr i ” , by Lu ig i Mercant in i , wh o

is considered a s the s ing e r of I ta l ian “ R iso rg imento” .

The route ro l ls p a st the se asid e town of Po l icas-

tro Bussent ino , and c o nt inue s a lo ng the coast -

l ine of C i lento , in a love ly natura l la nd sc ape wit h

crysta l waters .

The route then le ave s the c o ast and he a d s in lan d,

tak ing in the g e nt le und ula t io ns of the C i lento ,

and then goes b ac k to the sho re l ine in A gropol i .

Agropol i is a m a jo r to ur ist d e st inat io n an d sea-

s ide town, and is a lso ho m e to a num b e r of ter -

t iary sector and se rv ic e s c o m p a nie s . The an cient

C ast le of Rocc a C i le nto is the m ain s ig ht of t h e

o ld town. Renowne d lo c a l p ro d uc e inc lud es da ir y

(such as mozz are l la d i b ufa la c a m p a na DOP, ca-

c iocaval lo and othe r sp e c ia l t ie s) , o l ive o i l , dr ied

f igs and chocolate -d ip p e d f ig s .

178 K M

9 9 K M

In the 1974 Gi ro d ’ I ta l ia (57th e d i t io n) , Ro ger De V laemin ck (Bel) won t h e Sor -

rento-S apr i sta g e ; o n the fo l lowing d ay, P ier mat t ia G avazz i ou t spr inted h is

opponents du r ing the S ap r i -Tara nto sta g e.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 8 2


T h e T e m p l e s o f H e r a a n d P o s e i d o n

T h e t o p s l a b o f t h e T o m b o f t h e D i v e r

CAPACCIO PAESTUM/ SA LERN O / CA MPA N IA

SALERNO/SALE RN O / CA MPA N IA

The stage enters the te rr i to ry of C a-

paccio P aestum, home to the arc hae -

o log ica l s i te of P aestum . The anc ie nt

Greek c i ty of Poseidonia , na m e d af-

ter the Greek sea de i ty, use d to r ise

here , in the Sele r iver p la in . The m a ny

archaeologica l s i tes b r im with ar-

chi tectura l sp lendour, inc lud ing the

Temples of Neptune, Athe na, H e ra a nd

Poseidon, the Bas i l ica , the To m b of

the D iver and the Foru m . The N at io n-

a l Archaeologica l Muse um is a nothe r

po int of interest . The lo ng b e a c h is a

major dr iver of seas id e a nd c ul tura l

tour ism.

The route rol ls past Isola Verde and reaches Salerno, the second major city of the re-

gion, lying at the heart of the eponymous Gulf. The city is renowned for the local med-

ical school – Scuola Medica Salernitana – founded in the 11th century. During World

War I I , i t was the capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and in 1943 the Al l ies landed on the

beaches of the Gulf to l iberate Italy.

A wide and varied industrial sector (especial ly pottery), along with and a very busy

commercial and tourist harbour are the main drivers of local economy. Major tourist

9 1 K M

5 4 K M

P aestum was hometown to C a m i l lo Be rta re l l i (1886-1982 ) , bor n to a Mi lan ese

fami ly, and a Pro rac ing cyc l ist f ro m 19 08 to 192 1. He was a lso an ar t co l lector

and wr i ter , and the la rg e C iv ic Pr int C o l le ct io n at t h e Mu seo Sfor zesco in Mi lan

is named after h im . To g ethe r with h is b rothe r Lu ig i V i t tor io , a geogr aph er, h e

was one of the 55 b icyc l ists who fo und e d the Tou r in g C lu b C ic l ist ico I t a l ian o –

the present Tour ing C lub of I ta ly, of whic h Lu ig i V i t tor io was t h e f i rst Pres ident .




T h e C a t h e d r a l o f S a l e r n o

T h e G u l f o f S a l e r n o

MERCATO SAN S E VE RI NO / SA LE RN O / CA MPA NIA

MONTORO/AVELL IN O / CA MPA N IA

Baroniss i and Me rc ato S an S eve r ino , nex t on t h e rou te , are t wo den sely popu lated

towns in the fert i le are a of the A g ro N o c e r in o-S ar n ese, wh ere t h e f amou s S an Mar -

zano DOP toma to e s are t rad i t io nal ly c u l t ivated.

The route continues along the “strada statale dei Due Principati” (the trunk road connect-

ing Salerno and Avell ino), all the way to Montoro. The town has a l ively and long-standing

4 0 K M

36 K M

Alfonso G atto , p o et and wr i te r (19 09 -19 76) , bor n in S a ler n o, ser ved as specia l

correspondent f ro m the G iro fo r “ L ’Unità” n ewspaper. On e of h is memor able

quotes – the op e ning wo rd s of o ne of h is ar t ic les – goes “Tu t t i pr imi a l t r agu ar -

do de l mio cuo re ” (A l l in the f i rst p lac e at t h e f in ish l in e in my h ear t ) . Some

argue that he had lo st the stag e re sults…

S alerno hoste d seve ra l G i ro d ’ I ta l ia stage f in ish es , wit h promin ent win n ers

such as G iuse p p e A z z in i in 19 13, A l f re d o B in da in 192 9, A l legro Gr an di in 1930 ,

Fausto Coppi in 19 49 , Mig ue l P o b let in 19 56, Ru di A l t ig in 1967, Moren o Argen -

t in in 1985, an d Ro l f S o re nse n in 19 9 5.

attractions include the seafront (Lungomare

Trieste), the old town, the Minerva Gardens

and the lovely Cathedral . A mediaeval cas-

tle dedicated to the Lombard duke Arechis

I I , r ising on the hi l l at around 300 metres, of-

fers a panoramic view over the Gulf.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 8 4


T h e S a n c t u a r y o f M o n t e v e r g i n e

MONTEVERGINE DI M E RCO G L I A NO / AV E LLIN O / CA MPANIA

The route enters the municipal terr i tory of

Mercogl iano and takes in the closing cl imb

towards the Sanctuary of Montevergine,

heading for the f in ish, after rol l ing past the

frazione of Torrette and cutt ing across Os-

pedaletto d’Alpinolo (the town is renowned

for handmade nougat production) .

The c los ing c l imb (cate g o ry 2) b e g ins just

before Mercogl iano. T he S a nctuary c o m -

plex , where the icon of the V i rg in Mary of

Monteverg ine is house d and ve ne ra te d ,

is a nat ional monument , and an e st im at-

ed 1 .5 mi l l ion p i lgr ims v is i t the sa nctuary

every year . The story of the sa nctuary is l inke d to W i l l iam of Vercel l i , a h er mit mon k

who sett led here in the 11 th-12 th c e ntury, and fo under of t h e Con gregaz ion e Verg in -

iana (Order of Monteve rg ine ) . Me rc o g l ia no and Monteverg in e h ave been con n ected

to each other by cable c ar s inc e 19 56 ; the t r ip o n ly last s 7 min u tes , wit h a st u n n in g

course among the beec h a nd c he stnut fo re sts . The n ew abbey, bu i l t in t h e Neo-Ro-

manesque sty le , was c o nse c rate d in 19 6 1 a nd now s i t s bes ide t h e o lder bu i ld in gs

of the complex .

F IN ISH

The Mercogl iano c l im b is “ an o ld f r ie nd ” of the G i ro , as mu lt ip le st ages f in -

ished here: in 196 2, v icto ry we nt to A rm and Desmet (Bel) , in 2 0 0 1 to D an i lo

d i Luca, in 2004 to D am ia no C une g o , in 2007 to D i Lu ca again , an d in 2 0 11 to

Bart De C lercq (Be l) .

passion for cycling, with A.S. Montoro 1927, founded by Francesco Arminante (known as

“don Ciccio”), siblings Nicola and Simone Vietri , and Paolo Trucil lo.

The route then rolls past Celzi and Bell izzi Irpino (a frazione of Avell ino, south of the pro-

vincial capital), among the large hazel groves.



08

C ampania is a re g io n in so uthe rn I ta ly with more t h an 6 mi l l ion in h abit ant s (more

than ha l f of w ho m are c o nc e ntrate d in th e provin ce of Naples) . Th e region over -

looks the Tyrrhe nia n S e a, a nd b o rd e rs the reg ion s of Laz io , Mol ise , Pu gl ia an d Ba-

s i l icata . The te rr i to ry of C am p ania ha s , by area , 50 % h i l ls , 35% mou nt a in s an d 15%

p la ins , d iv ided into fo ur c le ar sub -re g io ns . On t h e p la in s , t h e fer t i le Ter r a d i Lavoro .

The S amnium (S annio ) , m a d e up of m o unt a in s an d h i l ls a lon g t h e Apen n in es , wit h

the Matese mounta ins . The n, the re is I rp in ia , in t h e cent r a l an d easter n par t of t h e

reg ion , landlocke d and m o st ly m o unta ino u s. F in a l ly, C i lento , a large , mou nt a in ou s

headland, mark ing C am p ania ’s so uthe rn b order , separ at in g t h e Bays of S a ler n o

and Pol icastro . C a m p a nia ’s m ain r ive r is th e Vol t u r n o, t h e lon gest in sou t h er n I t a-

ly. I ts second r ive r is the S e le . The C a m p an ia coast f aces t h e Tyr r h en ian Sea. Th e

best-known stretc he s of c o a st are tho se of t h e Sor rento pen in su la , wit h t h e Lat t ar i

Mounta ins run ning a lo ng the e nt i re he a d lan d, wh ich be lon gs par t ly to t h e provin ce

of Naples , with the S o rre nto C o ast , a nd p a rt ly to S a ler n o, wit h t h e Amalf i Coast .

The C i lento coa st l ie s e nt i re ly with in the provin ce of S a ler n o. Major n at u r a l lan d-

marks inc lude Mo unt Ve suvius a nd the vo lcan ic area of t h e Ph legr aean F ie lds , a lso

known as C amp i F le g re i . O utstand ing s ig ht s a lso in c lu de t h e Sol f at ar a , a sh al low

volcanic crate r at P oz z uo l i , whic h e m its su l f u rou s f u mes; Lake Aver n u s, a vo lcan ic

crater lake thoug ht of in a nc ie nt t im e a s on e of t h e ent r an ces to t h e u n der wor ld ;

and the wide va r iety of the rm a l sp r ing s , wh ich in c lu de t h e spr in gs at Isch ia , Agn a-

no, Pozzuol i an d C a ste l lam a re d i S tab ia . For t h e i r n at u r a l beau t y, t h e is lan ds of Is-

chia , C apr i and Pro c id a a re wo r ld fam o us. Two more, smal ler , bu t equ al ly beau t i f u l

is lands are V ivara and N is id a .

The region boa sts a lo ng a nd c o m p lex h istor y t h at h as lef t a r ich cu l t u r a l legacy,

i l lustrated, for exam p le by the anc ie nt arch i tect u re st i l l v is ib le at Cu ma, Naples

( f i rst known as P arthe no p e , the n a s N e a p ol is) an d P aest u m, wh ere C i lento begin s ,

an ancient c i ty of Mag na G rae c ia , with i ts impress ive Temple of At h en a, a s i te of

great va lue , as are tho se in the va l ley of temples at Agr igento in S ic i ly. Major mi-

grat ions f rom G re e c e – whe nc e the nam e Magn a Gr aecia – sh aped t h e h istor y of

C ampania , as arc ha e o lo g ic a l a nd arc hite ct u r a l t r aces sh ow. Th e Roman amph it h e-

atre at C apua, se c o nd o nly to the C o l ise um in s ize , in u n missable . So too is t h e ear ly

Chr ist ian art of the C a tac o m b s a nd Basi l ic as in Naples . Ot h er h igh l ight s in c lu de t h e

F lav ian Amphithe a tre in P oz z uo l i , the a rc h aeologica l s i te at Cu ma an d t h e P isc in a

Mirabi l is , a f reshwa te r c iste rn d ug o ut of th e c l i f f f ace at Bacol i , to provide t h e Ro-

man western im p e r ia l f le et a t Po rtus J u l iu s wit h dr in k in g water . Near Vesu viu s l ie

Pompei i and Herc ula ne um , d e stroye d by th e er u pt ion in 79 AD. A lso ou t st an din g are

the excavat ion s at O p lo nt i . Fro m the Ro m an per iod , t h e Arch of Tr a jan at Ben even -

to , bu i l t to hono ur the Em p e ro r Tra jan , is v i r t u a l ly int act even today.

RE G IO N CAMPANIA

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 8 6

08

The cul ture ref lects the inf lue nc e of the Lo ng o b ards , t h e C apet ian s , an d t h e Hou se

of Aragon, in the Bourb o n p e r io d , whe n N ap le s an d i t s K in gdom were on e of t h e

cul tura l , art ist ic and e c o no m ic c e ntre s of E uro p e, leadin g t h e cont in ent in many

sectors . On 3 October 18 39 the N a p o l i -Po rt ic i ra i lways, t h e f i rst on e in I t a ly, bu t a l -

ready equipped with a d o ub le t rac k l ine , wa s ina ugu r ated. In 1861, C ampan ia jo in ed

the K ingdom of I ta ly. T he ind ustr ia l revo lut io n tha t fo l lowed was at t h e expen se of

Naples , C ampania and the e nt i re so uth of I ta ly, which su f fered problems t h at pre-

vented the ir fu l l develo p m e nt .

As regards the archi te ctura l he r i tag e , the c a the dr a ls of C asar t avecch ia , Amalf i ,

Benevento and S alern o a re a l l o utstand ing , as a re t h e Rocca dei Ret tor i an d t h e

church and monaster y c o m p lex of S a nta S of ia , bot h at Ben evento . Th e Cer tosa

d i P adula (P adula Charte rho use ) , a UN ES C O Wo r ld Her i t age S i te , h as t h e wor ld ’ s

largest c lo ister , surro und e d by 8 4 c o lum ns. The Reggia d i C aser t a (Royal P a lace

of C aserta) , bu i l t for Cha r le s I I I of S p ain by the arch i tect Lu ig i Vanvite l l i , i s a lso a

UNESCO Wor ld Her i tag e S i te . I t is , by d ef in i t io n , th e last great wor k of t h e I t a l ian

Baroque and, with 1 ,79 0 wind ows, a nd 1 ,200 ro o ms cover in g more t h an 2 mi l l ion

square metres , the larg e st royal re s id e nc e in the wor ld . Th e Bou r bon s wanted to

emulate

the P alace of Versa i l le s in C am p ania . I t is surro unded by an immen se par k d iv ided

into two sectors chara cte r ise d by an I ta l ia n g ard e n wit h many fou nt a in s , water f a l ls

and water features , an d a n Eng l ish g ard e n with d en se woodlan d. C lose to C aser t a ,

in the v i l lage of S an Le uc io , Fe rd inand I of the Two S ic i l ies open ed h is s i lk f actor y,

the “Regia Manifattura d e l le S ete ” , inc lud e d in the UNESCO Wor ld Her i t age s i tes l ist .

The Mig l io d ’Oro (nam e d a fte r a n a nc ie nt uni t of measu rement u sed in Naples) is

a short stretch of road running a lo ng the c o ast of t h e sou t h er n n e igh bou r h ood of

Naples . I ts remarkable h isto r ic a l a nd a rt ist ic le g a cy in c lu des won der f u l rococo an d

neoclass ic v i l las with larg e , ve rd a nt g a rd e ns. The v iew over t h e Gu l f of Naples an d

the is lands of C apr i , Isc hia a nd P ro c id a is b re a th-tak in g .

G iuseppe “Joe” Petrosino was born in Padula in 1860. He immigrated to New York at

a very young age, and became a legendary detect ive, a pioneer in the f ight against

organized cr ime. He was shot to death in Palermo in 1909, where he was invest igat-

ing internat ional cr iminal connections. His l i fe inspired a number of f i lms and novels .

RE GION CA M PA NIA


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 8 8

NOTE08 NOTE S

P E S C O S A N N I T A

G R A N S A S S O

D ’ I T A L I A

0 9

ITA LY BENEVENTO

ISERNIA

AQUIL A

PESCARA

NATION PROVINCE

13 MAY 2018 SUNDAY

km 225

PE SCO SANNITA GRAN SASSO D’ ITA LIA13 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 225

09

The pelotons sets out f ro m the p rovinc e of B e nevento , C ampan ia , h eadin g for t h e f in ish in C ampo Imperatore , afte r the c lo s ing c l im b up t h e Gr an S asso d ’ I t a l ia . Th e rou te r u n s through the Apennine rang e , b r ief ly c utt ing a c ross C ampan ia , an d t h en t h rou gh Mol ise , f in ish ing in Abruzzo .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 9 0

PESCO SANNITA GRA N SASSO D’ ITA L IA13 MAY 2018 SUNDAY km 225

09

PESCO SANNITA/ BEN EV EN TO / CA MPA N IA

Pesco S annita wi l l be m ak ing i ts d e b ut as sta rt lo cat ion for on e of t h e G i ro st ages.

The town l ies up in the h i l ls , o n the r ig ht b ank of r iver Tammaro, ver y c lose to P ie-

tre lc ina , and has reta ine d i ts o r ig ina l m e d ia eval c h ar acter . Agr icu l t u re is t h e main

dr iver of loca l economy: v ineyard s , o l ive t re e s a nd cereal crops t h r ive owin g to t h e

fert i le so i l .

Fragneto Monforte , nex t o n the ro ute sho rt ly after t h e st ar t , is a n ice town t h at

shares most features with P e sc o S annita .

START 225 K M

15 5 K M

T h e F o n t a n a F r a t e r n a

The city hosted two Giro d’ I ta l ia stage f in ishes: in 1974, with victory going to

Simone Fraccaro, and in 1989, with victory going to Frenchman Mart ia l G ayant.

ISERNIA/ ISERNIA/MO LIS E

The route enters Mol ise and fol-

lows the expressway along the

val ley f loor, a l l the way to Ise r-

n ia . The unique urban centre of

the city extends on two differ-

ent levels . The histor ic distr ict

l ies on a rocky travert ine spur,

whi le the modern part of the

city has a regular plan and l ies

in a more elevated posit ion. The

central square, Piazza Celest ino

V, is the heart of the town, with

an elegant 14-century fountain,

Fontana Fraterna (shaped l ike

an arcade and with carved cap-

itals) , which has survived the

many earthquakes that have struck the terr itory over the centur ies. Main s ights also

include the C athedra l and i ts imposing bel l tower.


PE SCO SANNITA GRAN SASSO D’ ITA LIA09

C a s t e l d i S a n g r o

T h e m e m o r i a l t o t h e f a l l e n

i n t h e M a s s a c r e

CASTEL DI SAN G RO / AQ U IL A / A BRU ZZO

ROCCARASO/AQ UIL A / A B RUZ ZO

The route ro l ls a lo ng the ex p re ssway at the bot tom of t h e va l ley, c l imbin g s l ight ly,

and reaches P o nte Z i t to la , m a rk ing the p assage to Abr u zzo . Owin g to i t s st r ategic

pos i t ion and r ic h h isto ry, C aste l d i S ang ro is a lso refer red to as “ t h e gateway to

Abruzzo” . Majo r la nd m arks inc lud e the Basi l ica of S ant a Mar ia Assu nt a , t h e C iv ic

Museum and t he m use um d e d ic a te d to f ly f ish in g , t h e Wi ld l i fe P ar k an d a n u mber

of beaut i fu l nob le m ansio ns . The c i ty was exten sive ly damaged du r in g t h e Secon d

Wor ld War, as i t sa t strate g ic a l ly o n the G ust av L in e t h at t h e Ger man s h ad set u p to

prevent the A l l ie d fo rc e s f ro m ad vanc ing af ter t h ey lan ded at S a ler n o.

A long the c l im b le a d ing to Ro c c ara so (c at-

egory 2 summit) , g ra d ie nts are va r iab le

and grow increasing ly ste e p e r. Ro c c a raso,

bu i l t in the late 19 th c e ntury, ha s lo ng b e e n

a major tour ist d e st ina t io n , owing to the

tra in l inks with N ap le s and Ro m e . P a rt of

the invaluable arc hi te ctura l le g a cy wa s d e -

stroyed dur ing the war ye a rs , b ut the town

managed to re state i ts stro ng to ur ist vo c a -

t ion by restor ing a c c o m m o d at io n fac i l i t ie s ,

and promot ing i ts lo c a l c usto m s and c ul-

ture . The town re c e ive d the G o ld Me d a l fo r

mi l i tary bravery a nd is sa d ly re m e m b e re d

for the Massac re of P ietransie r i , whe re the

German troops k i l le d 128 p e o p le in reta l i -

at ion .

126 K M

117 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 9 2

PESCO SANNITA GRA N SASSO D’ ITA L IA 09

C a s t l e C a n t e l m o

Roccaraso featured in the Giro d’ I ta l ia route several t imes, with victor ies by Gior-

gio Albani (f i rst a successful r ider, and then a Team Manager) in 1952, Fausto

Coppi in 1953 and Walter Boucquet (Bel) in 1964. More recently, Tuscan r ider

Fabriz io Fabbri roared to victory in 1976 ( in Aremogna), Miro Panizza in 1980,

Moreno Argentin in 1987, and Tim Wel lens (Bel) c l inched a masterful solo win in

2016 ( in Aremogna, again) .

POPOLI/PESCAR A / A B RUZ ZO

CAL ASCIO/L ’AQUIL A / A B RUZ ZO

The route passes through P ian

de l le C inquemigl ia , st i l l at a lt i tude,

in a unique landscape, and then

drops into Pettorano su l G iz io , a

lovely town that is l isted as one of

the most beautiful v i l lages in I ta-

ly. Popol i , next on the route, s its

c lose to the Gole d i Trem o nt i . Main

s ights include the remains of C a s-

t le C ante lmo, towering over the old

town.

Next on the route is Bussi sul Tirino. This area has plenty of water resources, which

promoted the development of several industrial activities. The race then goes back to

the province of L’Aquila. Here, a second-category climb leads all the way to Calascio, a

small town within the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, with a lovely view

over the Tirino river valley. Soaring above the vil lage is the majestic mountaintop for-

tress, Rocca di Calascio, with its mediaeval settlement, recently restored, and the ruins

of the Castle. Tower houses are a common and distinctive building type in Calascio.

6 4 K M

32 K M

Popol i was hometown to C o rrad ino D ’A sc anio (1891-1981) , mech an ica l en gi-

neer, who invented the ic o nic Ve sp a P iag g io an d des ign ed t h e f i rst h e l icopter

prototypes.

13 MAY 2018 SUNDAY km 225


PE SCO SANNITA GRAN SASSO D’ ITA LIA

The route takes in the ascent to the G ran S as-

so d ’ I ta l ia , heading for the finish in Campo Im-

peratore (1st category summit).

The location is remembered as the place

where Benito Mussolini was held prisoner, and

then rescued by the German troops led by Ma-

jor Otto Skorzeny on 12 September 1943.

The wide C amp o Im p e ra to re p late a u is dom-

inated by the Corno Grande, the tallest Apen-

nine peak in the Gran Sasso Massif. It is the

oldest winter sports resort in Central Italy.

Vegetation is sparse, and the area is often

windy.

In this stunning mountain scenery, major

landmarks include the distinctive architecture

of Hotel Campo Imperatore, the tiny church of

Madonna del le N evi , the A stro no m ic a l O b-

servatory, and the A lp ine B otanic a l G ard en

and the museum.

Owing to its unique landscape and scenery,

the plateau has often been chosen as fi lming

location for a number of movies.

09

T h e t i n y c h u r c h o f M a d o n n a d e l l e

N e v i

SANTO STEFANO D I SE SSA NI O / L ’AQ UIL A / A B R UZZO

GRAN SASSO D’ I TA LI A - CA MPO I MPE RATORE/L ’ AQUIL A/ABRUZZO

The rou te c l imbs again , towards S anto Ste-

fa no d i Sessan io , on e of t h e most beau t i f u l

v i l lag es in I t a ly. A lon gside t r ad i t ion al act iv i -

t ie s – l ivestock r a is in g an d mou nt a in f ar min g

– to ur ism h as developed as a leadin g dr iver of

lo c a l econ omy. Th e 2 0 0 9 ear t h qu ake exten -

s ive ly damaged t h e rou n d Medic i Watchtower,

r is ing at t h e ver y top of t h e v i l lage , wh ich is

st i l l be in g recon st r u cted. Major lan dmar ks in

the town cent re a lso in c lu de t h e Ren aissan ce

P a la z zo Mediceo, t h e Ch iesa Madre an d t h e

c hurc h of S anto Stef an o f u or i le mu r a .

27 K M

F IN ISH

A R e n a i s s a n c e p a l a z z o i n

S a n t o S t e f a n o d i S e s s a n i o

“ T r i n i t y I s S t i l l M y N a m e ” , o n e o f

t h e m o v i e s s h o t o n t h e p l a t e a u


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 9 4

PESCO SANNITA GRA N SASSO D’ ITA L IA 09

C ampo Imperatore has a r ich and long-standing cycl ing tradit ion. I t hosted i ts f i rst

Giro d’ I ta l ia stage f in ish back in 1971, with victory going to Vicente Lopez-C arr i l

(Esp). In 1985, a young Franco Chiocciol i c la imed stage victory in Fonte Cerreto

(a dozen km away from C ampo Imperatore) . In 1989, John C arlsen (from Den-

mark, possibly the f lattest country) outdid the Colombian cl imber Luis “Lucho”

Herrera by 29” , and in 1999, Marco Pantani roared to victory alone, crossing the

f in ish l ine after over 250 km of racing. The cl imb was designated as the Montagna

Pantani of the 2018 Giro d’ I ta l ia to remember this outstanding achievement.

In 2017, C ampo Imperatore was the f in ish locat ion for the closing stage of the

40th U-23 Giro d’ I ta l ia , which had just made its comeback, with an engaging race

to the f in ish l ine. Ja i Hindlay (Aus) took stage victory ahead of his compatr iot ,

Hamilton, whi le Pavel Sivakov (Rus) managed to secure overal l v ictory for just a

few seconds.

Three research projects have been conf i rmed recent ly within the framework of the Horizon 2020 European Programme, at test ing to the excel lent qual i ty of research for innovat ion at the Universi ty of L’Aqui la.The “ReFreeDrive” project (Rare Earth Free e-Drives featur ing low cost manufactur ing) is focused on developing innovat ive dr ivetrains for electr ic vehicles, based on indus-tr ia l product ion technologies.The “Atos” project (Advanced Technological Solut ions for X band Earth Observat ion Systems) is focused on developing a new generat ion of T/R modules and antennas, to be used in Sar space radars, based on technologies that wi l l be at least three t imes as performing as those avai lable for earth observat ion satel l i tes.The “Fenix” project (Future business models for the Eff ic ient recovery of Natural and Industr ia l secondary resources in eXtended supply chains contexts) is focused on de-f in ing novel supply chains enabl ing the recovery of secondary natural resources for manufactur ing new added-value products.


13 MAY 2018 SUNDAY km 225


09 RE G IO N MOLISE

Mol ise is the most recently created Ita l ian region, s ince i t used to be part of the re-

gion of Abruzzo e Mol ise, a longside the region of Abruzzo, unt i l 1963.

It is a region with ordinary statute located in Southern Ita ly; C ampobasso is the

regional capital . I t borders Abruzzo to the north, Lazio to the west , C ampania to the

south-west and Pugl ia to the south-east . I t is washed by the Adriat ic Sea to the east .

I t is the second smal lest I ta l ian region after the Aosta Val ley. I ts terr itory is a lmost

equal ly divided between mountains and hi l ls . The Passo di Rionero, a lso known as

Bocca di For l ì (891 m), between the towns of Rionero Sannit ico ( Isernia, Mol ise) and

C astel d i Sangro (L ’Aqui la , Abruzzo), is regarded, conventional ly, as the geographical

boundary between Central and Southern Ita ly.

Mol ise stretches some 35 km along the Adriat ic Sea. The shore is mostly sandy, with

long, wide beaches, with the sole exception of the promontory of Ter mol i . Here, in

a sheltered posit ion, stands the port - with ferry l ines that run to Croat ia and to the

Isole Tremit i . Further seaside towns are C ampomarino and Petacciato.

Histor ical ly, the region was part of the ancient S amn ite – thus, Roman – terr itory.

Her itage of that t ime includes the Roman theatre in Sepino. Further histor ical events

have marked the terr itory and i ts people throughout the centur ies.

The region is spl i t into two provinces, C am pobasso (the regional capital) and Iser n ia ,

and i t has a total populat ion of about 315,000.

The economy of the region thr ives on major industr ia l act iv it ies in Termol i , C am-

pobasso, Bojano and Venafro, a long with seaside and summer tourism (main dest i-

nat ions have been mentioned above), as wel l as winter tour ism, with popular resorts

such as C ampitel lo Matese and C apracotta.

The region boasts a number of valuable monuments, as wel l as plenty of architec-

tural , cultural and tradit ional landmarks. Major attract ions include the two provincial

capitals , a long with Termol i , Venafro, Lar ino, Agnone (home to Marinel l i , a bel l manu-

factur ing plant with over a thousand years’ worth of history) , Montenero di Bisaccia

and many more. C e le st ine V, the 192nd Pontiff of the C athol ic Church, was Pope for

as l i tt le as four months, and then resigned. He was born in Mol ise, approximately be-

tween 1209 and 1215; his name was Pietro Angeler io or Angeler i , which he changed

to Pietro da Morrone (the name under which he was known), and was venerated by

the Church as Pietro Celest ino.

Isernia and Sant’Angelo L imosano both cla im to have been his birthplace. He died as

hermit in F iumone in 1926.

The region boasts a number of nature reserves and has a prominent agr icultural pro-

duction, above al l o l ive oi l , a long with cheese and dairy, tradit ional cold cuts, wine

and pasta. F ishing is another major act iv ity. Typical del icacies include “brodetto” , a

popular f ish stew of many locat ions on the Adriat ic coast .

Notable cit izens of the region include popular s inger Fred Bon gu sto (C ampobasso,

1935) and Aldo Biscardi (Lar ino, 1930), journal ist and TV host . Speaking of l i terature,

mention must be made of Francesco Jovine (1902-Rome 1950) who narrated the

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 9 6

09RE GION A BRU ZZO

events and customs of his homeland in his novel t i t led “Le terre del Sacramento” .

Nat ive to Termol i (1923-Rome 1997) was Benito J acovit t i , one of the greatest I ta l ian

comic art ists . He created a number of characters, including “Cocco Bi l l ” who has

been a favourite for generat ions of youngsters. D avide Appol lonio (1989), a good

spr inter on today’s cycl ing scene,was born in Isernia.

The region of Abruzzo, sandwiched between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine moun-

tain chain, has as its regional capital L’Aquila, which shares the regional institutions

of government with Pescara. It is divided into four provinces: L’Aquila, Chieti , Pescara

and Teramo. It borders the region of Le Marche (Eng. The Marches) to the north, the

Adriatic Sea to the east, Lazio to the west and Molise to the south. The landscapes of

Abruzzo are mostly mountains and hi l ls, with a narrow band of plain along the coast.

The highest peaks of the Apennines are in Abruzzo, with the t ip of Corno Grande (2912

m) in the Gran Sasso massif, the Maiel la (2793 m) on Mount Amaro, the Laga peaks

on the border with Lazio and Le Marche and those of the Abruzzo National Park. The

region has 130 km of coastl ine, with sandy beaches from Le Marche to the south of

Pescara, and then high cl iffs with beaches below, and f inal ly coves surrounded by

Mediterranean f lora as far as the border with Molise. A number of towns in the region

offer a wide range of choice for mountain tourism and ski ing.

The regional economy, original ly based on f ishing, agriculture and pasture, has diver-

sif ied, although it maintains its reputation for high quality, natural products. Saffron is

typical of the L’Aquila area. Two typical dishes are pasta cut with a ‘chitarra’ ( l iteral ly,

guitar, a cutting board strung with dozens of paral lel wires - more a zither than a guitar

- used to cut pasta), and simple ‘sagne’ pasta, made of water, oi l and f lour and shaped

into a rhomboid (rhomboid is a paral lelogram in which adjacent sides are of unequal

lengths and angles are obl ique), as well as dairy products, ol ive oi l and cured meats,

with mutton and lamb in particular evidence. ‘Arrosticini , ’ made from mutton, cut in

chunks, skewered and cooked on a brazier with a typical ly elongated shape, cal led

‘canala’ as it resembles a gutter, are another Abruzzo special ity.

The region produces f ine wines and l iquors. Typical sweets from the region include

sugared almonds from the town of Sulmona, cakes l ike ‘parrozzo’ (made of semoli-

na, almonds and orange peel , then covered with melted chocolate) and ‘bocconotto’

(which can be sweet, short crust pastry tarts f i l led with honey, cream, marmalade

or chocolate, or savoury, made of puff pastry and a mushroom fi l l ing with chicken

or truffle). In the past, the region saw massive emigration to Europe or overseas, but

migrants mostly remained t ied to their land of origin.

The catastrophic 2009 earthquake hit L’Aquila and its architectural jewels, causing

untold damage to the cultural heritage of the regional capital and of outlying areas.

But the people of Abruzzo, with characteristic tenacity, are rebuilding the region.


09 RE G IO N ABRUZZO

I l lustrious natives of Abruzzo include the magical writer Ignazio Si lone (Pescina

1900-Ginevra 1978) - the pen name of Si lvano Tranquil l i – an intel lectual and author

who described the nard condit ions of l i fe in the Marsica in his novel ‘Fontamara’ , Bene-

detto Croce (Pescasserol i 1866-Napoli 1952) phi losopher, historian, pol it ician and man

of letters, the engineer Corradino D’Ascanio, who designed the ‘Vespa’ scooter

and hel icopters (Popoli 1891-Pisa 1981) and the painter Francesco Paolo Michetti

(Tocco di Casauria 1851-Francavil la al Mare 1929).

In cycl ing, among many f ine r iders, Abruzzo means Franco Franchi, the “chamois (or

mountain goat) of Abruzzo” Vito Taccone, Vincenzo Meco, Palmiro Masciarel l i , Stefano

Giul iani , the tracky Gianluca Capitano and Danilo Di Luca, winner of the 2007 Giro d’ Ita-

l ia and other classics.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 9 8

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 0 0

NOTE09 NOTE S

ITA LY PESCARA

TERAMO

ASCOLI P ICENO

MACERATA

PERUGIA

NATION PROVINCE

15 MAY 2018 TUESDAY

km 239

P E N N E

G U A L D O T A D I N O

1 0

PE NNE GUALDO TADINO15 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 239

10

After the second rest day, the lo ng e st sta g e of the 2 0 18 Giro set s of f f rom t h e provin ce of Pescara . The route run s f ro m A b ruz zo thro ug h March e to Umbr ia , across t h e in n er Apen -nines . The prof i le is b um py and wavy, a nd m o st of t h e t r ick iest c l imbs are fou n d in t h e Marche.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 0 2

PENNE GUA LDO TA DINO15 MAY 2018 TUESDAY km 239

10

PENNE/PESCARA / A BRU ZZO

The peloton wil l cast off from Penne, a lovely hil ltop town of ancient origins (l isted as

one of the most beautiful vi l lages in Italy), sitting halfway between the Adriatic Sea and

the Gran Sasso d’Ital ia. The view ranges from the towns perched on the surrounding

hil ls to the outl ine of the Gran Sasso massif. River Tavo was dammed in the 1960s,

hence creating an artif icial lake that currently belongs to the Riserva Regionale Lago

di Penne, a major nature reserve. The lovely town centre is dotted with mediaeval and

Baroque houses, loggias, arcades, churches

and buildings. Most of the streets and hou-

ses are built in bricks, which is why Penne is

also referred to as “the town of bricks”.

The Duomo, dedicated to Saint Maximus of

Aveia and to the Virgin of the Angels, is a

national monument. Major landmarks also

include the Museo Diocesano, San Giovanni

Evangelista and Santa Maria in Colleromano.

START 239 K M

229 K M

L a g o d i P e n n e

FARINDOL A/PESCARA / A BRU ZZO

Cl imbing r ight after the start , the route f i rst encounters Far in dola . The vi l lage, r is ing

on a rocky outcrop, has retained i ts or ig inal mediaeval structure. I t is best known

for the eponymous cheese, made with ewe’s mi lk and pig rennet – a dairy specialty

product that dates back to the Roman age.

Penne was hometown to m ag istra te E m i l io A lessan dr in i (1942 -1979) , wh o was

k i l led in an ambush by a f r ing e g ro up b e lo ng ing to Pr ima L in ea. Pen n e was a lso

hometown to Mimm o Lo c a sc iu l l i , p r im a ry c a re physic ian an d s in ger -son gwr i ter .

Here , the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia wi l l ho no ur the v ict im s of t h e t r agedy t h at h i t R igopian o

on 18 January 2017, whe n a c o m b inat io n of he avy sn owf al l an d se ismic act iv i t y

caused a massive ava la nc he tha t b ro ke off Monte S ie l la , s lammin g sn ow an d

debr is into the R igop iano H ote l . The ava la nc he k i l led 2 9 people an d lef t 11 in ju -

red: i t was the dea d l ie st in I ta ly s inc e 19 16 an d t h e deadl iest in Eu rope s in ce

1999. The publ ic op in io n was p rofo und ly sho c ked by t h is f atef u l event .

1 0 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

PE NNE GUALDO TADINO10

T h e C a t h e d r a l S a n t a M a r i a A s s u n t a T h e M a d o n n a d e l l e G r a z i e S a n c t u a r y

Notable cit izens include Melchiorre Delf ico (1744-1835), phi losopher, economist ,

numismatist and pol i t ic ian, and Ivan Graziani (1945-1997), s inger-songwriter.

BRUZZOL ANA/TE RA MO / A BRU ZZO

TERAMO/TERA MO / A B RUZ ZO

The category 2 c l im b in Fo nte d e l la C reta , n ext on t h e rou te , mar ks t h e ent r an ce

into the provinc e of Te ram o . The stag e c o urse drops into S an Ru st ico an d t h en goes

up again , to take in the c ate g o ry 3 c l im b in Br u zzolan a. Descen din g into V i l la Romi-

ta , the route th e n re a c he s Te ra m o .

The c i ty r ises o n h ig h g ro und s, at the c o nf lu en ce of t h e Tord in o an d Vezzola r ivers .

Major landmar ks , a m o ng the t iny a l leys of t h e o ld c i t y cent re , in c lu de t h e C at h edr a l

with i ts majes t ic p o rta l , the re m a ins of the Roman Th eat re an d Amph it h eat re , t h e

C iv ic Museum and A rt G a l le ry, the c hurc hes of S an Domen ico , S ant ’ An n a, S ant ’ An -

tonio and the M ad o nna d e l le G raz ie S a nctuar y.

18 3 K M

175 K M

The town has hosted Giro d’Italia stage finishes since 1910: back then, victory went

to Carlo Galetti. Other winners include Michele Mara in 1930, Raffaele Di Paco in 1932,

Learco Guerra in 1934, Rino Benedetti in 1959, Tommi Prim (Swe) in 1980, Fabrizio

Convalle in 1990, David McKenzie (Aus) in 2000 and Mark Cavendish (Gbr) in 2001.

Teramo and its surroundings, especially the area around the Monti della Laga, have ho-

sted Tirreno-Adriatico stages, as well as events of the Trofeo dello Scalatore for years.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 0 4

PENNE GUA LDO TA DINO 10

P i a z z a d e l P o p o l o

T h e S a n G i ov a n n i B a p t i s t e r y

ASCOLI PICENO/ASCO LI P IC EN O / MA RC H E

SARNANO/MAC ERATA / MA RC H E

The route continues all the way to Ascoli Piceno, a lovely

city rebuilt in the Middle Ages on the remains of the pre-

vious Roman settlement, and further expanded during the

Renaissance. The main colour in town is that of travertine

stone, which was used in the construction of buildings,

churches, towers and bridges. The rectangular P iazza Ar -

r ing o is the oldest square of the city; it contains the Du omo,

dedicated to Saint Emygdius, and the octagonal Bapt ister y

with a decorative loggia. Main sights also include the ear-

ly 16-century P iaz z a d e l Popolo , housing the 13-century

P a la z zo d e i C a p ita ni d e l Popolo and the Gothic Ch iesa d i

S a n Franc e sc o , with the stately Loggia de i Mercant i and

the historic C a ffè Me let t i sitting right beside it. Ascoli is

home to a number of noble and bell-towers, which is why it

is also known as the “city of a hundred towers”. Th e Roman

b r id g e of S o le stà , spanning river Tronto, is a major point of

interest. Main events include the “Giostra della Quintana”,

a historical jousting tournament in traditional costumes,

and the most famous local delicacies are olive all’ascolana

(fried stuffed olives).

Roccafluvione and Comunanza, next on the route, have all the distinctive features defining

an “archetypical” inland town of the region. The stage course reaches Amandola, brief-

Ascoli Piceno was hometown to three major entrepreneurs, especially in the publishing

industry: Valentino Silvio Bompiani (1898-1992), Cino Del Duca (1899-1967) and Gianni

Mazzocchi (1906-1984), founder of the Editoriale Domus publishing house. Speaking of

soccer, Ascoli was hometown to President Costantino Rozzi (1929-1994) who made the

team famous, together with the coach Carletto Mazzone. Notable citizens also include the

pianist Giovanni Allevi, the motorcycle racer Romano Fenati and the actor Massimo Lopez.

14 1 K M

9 0 K M

The list of Giro stage winners in Ascoli includes Clemente Canepari in 1913, Alfredo

Binda in 1933, Raffaele Di Paco in 1938, Guido Bontempi in 1988 and Alessandro

Petacchi in 2004.

15 MAY 2018 TUESDAY km 239

1 0 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


T h e C o l f i o r i t o p l a t e a u

C a l d a r o l a

COLFIORITO/PERU G IA / U MB RIA

ANNIFO/PERUG IA / U MB RIA

NOCERA UMBRA / PERU G IA / U MB RIA

The route cont inue s in a m e d ium

mounta in sett i ng , ro l l ing p ast S fe r-

c ia (which be lo ng s to the m unic ip a l

terr i tory of C am e r ino a nd who se

major landmark is the m assive

Rocca dei D a Va rano ) , Muc c ia and

Serraval le de l C hie nt i . The sta g e

course enters U m b r ia and re ac he s

Col f ior i to ; the town r ise s o n a wid e

p lateau, renowne d fo r re d p ota to

and lent i l growing , as we l l a s fo r

da i ry product io n .

The route cont inue s a lo ng the p late a u and t akes in t h e categor y 3 An n i fo c l imb.

Monte Pennino , whe re r ive rs To p ino and Poten za or ig in ate , st an ds ou t again st t h e

background, prote cte d by the Re g io na l P a rk .

The route descends into Bagni d i Nocera, the baths of Nocera Umbra. The layout and

the architecture of the town ref lect i ts history: i t was f i rst sett led by the Romans,

and then expanded during the Middle Ages. Major landmarks include the Duomo, the

35 K M

30 K M

15 K M

ly touching the province of Fermo, and

then continues until Sarnano, marking

the passage to the province of Macera-

ta. The old town rises on the top of a hill

and has retained its mediaeval charac-

ter, with buildings made from tradition-

al earthenware tiles, the iconic “cotto

marchigiano”. Santa Maria di Pieca, next

on the route, is a frazione of San Ginesio, “the balcony of the Sibylline Mountains”, offering

an incredibly wide sight extending to the Conero. Caldarola is a charming town whose ma-

jor historical and architectural legacy was extensively damaged by the 2016 earthquakes.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 0 6

PENNE GUA LDO TA DINO 10

R o c c a F l e a

T h e C a m p a n a c c i o

T h e C a t h e d r a l o f G u a l d o T a d i n o

GUALDO TADINO/PERU G IA / U MB RIA

The route rol ls past G aifana and reaches

the f in ish in Gu aldo Tadin o . This wi l l be

the f i rst t ime as Giro d’ I ta l ia stage city for

Gualdo Tadino.

The ancient Roman “Tadinum” sat a long

the Via F laminia, on f lat ground. Gualdo

developed and expanded in the 12 th cen-

tury on the hi l l , on the edge of the wide

plain at the foot of Monte Ser r asant a . The

old town centre has retained i ts ancient

character. Main s ights include the C at te-

F IN ISH

Art G al lery, housed inside the 14-century Roman-Goth-

ic church of San Francesco, and the “s ignature” tower,

cal led C ampanaccio, which was part ly destroyed by

the 1997 earthquake and was then rebui l t .

Notable people inc lud e Fe l ic e B is le r i (18 51-192 1) ,

the i nventor of the inv ig o rat ing l iq ue ur “ Fe rro Ch i-

na B is ler i ” and other c o m p o und s, who fo und e d t h e

local bott led water c o m p any.

dra le di San Benedetto, and the former

Gothic Chiesa d i S an Fra nc e sc o , mas-

terful ly frescoed by Matteo da Gualdo.

The 12-century Rocca F le a is an out-

standing example of mediaeval mi l i tary

architecture; i t current ly houses the A rt

G a l lery of the city.

Major act iv it ies include the centu-

r ies-old manufactur ing of red and gold-

en decorat ive pottery.

15 MAY 2018 TUESDAY km 239

1 0 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


Gualdo Tad ino was ho m etown to A d o l fo Leon i (1917-1970 ) , r ac in g cycl ist , wh o

won the 1937 A m ate ur Wo r ld C ha m p io n sh ips in Copen h agen , an d t h en became

a Pro ( f rom 19 3 8 to 19 52) . A c lassy sp r inter , h e won 17 G i ro d ’ I t a l ia st ages (an d

sported the Ma g l ia Ro sa fo r 8 d ays in 1 949, f in ish in g fou r t h in t h e over a l l c las-

s i f icat ion) and o ne stag e at the 19 50 Tou r de Fr an ce. H is ou t st an din g record of

achievements inc lud e s the 19 41 N at io n al Ch ampion t i t le , t h e 1942 Mi lan o-S an -

remo, and a ha nd fu l of c lass ic s ove r the years , su ch as Coppa Ber n occh i , G i ro

de l Veneto and G iro d e l La z io , Tre Va l l i , G i ro de l l ’ Emi l ia an d G iro de l P iemonte .

Furthermore , he rac e d fo r the I ta l ian N at ion al team sever a l t imes.

After the ser ies of earthquakes that hi t central I ta ly between 24 August 2016 and 18 January 2017, the European Union granted the biggest f inancial assistance ever, wi th € 1.2 bi l l ion from the EU Sol idar i ty Fund al located for reconstruct ion. The money wi l l be spent pr imari ly on new housing solut ions, as wel l as for repair ing and securing the infrastructures, publ ic bui ld ings and cul tural /archi tectural her i tage si tes.



G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 0 8

10RE GION U MBRIA

Umbria is a reg ion of c e ntra l I ta ly, b o rd e re d by Tu scany, March e an d Laz io ; i t is

referred to as “ the gree n he art of I ta ly” . I t is an in l an d region , h avin g n o coast l in e;

i ts terr i tory is main ly h i l ly a nd m o unta ino us, with mu lt ip le r iver bas in s su ch as t h e

Val T iber ina , which is c ro sse d by the T ib e r R ive r . Th e region is h ome to t h e Tr as im-

eno and P ied i luco lake s . I ts te rr i to ry is m arke d by green , low h i l ls , wit h town s an d

v i l lages of d i f ferent s ize s , having a lo ng , r ic h h istor y an d a mar kedly Medieval look .

The region was a l ready inhab ite d by the U m b r i a nd t h e Et r u scan s back in proto-h is-

tory, and afterwards be c am e p art of the Ro m a n E mpire . I t was a lso su bsu med into

the P apal States . I ts m any m use um s ho st an impress ive n u mber an d var iet y of

art ist ic works , such as the t iny sta tue k nown as t h e “Ven u s of Tr as imen o” , dat in g

back to the Upper P a le o l i th ic , whic h wa s fo und on t h e sh ores of t h e lake of t h e

same name.

The region has two provinc e s: Pe rug ia , the re g io nal capi t a l , an d Ter n i . Th e C ascat a

de l le Marmore (Marmo re ’s Fa l ls) , ne a r Te rn i , is o ne of t h e major n at u r a l lan dmar ks

of the reg ion .

The economy of the reg io n is b ase d o n fo ur p i l la rs : in du st r y, h an dicr af t , agr icu l t u re

and tour ism. Umbr ia is a lso re nowne d fo r i ts t rad i t ion al cer amics man u f act u r in g .

V i t icu l ture , especia l ly in the O rv ieto are a , and o l ive growin g are t h e main act iv i t ies

of the reg ion ’s wel l -deve lo p e d ag r ic u l ture , whic h is wel l integr ated wit h t h e in du s-

tr ia l and tert iary sectors .

Local gastronomy main ly offe rs m e a t p ro d uc e and is best ren own ed for i t s ch ar -

cuter ie , produced espe c ia l ly a ro und N o rc ia (N urs ia) : t h e I t a l ian word “n orc in o” is

used to descr ibe the o p e ra to rs a nd p ro d ucts of th is in du st r y, su ch as wi ld game

and meat . The many typ ic a l d e sse rts of Um b r ia a re ju st as de l ic iou s . Ch ocolate is

one of the most esteem e d p ro d ucts of the re g io n , wh ich is even h ome to a “ch oco-

late d istr ict ” in the Pe rug ia are a .

Tourism and al l re lated act iv it ies are a main dr iver of the economy of the region.

Rel ig ious tour ism plays a major role in this respect. Umbria was home to the founder

of monastic ism, St . Benedict of Nursia , to St . Francis of Assis i , to St . Clare and to St .

R ita of C ascia; a l l of them were major f igures in the C athol ic world, whose l i fe and

charitable acts are remembered by major architectural and spir i tual landmarks.

1 0 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 1 0

NOTE10 NOTE S

ITA LY PESCARA

TERAMO

ASCOLI P ICENO

MACERATA

PERUGIA

NATION PROVINCE

16 MAY 2018 WEDNESDAY

km 156

A S S I S I

O S I M O

1 1


ASSISI OSIMO11

Stage 11 k icks off f rom U m b r ia and runs a c ro ss th e cent re of I t a ly, back to March e, t h rou -gh landscapes that have a l re a d y b e e n c ro sse d in t h e previou s st age. A l l t h ese p laces are part icu lar ly interest ing b oth h isto r ic a l ly and c ul tura l ly, as t h ey are imbu ed wit h a sp i r i t u a l d imension, but have be e n d a m ag e d by the e arthq u akes in t h e recent years .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 1 2


ASSISI OSIMO 11

ASSISI/PERUGIA / U MB RIA

Assis i , a medieval town of Ro m a n o r ig in , stand s

at the foot of Monte Su b asio . I t is stro ng ly c o n-

nected to S a int Franc is a nd S aint C la re . The

Basi l ica – two churche s o ne o n to p of the othe r

– is dedicated to and na m e d afte r S a int Fra n-

c is of Ass is i (1182-1226 ) , the fo und e r of the

Franciscan Order and p atro n sa int of I ta ly. The

Basi l ica features f resc o s by C im a b ue , G iotto ,

S imone Mart in i , and P ietro Lo re nzett i . S a int

C lare (1193-1253) , a no b lewo m an b o rn into

the Offreducci fami ly, fo l lowe d in S a int Fran-

c is ’s footpr ints and fou nd e d the O rd e r of C la re s . A Bas i l ica in Got h ic st y le is dedica-

te d to he r . Ot h er p laces of n ote in t h e area

a ttract f lows of p i lgr ims: S an D amian o,

the E re m o del le C arcer i , S ant a Mar ia degl i

A ng e l i wit h t h e Ch apel of Por z iu n cola . Of

g re a t inte rest is a lso t h e C at h edr a l of S an

Ruf ino , the pat ron sa int of t h e town .

B e sid e s the re l ig iou s mon u ment s , in Ass is i

a re to b e fou n d t h e remain s of t h e Roman

A m p hithe at re , t h e Rocca Maggiore f rom

the la te M iddle Ages, on t h e top of Ass is i ,

the P a la z zo de l C apit an o de l Popolo f rom

the 13th century, the P a la z zo d e i Le o ni in the P iazza de l Comu n e, n ext to t h e Tem-

pio d i Minerva, and on the E a ste rn s id e the Fo nte d i P iazza f rom t h e 16 t h cent u r y

featur ing three l ions .

The monuments in th is a re a have b e e n seve re ly d amaged by t h e ear t h qu akes (mo-

st ly in 1997 and 2016) .

START 15 6 K M

T h e R o c c a M a g g i o r e

T h e B a s i l i c a o f S a i n t F r a n c i s

Here Bruno Zanoni c la im e d the v icto ry of the sh or t h a l f -st age du r in g t h e 1978

Giro d ’ I ta l ia start ing in Te rn i ; in the afte rno o n the secon d h al f -st age, Ass is i -S ie-

na, was won by Fr anc e sc o Mo se r. Two t im e tr ia ls wit h t h e f in ish l in e in Ass is i

were raced: v ictory we nt to Be rna rd H ina ult in 1982 , an d to t h e Swiss at h lete

Toni Rominger in 199 5. B oth r id e rs b e c a m e G C l eaders . Th e 2 0 12 f in ish was par -

t icu lar ly impress ive whe n S p a niard J o a q uim R odr igu ez , ca l led “Pu r i to” , n a i led

the win after a spe cta c ula r f ina le in the o ld c i ty cent re .

1 1 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

ASSISI OSIMO11

Andrea Rano c c hia , a n Inte r p laye r , was bor n in Ass is i in 1988.

G ino Barta l i c a rr ie d to A ss is i se c ret messages h idden in t h e f r ame of h is b ike

dur ing WW II .

T h e P o r t a V e n e r e

T h e c l o s t e r o f A b b e y o f S a s s o v i v o

SPELLO/PERUGIA / U MB RIA

FOLIGNO/PERUG IA / U MB RIA

Past the hamlet C apitan Loreto, the

route runs through S p e l lo , an an-

cient town with traces from the Ro-

man t imes – such as the Porta Ve-

nere – and Renaissance frescos by

Pintur icchio in the C ap p e l la B a g l i -

on i . The f loor of S a nta Mar ia Ma g -

giore church, home to the Chapel , is

covered with Umbrian ceramic t i les

from Deruta. In the city hal l one can

see the renowned C o nstant ine e d ict

(333-337 AC), a written response by

the emperor to a jur id ical issue.

Foligno is the third biggest town of the re-

gion. The Abbey of Sassovivo perches on

a rocky spur just a few kilometres further.

According to an old local tradition, Foligno

is placed in the centre of Italy and, by ex-

tension, in the centre of Europe and of the

world. It is known as the “olive oil city”,

an active trading and industrial centre as

well as a communication hub. The print-

ing industry has always characterised the

town since Renaissance: in 1472 the first

printed book, the Divine Comedy, was pub-

lished here. Since 1762 the popular “Bar-

banera almanac” has been printed here.

The frequent se ism ic p he no m e na have severe ly damaged t h e area . In 1997 t h e

earthquake dam ag e d so m e h isto r ic a l la ndmar ks su ch as t h e C iv ic Tower, t h e C a-

thedra l of S an Fe l ic iano , the P a la z zo Tr inc i an d t h e P alazzo Comu n ale .

15 0 K M

14 6 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 1 4

ASSISI OSIMO 11

Here the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia p lac e d two stag e f in ishes: in 1968 Fr an co B i toss i , f rom

Tuscany, won the s tag e ; in 2014 Fre nc hm an N acer Bou h an n i n a i led a st age win

ahead of G iacomo N iz zo lo .

The neoclass ic archi te ct G iuse p p e P ie rm a r in i (1734-180 8) was bor n in Fo l ign o.

He des igned the Te atro a l la S c ala in Mi la n a nd t h e V i l la Reale in Mon za.

N o c e r a U m b r a

P i a z z a d e l P o p o l o i n S a n S e v e r i n o M a r c h e

114 K M

9 9 K M

74 K M

PASSO CORNELLO / PERU G IA / U MB RIA

FIUMINATA/MACERATA / MA RC H E

SAN SEVERINO MA RCHE / MAC E RATA / MA RC HE

The route runs through N o c e ra U m b ra again, l ike in the

previous stage, and then up to the 3 rd category cl imb

at Termine P ass , an unprecedented ascent for the Giro

amidst f ine greenery.

The route runs down to Mo l ina c c io Um b ro and returns to Marche passing through

the scattered vi l lage of F ium inata , known for i ts wrought i ron works, and then P ior a-

co, renowned for paper workings, with i ts interest ing par ishes and churches.

Then the stage profile changes featuring rolling hills, and the route runs through vine-

yards and olive groves heading to Castelraimondo. It reaches San Severino Marche, a

lovely little town crossed by the river Potenza. Its art heritage dates back to the medieval

times and the first

decades of ecclesi-

astical government.

It still has numerous

Gothic churches

and several pictorial

art works.


1 1 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

ASSISI OSIMO11

Fabr iz io C asto r i , a fo otb a l l c o ac h, and G iacomo “Jack” Bon avent u r a , cu r rent ly

one of the AC Mi lan m id f ie ld e rs , we re bor n h ere .

E l c i t o

VALICO DI PIETRA RO SSA / MAC E RATA / MA RCHE

CINGOLI/MACE RATA / MA RC H E

CANTALUPO/AN C O N A / MA RC H E

P ast the junct io n to the ha m let of

E lc i to , standing o n a sp ur a t the

foot of Monte S an V ic ino , the ro ute

features the 3 rd c ate g o ry c l im b a t

P ietra Rossa P a ss .

Then the route runs down to C ing o l i , in the area of the renowned cross-country track.

I t is one of the so-cal led Most Beautiful Vi l lages in I ta ly. The l i tt le town, with i ts or ig i-

nal centre enclosed in wal ls , looks over a very long port ion of the Adriat ic coast . The

unique trapezoid-shaped Monte San Vicino stands in the part or iented to the in land.

The C athedra l of S anta Ma r ia A ssunta , f in ished at the beginning of the 12 th century,

the Church of S an Do m e nic o with the paint ing of the Madonna del Rosario by Lorenzo

Lotto, the P alaz zo Munic ip a le , the P a la z zo C ast ig l ion i , the Ascar ian a L ibr ar y founded

by the monk Giovanni Ludovico Ascari in the 18 th century, are monuments of note in

the town.

Then, past the hamlet of Mum m uio la , the route continues downhi l l into the val ley of

Musone, a sort of introduction to the f inale in the province of Ancona.

In C anta lupo the race commemorates the dear departed and ever beloved Michele

Scarponi for his innate and great avai labi l i ty, who was involved in a tragic accident

in F i lottrano on the morning of Saturday 22 nd Apr i l 2017 whi le he was training for the

Corsa Rosa. The Pink Race wi l l c l imb the steep descent of Via del Lavoro, known also

as “Costa Ghergo” and, among the r iders, as the “muro di F i lottrano”: approx. one

ki lometre with two-digit gradient .

The old centre of C antalupo features typical br ick bui ld ings standing on the rol l ing

hi l ls with a var iety of v iews on the surrounding plains.

5 8 K M

4 7 K M

37 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 1 6

ASSISI OSIMO 11

The Giro d’ Ital ia placed two stage f inishes here, when victory went to Frenchman

Robert Forest in 1987 and to Moreno Argentin, who on the paved steep cl imb hea-

ding to the f inish l ine claimed the last win of his career and wore the pink jersey,

holding it for two days and then passing it to his team-mate Berzin. I t was stage

2, and Berzin succeeded in retaining the magl ia rosa unti l the f inal stage.

People of this area are cycl ing fans. A variety of races, such as Tirreno-Adriat ico

and Due Giorni Marchigiana, often run through Osimo. In 2017 the town hosted an

intense cycl ing day with two half-stages, both a mass race and a TT, of the Giro

d’ Ital ia Under 23 to promote the young cycl ing promises.

Fred Mengoni was f ro m O sim o . H e e m ig rate d to t h e USA an d boosted profess io-

nal cycl ing there , a l tho ug h he c o nt inue d to b e l in ked to cycl in g in h is h omelan d.

He passed away in Ma rc h 2018 .

OSIMO/ANCONA / MA RC H E

Past the hamlets of Padiglione and San Paterniano the route reaches the finish town of

Osimo. With its lovely structure, the town stands on high land, surrounded by walls from

various periods containing fine mansions and churches from the 17th and 18th centuries,

in Marchigiano earthenware tiles. The Cathedral, dedicated to San Leopardo, the Palazzo

Comunale, a mighty building from the second half of the 18th century with twelve valuable

headless Roman statues, next to the Civic Tower from the 12th century are the iconic sym-

bols of the town. In the centre the Santuario di San Giuseppe da Copertino, patron saint of

Osimo and Copertino – as well as of the students, especially during the exam terms.

Osimo is the seat of the Filo d’Oro, a charity founded in 1964 for the assistance and reha-

bilitation of the mute-blinds.

ARRIVO

The European Union a lso in tervenes by d i rect ly suppor t ing local f i rms to increase the i r compet i t iveness and eff ic iency. The areas through which the s tage route runs is an example: Coluss i Spa, Fonder ie Tacconi and Frate l l i Fragola f rom Assis i , among others, a long wi th furn i ture and domot ics companies in Marche have been benef i ted by EU pro jects . To f ight unemployment Marche has a lso invested in ideas. Through the Honour Loan the Region has granted funding to unemployed people who have submi t ted bus iness pro jects . Between 2006 and 2015 the Honour Loan has promoted the creat ion of 1 ,335 new companies in Marche by prov id ing f ree t ra in ing and technica l ass is tance.



1 1 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

11

Le Marche (Eng. the Marches) are a region in central Italy that borders Emil ia-Romag-

na and the Republic of San Marino to the north, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio to the west

and Abruzzo to the south. To the east l ies the Adriatic coast.

Its northern border is marked by the River Foglia and its southern border by the Tronto.

The regional capital is A nc o na. The other provinces are Pesaro-Ur bin o , Macer at a ,

Fermo and Asco l i P ic e no .

Le Marche is mostly hi l ly (69%), r ising to mountains (31%) with the Apennine chain.

The very l imited f latlands, statistical ly irrelevant, cover the narrow strip of land beside

the sea. The highest mountain is Mount Vettore (2478 m) in the S ib i l l in i Mou nt a in s ,

fol lowed by Mount Nerone (Eng. Nero, 1526 m) and Mount Catria (1702 m), the later

two featured in recent stages of the Giro d’ Ital ia. Mou nt Con ero (572 m), the only

coastal high point on the Adriatic Sea from Venezia to the Gargano massif in the region

of Apulia, stands on a promontory near Ancona.

Among the region’s many sites of artistic and natural beauty are the Fr asass i C aves,

a remarkable karst cave system in the municipal ity of Genga, and the Gola de l Fu r lo

(Eng. Furlo Pass, a gorge on the ancient Roman road Via Flaminia).

The gentle hi l ls and the brick colour of the beautiful old towns whose bui ldings and

charm have been careful ly preserved give the region its unmistakable character.

The region was created in the 14th century with borders not far different from the

current one. It was named ‘Marca. ’ Ancona, with its port and its relations with the East,

experienced times of great prosperity. Urb in o , too, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site,

was a great international artistic, cultural and architectural centre in the Renaissance.

Urbino was the birthplace of the painter Ra ph ael and the architect Donato Br amante .

The region joined the Papal State unti l 1860, when it was annexed by Italy after the

Battle of Castelf idardo, near Ancona, after which it became known as Le Marche.

The economy of La Marche is based on a f lourishing network of small and medium

enterprises achieving excellence and international renown in some sectors. These in-

clude agriculture, wine-making, f ishing, and tourism based on the beaches, artistic

and cultural heritage, and winter sports. The regional cuisineis del icious, with local

special it ies everywhere, including a wide range of DOC wines.

As well as Urbino, the many attractive towns and vi l lage include Ancona; Ascoli Pi-

ceno with its old town built mostly of travertine, a form of l imestone deposited by hot

mineral springs; the university town of Camerino; Fabr ian o, where h igh -qu al i t y paper

has been produced continuously since the 13th century; Fer mo; Jes i , birthplace of

the composer G iovan Batt ista P e rg o le s i (Magnif icat, etc.) and a capital of fen cin g,

especial ly foi l , thanks to the coach Ezio Triccol i , who was taught to fence by and Eng-

l ish officer in a German POW camp in the 1940s; Macerata; Recan at i , birthplace of

the great poet Giacomo Leopardi (1798-Napoli 1837) and the famous tenor Ben iamin o

G ig l i (1890-Roma 1957); Loreto and its majestic Basi l ica del la Santa Casa; Castelf id-

ardo, the international capital of accordion bui lders; San Benedetto del Tronto, with its

promanade, the tradit ional f inish-l ine of the Tirreno-Adriatico.

RE G IO N MARCHE

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 1 8

07NOT E S 11NOTE

1 1 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

BE SOCI A L W ITH GIRO D’ITA LI A

#GIR O1 01

#GIRO10 1

ADV_SOCIAL_2018.indd 1 28/03/18 18:14

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

O S I M O

I M O L A

1 2

ITA LY ANCONA

FORLÌ-CESENA

PESARO-URBINO

RAVENNA

RIMINI

BOLOGNA

NATION P ROVINCE


km 214

BE SOCI A L W ITH GIRO D’ITA LI A

#GIR O1 01

#G IRO 1 01

ADV_SOCIAL_2018.indd 1 28/03/18 18:14


O SIMO IMOL A12

This stage – leading from Marche to Imola, Emi l ia Romagna – starts off in Osimo, where stage 11 f in ishes. The stage prof i le doesn’t ra ise any doubts, as i t is a constant pan f lat route, except for the 4 th categorized cl imb at Cime Tre Monti that recal ls the great feat by Vittor io Adorni in 1968 World Championships. The stage is celebrat ing i ts f i ft ieth anniversary.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 2 2

12

OSIMO/ANCONA / MA RC H E

ANCONA/ANCONA/MA RC H E

The town of Os imo sta nd s o n h ig h la nd , surro unded by wal ls f rom var iou s per i -

ods conta in ing f ine ma nsio ns a nd c hurc he s f ro m t h e 17 t h an d 18 t h cent u r ies , in

Marchig iano earthenware t i le s .

The route immediately enters neighbouring An con a.

This town is laid out l ike an amphitheatre on the high

land north of the Conero promontory, with spacious

views of the sea and the mountains. The port is one of

the most important on the Adriatic. Its economy is diver-

sified between tourism, with the sea l inks to the coun-

tries on the Dalmatian Adriatic coast, trade and an indu-

strial network of medium dimensions. The town, founded

by the Greeks, has a medieval plan in the old centre and

recent expansions, which have considerably expanded

its perimeter. The C athedr a l , dedicated to San Ciriaco, is

on the Colle Guasco. The C i t adel , designed by Antonio di

Sangallo, the A rc h of Tr a jan and the Lazzaret to , which

is the name commonly given to the Rocca Vanvitell iana,

are the outstanding monuments in the town.

START 214 K M

19 8 K M

OSIM O IMOL A17 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 214

The Giro d’Italia placed nine stage finishes in Ancona. The first one dates back to 1911

when Lauro Bordin, later an esteemed photographer, won the stage; then victory went

to Michele Mara in 1930, Learco Guerra in 1934, in 1937 to Aldo Bini, who was going

to claim the victory in 1946 again. Rino Benedetti triumphed in 1952, Giorgio Albani in

1955, Patick Sercu in 1975, and the 1999 time trial was claimed by Laurent Jalabert.

A r c h o f T r a j a n

“The Refurbishment of School Buildings in the Mediterranean Area” is a project funded by the Intel l igent Energy – Europe program, where the goal is high-energy eff iciency in terms of school refurbishment, including sport faci l i t ies, so as to cut down energy consumption levels close to zero. The ITC Einstein in Loreto and the ITC Benincasa in Ancona are two of the schools involved in this project.


1 2 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

O SIMO IMOL A12

The Corsa Rosa ce lebr ated h ere t wo st age

f in ish es: in 1962 v ictor y went to G iu seppe

To nucci , bor n in Fan o, an d in 1983 to P ao-

lo Rosola .

T h e A r c h o f A u g u s t u s

T h e R o c c a R o v e r e s c a

SENIGALLIA/AN C O N A / MA RC H E

FANO/PESARO- URBIN O / MA RC H E

PESARO/PESARO -U RB IN O / MA RC H E

The route then p asse s thro ug h Fa lc o na ra

Mar i t t ima with i ts a i rp o rt , to c o nt inue to

Seniga l l ia , a we l l -k nown se asid e re so rt

with i ts “beach of ve lvet” a nd larg e c e ntre

protected by t he Ro c c a Rove re sc a .

The ro ute cont in u es t h rou gh Marot t a , a seas ide

re so rt , to reach Fan o, a town wit h an an cient an d

r ic h h istor y, t h e en d of t h e F lamin ia Way, t h e

c o nsular road t h at jo in ed i t to Rome. Th e symbol

of the town is t h e Arch of Au gu st u s , t h e an cient

town g ate open ed in t h e wel l -preser ved wal ls .

Pesaro , stretc he d o ut a lo ng the se a, has an e legant Ren aissan ce des ign . I t is t h e

second largest c i ty by p o p ula t io n in the reg ion an d is a popu lar seas ide resor t wit h

172 K M

15 0 K M

138 K M

Giovanni Ma r ia Ma sta i Fe rrett i , Po p e

P ius IX , was b o rn he re in 179 2 a nd d ie d

in 1878, afte r a 3 1-ye a r p o nt i f ic ate . H e

was the last p o p e -sove re ig n .


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 2 4

12

RICCIONE/RIMINI/EMIL IA RO MAG N A

RIMINI/RIMINI/EMIL IA RO MAG N A

The route passes through the hamlet of La S i l ig a ta , entering Emil ia Romagna. The

renowned seaside resorts fol low on one another, C at to l ica and R icc ion e, appreciated

and popular due to the multiple possibi l it ies they guarantee and with a great passion

for bicycles. Both have been frequent stages on the pink race in the past and now in

the Coppi and Bartal i Week organized by Adriano Amici ’s G.S. Emil ia.

Rimini is the symbol ic c ity of a seaside hol iday and entertainment in every per iod of

the year. The modern hotels stretch along the coast l ine for about f i fteen ki lometres

and contr ibute to thr iv ing conference and trade fair tour ism. In land from Rimini ,

there is a considerable var iety of food and wine to be discovered and appreciated.

The city has a long and r ich history; i ts traces can be found in the Arch of Au gu st u s ,

112 K M

9 9 K M

OSIM O IMOL A

The Giro d ’ I ta l ia p la c e d seve ra l stag e f in ishes h ere: in 192 7 v ictor y went to

Att i l io Bresciani , in 19 49 to A d o l fo Le o ni , in 19 79 to t h e Sou t h Af r ican A lan Van

Heerden, and in 198 6 to G uid o Bo nte m p i .

T h e P a l a z z o D u c a l e i n P e s a r oT h e R o c c a R o v e r e s c a

Gioacchino Ross in i (179 2-18 6 8 ) , re -

nowned composer, is a sym b o l of P e -

saro . A lso f rom Pesa ro is the swim -

mer F i l ippo Magni n i , g re a t f re e sty le

specia l ist in short-d istanc e ra c ing :

he has recent ly wo n a re m ark ab le

number of medals . A nothe r swim m ing

champion from P e sa ro was A ng e lo

Romani (1934-200 3) . E nr ic o P a o l in i ,

the cycl ing I ta l ian c ha m p io n thr ic e

and winner of seve n G iro stag e s is

a lso f rom th is town .

var ious manufactur ing and c o m m e rc ia l act iv i t ie s . Th e n et wor k of cycl in g pat h s

is h igh ly developed. The P a la z zo Duc a le in the c e nt r a l P iazza de l Popolo , t h e C iv ic

Museums with an art g a l le ry and the m use um of cer amics are n otewor t hy s i tes .


1 2 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

O SIMO IMOL A12

The Giro d’Italia has hosted stage finishes in Rimini since 1932, when victory went

to Learco Guerra, who won again in 1934, then to Antonio Bevilacqua in 1950, Ser-

afino Biagioni in 1951, Pasquale Fornara in 1953, Giuseppe “Pipaza” Minardi in 1956,

in 1959 when Rik Van Looy triumphed and in 1960 with the success of Pierino Baffi .

SANTARCANGELO D I RO MAG NA / RIMIN I/ EMIL IA ROMAGNA

SAVIGNANO SUL RUBI CO NE / RIMIN I/ EMIL IA R OMAGNA

The route leave s the c o ast , st i l l o n the f lat , a con st ant on t h is st age, an d passes

through S antarc a ng e lo d i Ro m a g na , with remar kable arch i tect u re in t h e o ld par t on

the h i l l .

The route cont inue s thro ug h S avig nano su l Ru bicon e, an impor t ant agr icu l t u r a l

centre .

9 2 K M

8 6 K M

Federico Fel l in i (1920-1993), who was

awarded 4 Oscars, often represented and

rendered Rimini in his f i lms with his dist inct

sensit iv ity. A lthough he was born in Ravenna,

Sergio Zavol i was a ful l-f ledged cit izen of Ri-

mini . As a journal ist , a writer and a pol i t ic ian,

he has always been warmly remembered

by the cycl ing world. His name is l inked to

the “Processo al la Tappa” (Stage Tr ia l) , a TV

show, which he created, hosted and embod-

ied. Sergio Neri , a prest igious sport journal-

ist , mainly in cycl ing, was also from Rimini .

Tonino Guerra (19 20-2012) , p o et , wr i ter an d screenwr i ter , Raf f ae l lo Ba ld in i

(1924-200 5) , p o et and wr i te r , P o p e C lement X IV (170 5-1774) , t h e actors Fabio

De Lu ig i and D a nie le Lutta z z i , and the mou nt a in eer A l f io Van di were a l l bor n

here . The latte r , a p ro r id e r f ro m 19 76 to 1988, was t h e leader of t h e f i rst “best

young r ider” c la ss i f ic a t io n the f i rst ye ar h e r aced as a profess ion al .

in T iber ius ’ Br id g e , the start ing point of the Via Emil ia , in the Amph it h eat re and in the

Tempio Malate st ia no , the masterpiece of Leon Batt ista Albert i (1404-1472).

T h e T e m p i o M a l a t e s t i a n o


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 2 6

12

CESENA/FORLÌ-CESE N A / EMILIA RO MAG N A

The route then reache s C e se na , a p le asant town wit h many man sion s an d ch u r -

ches. The o ld centre i s e nc lo se d in the wal ls of th e Rocca Malatest ian a; t h e n ew

part has developed on the p la in b e low. The Malatest a L ibr ar y is to be fou n d h ere ,

with precious publ icat io ns . C e se na a nd i ts surro un din g area represent a po le of

great act iv i ty with agr ic u l tura l p ro d uct io n sp e c ia l ized in f r u i t an d gr apes, wit h re-

lat ive a l l ied industr ies of c o nsid e rab le inte rnat io nal impor t an ce. Th e qu al i t y of l i fe

is of a h igh standard , he lp e d by the wid e a nd d ive rs i f ied produ ct ive f abr ic .

73 K M

OSIM O IMOL A

The Giro d ’ I ta l ia has a l re a d y ha d thre e f in ish es h ere , wh ere v ictor y went to

O l impio B izz i in 1946 , Em a nue le S e l la in 2004 an d A lessan dro Ber to l in i in 2 0 0 8.

T h e R o c c a M a l a t e s t i a n a i n C e s e n aC o u r t r o o m N u t i

a t t h e M a l a t e s t a l i b r a r y

Carlo Brighi (1853-1915), “Zacién”, violinist and composer was born in Savignano. He

is considered the forefather of the ballroom dancing music typical of Romagna. Later,

Secondo Casadei (1906-1971) was trained in Brighi son’s orchestra and started off a

dynasty in this music field. He is the author of the famous song “Romagna mia”.

The lawyer G iusepp e A m b ro sin i (18 8 6 -19 8 0) , on e of t h e fou n ders of t h e “Gu er in

Sport ivo” and chief e d i to r of the “ G a z zetta d e l lo Spor t ” f rom 1950 to t h e ear ly

1960s, l ived here fo r a lo ng t im e in h is v i l la at Set tecrociar i . He ser ved as G i ro

race D irector . H is h and b o o k c a l le d “ G et a b ike an d go!” is t h e f i rst sc ient i f ica l ly

based cycl ing d igest .

T h e T e m p i o M a l a t e s t i a n o


1 2 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

O SIMO IMOL A12

M u s e u m s o f S a n D o m e n i c o

FORLIMPOPOLI / FO RLÌ-C ES E N A / EMILIA RO M AGNA

FORLÌ/FORLÌ-CE S EN A / E MILIA RO MAG N A

The race cont inue s thro ug h Fo r l im p o p o l i , d ist in gu ish ed by t h e 14 t h cent u r y Rocca

A lbornoz iana with i ts sq uare p la n , whic h today h ou ses t h e town h al l .

Next comes Fo r l ì , in the c e ntre of Ro m ag na, wit h t h e lu sh p la in su r rou n din g i t . Th e

ta l l be l l tower of the Ro m ane sq ue C hurc h of S an Mercu r ia le , t h e town ’ s symbol ,

stands in the va st are a of the c e ntra l P iaz z a Au re l io S af f i , pat r iot an d po l i t ic ian f rom

For l ì , wi th other m a nsio ns in the typ ic a l b r ick co lou r . Th e C at h edr a l of S ant a Croce

is the c i ty ’s cathe d ra l . The wid e ave nue s of t h e c i t y develop arou n d t h e cent re . Th e

renovat ion of the m o num e ntal c o m p lex of S an Domen ico , f u n ded by t h e Eu ropean

Union, is intere st ing : i t ha s a l lowe d the tran sfor mat ion of t h e ch u rch into a ven u e

for temporary exhib i t io ns , c o nfe re nc e s, m eet in gs , con cer t s , t h eat r ica l an d cu l t u r a l

events and pre st ig io us ex hib i t io ns of inte rn at ion al n ote .

6 0 K M

5 2 K M

For l ì is h ometown to A ldo

G ar zant i (1883-1961) , a pu b-

l ish er , t h e Fabbr i brot h ers

(G iovan n i , D in o an d R in o) wh o

fou n ded t h e f amou s pu bl ish in g

h ou se in t h e 1960 s, as wel l as

t h e TV h ost Mar in o Bar to let t i , a

pass ion ate cycl in g f an . Erco le

Ba ld in i , a cycl in g ch ampion ,

embodies an d symbol izes t h e

many r iders f rom Vagl ia d i For l ì

an d i t s su r rou n din gs . Tu l lo Mor -

gagn i (1881-1919) , a jou r n al ist

of t h e “G azzet t a de l lo Spor t ” an d

on e of t h e fou n ders of t h e G i ro

d ’ I t a l ia , was bor n in For l ì . Th e

c i t y h as n amed i t s St adiu m af -

ter h im.

Pel legr ino A rtus i (18 20-19 11) , c o nsid ered as t h e f at h er of I t a l ian cu l in ar y ar t

and the autho r of “ La S c ie nz a in c uc i n a e l ’ Ar te d i man giar ben e” was f rom

For l impopol i , just as A nd re a Doviz io so , on e of t h e MotoGP prot agon ist s .


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 2 8

12

FAENZA/RAVENNA/EMILIA RO MAG N A

CASTEL BOLOGNESE/ FO RLÌ-C ES E N A / EMILIA RO M AGNA

IMOL A/BOLOGNA / EMILIA RO MAG N A

The route enters the provinc e of Rave nna , v ia Fae nza, t h e c i t y of cer amics of wh ich

i t houses the museum . I t is a m e d ieva l town with t wo f in e cent r a l squ ares: P iazza

de l Popolo and P iazza d e l la L ib e rtà .

After pass ing through C aste l B o lo g ne se the ro ute reach es t h e provin ce of Bo logn a

and heads to the f in ish .

Imola is going to celebrate the f ift ieth anniversary of Vittorio Adorni ’s great feat. On

the Tre Monti circuit , accomplishing a heroic deed, Adorni conquered the World Cham-

pionship jersey.

FINISH

37 K M

28 K M

ARRIVO

OSIM O IMOL A

Nine stages f in ishe s in Fo r l ì , whe re v icto ry went to Cost ante G i r arden go in

1925, A l f redo B ind a in 19 28 , Le arc o G ue rra in 1930 , A ldo B in i in 1937, G lau co

Servadei f rom For l ì in 19 39 , R ik Va n Lo oy in 1960 , Freddy Maer ten s in 1977,

Robbie Mc Ewen in 2006 , and f ina l ly N ic o la B o em in 2 0 15.

The G iro stage winne rs in Fa e nz a are Mic he le D an cel l i in 1970 , Nor wegian Ku r t

Arvesen in 2003 and Le o na rd o Be rta g no l l i in 20 0 9.

Faenza loves cycl ing and is the birthplace of Vito Ortel l i (1921-2017), a great pro

r ider, a long with many other outstanding cycl ing athletes, such as the current

I ta l ian Nat ional Team coach D avide C assani . Evangel ista Torr icel l i (1608-1647),

mathematician and physicist who invented the barometer, A lfredo Or iani (1852-

1909) scholar and one of the f i rst cycl ing writer, P ietro Nenni (1891-1980) and

Benigno Zaccagnini (1912-1989), both I ta l ian pol i t ic ians, were born here.

Edmondo Fabbr i (19 21-19 9 5) , c a lc ia to re e p o i a l len atore an ch e del la n az ion ale

azzurra , è d i C aste l Bo lo g ne se .


1 2 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

O SIMO IMOL A12

In Imola , cycl ing ha s b e e n id e nt i f ie d with t h e prest ig iou s Coppa P lacci of U . S .

Imolese, dedic ate d to A nto nio P lac c i , a r id er wh o d ied in 192 1 du r in g a r ace. For

a long t ime (s inc e 19 8 0 to 2000) th is rac e, d i rected by N in o Ceron i , h as been a

f i rst-rank cycl ing eve nt .

In 2017 Imola ina ug ura te d the re b ir th e d i t ion of t h e G i ro d ’ I t a l ia Un der 2 3, or -

ganized by the N uova C ic l ist ic a P lac c i 20 1å3 ch aired by Marco Sel ler i , af ter

a 5-year stop . A m o ng the m a ny p ro r id e rs f rom Imola D iego Ron ch in i (1935-

2003) is to be m e nt io ne d , as he wo n so m e impor t ant r aces .

Imola hosted t wo I ta l ian C ha m p io nship s in 1988 an d 2 0 0 9. On t h e G i ro d ’ I t a l ia ,

v ictory went to Ma r ino Basso in 19 6 8 , Ro ber to P agn in in 1992 an d t h e Ru ssion

ath lete I lnur Z ak a r in in 2015.

In the stage f inale, fol lowing the 4th cat-

egory cl imb at C im a Tre Mo nt i the route

runs down to Rivazza, the renowned

curve of the automobile circuit . The f in-

ish is placed in the A uto d ro m o named

after Enzo and Dino Ferrari .

Imola stands on the plain, on the banks

of the r iver Santerno, extending in some

parts to the f irst slopes. Its bui ldings of

note include the Te a tro C o m una le , the

B ishop’s P a lac e , the C a the d ra l and

the Rocca Sfo rze sc a, a well-preserved

castle-fortress from the Middle Ages

and Renaissance, now the seat of mu-

seums, exhibit ions and events.

T h e R o c c a S f o r z e s c a


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 3 0

12

Emil ia Romagna is a region in northeast I ta ly created on 7 June 1970, with Bologn a

as the regional capital . Washed to the east by the Adriat ic Sea, del imited to the north

by the Veneto and Lombardy, to the west by Piedmont (the border is less than 8 km

long) and Ligur ia , and to the south by Tuscany, Le Marche and the Republ ic of San

Marino. I t was created from the fusion of two histor ical regions: Emil ia , with the

provinces of Piacenza, Parma, Reggio Emil ia , Modena, Ferrara and most of the prov-

ince of Bologna, and Romagna, with the provinces of Ravenna, Rimini , For l ì - Cesena

and the communes of the province of Bologna, on the east bank of the Si l laro River.

The V ia Emi l ia was bui l t by the Roman consul Marcus Aemil ius Lepidus (b. 89 or 88

BC, d . 13- 12 BC), fo l lowing the l ine of the hi l ls from northwest to southeast , d iv iding

the region into two parts of about the same size: the northern part (48% by area) is

mostly f lat , whi le the hi l ls (27% of the area) and mountains (25%) are in the southern

half of the region. The highest a lt i tudes in the mountainous part are found in the cen-

tral sector, with Mount C im o ne . The p la in was created by a l lu v ia l deposits brought

by Po River and the Apennine streams. The c o a st l ine is relat ively uniform, with broad

beaches and a shal low sea: perfect for beach tourism.

The western drainage basin consists of a ser ies of more or less paral le l water cours-

es that feed the Po; to the east , start ing with the R i ver Ren o, the r ivers f low direct ly

into the Adriat ic Sea. Apart from the Po, a l l of the water courses are sporadic, with

var iable f lows. A network of canals diverts the waters of the Po for agr icultural i r-

r igat ion. On the plain, l ive sto c k re a r ing is dedicated to mi lk an d ch eese production

(P armig iano-Reggiano and G rana P a d ano , in Engl ish, a l l known generical ly as P ar -

mesan Cheese).

The region is considered one of the wealthiest parts of Europe. The economy is highly

developed, with a considerable co-operat ive sector. Modern agr iculture, developed

on the plain with cereal , fruit and vegetable cult ivat ion, and catt le and pig l ivestock

for the famous salami and sausages. The region is home to a number of food produc-

ers of world renown.

In the mechanical sector, Emi l ia Romagna is home to world famous marques includ-

ing Ducati and Ferrar i .

Emi l ia Romagna share s two nat io na l p a rks with Tu scany: t h e P arco n az ion ale de l le

Foreste C asent ines i , M o nte Fa l te ro na e C a m p ig na an d t h e P arco n az ion ale de l l ’ Ap-

pennino Tosco-Emi l iano . The re are anothe r 14 re g ion al par ks , as wel l as many pro-

tected natura l areas . The na tura l ve g etat io n has been h eavi ly redu ced by h u man

intervent ion , especia l ly o n the p la ins . S o m e natura l woodlan ds do su r v ive , h owev-

REGION E M ILIA -ROMAGNA

1 3 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

12 RE G IO NE EMILIA-ROMAGNA

er : the Bosco d i Me so la , now a na ture re ser ve, an d t h e p in et a (En g. p in e forest ) in

Ravenna provinc e .

Archaeologica l f ind s ac ro ss the re g io n show t h at Emi l ia Romagn a h as been in h abit -

ed s ince ancie nt t im e s. In 2010, wo rks o n t h e con st r u ct ion of t h e n ew pr ison com-

plex at For l ì u nc ove re d the la rg e st p re his tor ic n ecropol is in t h e reg ion , dat in g to

4000 years ago , whic h d e m o nstrate s tha t t h e area a l ready h ad st able set t lement s .

On Mount Poggio lo , ne a r Fo r l ì , f ind s d at ing to 80 0 0 years ago, p lac in g h u man set -

t lement to the e a r ly sto ne a g e .

The major state s tha t have o c c up ie d a nd a dmin istered t h e reg ion in c lu de t h e Du chy

of P arma and P ia c e nz a , the Duc hy of Mo d en a an d Reggio , t h e Du chy of Fer r ar a , an d

then the P apal S tate .

The regional cu is ine ( in Em i l ia , f lavo urso me wit h gen erou s u se of con diment s , in

Romagna, a l i t t le s im p le r) is k nown fo r i ts t yp ica l d ish es: r agù , lasagn e, tor te l l in i ,

pappardel le , p ia d ina (a sa nd wic h of f la t , un leaven ed bread) an d passate l l i (a past a

formed of bread c rum b s, e g g s, g ra te d P a rmesan ch eese, lemon , an d n u t meg, an d

cooked in ch ic ke n b roth) .

The 2012 earthq uake c ause d te rr ib le d amage, especia l ly in Moden a, Fer r ar a an d

Reggio Emi l ia . The lo c als , with a l l the i r st ren gt h , f a i t h an d ten acit y rebu i l t t h e i r

damaged bui ld ing s a nd re la unc he d the ir b u s in esses .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 3 2

12NOTE

NOT E S

1 3 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 3 4

NOTE12 NOTE S

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

F E R R A R A

N E R V E S A D E L L A

B A T T A G L I A

1 3

ITA LY FERRARA

VENEZIA

ROVIGO

TREVISO

PADOVA

NATION PROVINCE

18 MAY 2018 FRIDAY

km 180


FE RRARA NERVESA DELL A BAT TAGLIA13

Stage 13 of the G i ro 101, f ro m Fe rrara to N e rve sa d e l la Bat t agl ia , is a lmost t h e copy of st age 12 . R ight after the start , the ro ute le ave s E m i l ia Romagn a an d r u n s n or t h bou n d a lmost en -t i re ly across Veneto , w ith a uni fo rm f lat p rof i le . A not h er r ac in g day su i t in g t h e spr inters .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 3 6

13

FERRARA/FERR A RA / E MILIA RO MAG N A

The or ig ina l centre of Fe rrara , whic h stand s in v i c in i t y of t h e Po de l t a in a com-

plete p la in , dates back to the late Mid d le A g e s. I t at t r acted ar t ist s in t h e medieval

per iod and, above a l l , d ur ing the Re naissanc e , under t h e Este dyn ast y. I t owes par t

of i ts character ist ics to Fe rra ra-b o rn a rc hi te ct a nd town p lan n er B iag io Rosset t i

(1447-1516) with h is “ H e rc ule an a d d it io n” , a d ef in i t ion du e to Ercole I d ’ Este , an

enl ightened lord and patro n of the arts , who c o m miss ion ed h im to des ign an d lay

out a c i ty accord ing to m o d e rn c r i te r ia . S tand ing ou t amon gst t h e mon u ment s of

Ferrara are the C athed ra l , the C a st le , the P a la z zo de i D iamant i , P a lazzo Sch i f an oia ,

the Nat ional Art G a l ler y and the A rc ha e o lo g ic a l Museu m, for min g a h er i t age wh ich

a l lowed Ferrara and th e ne ig hb o ur ing Po De lta to be in c lu ded in t h e UNESCO Wor ld

Her i tage S i tes of Huma nity in 19 9 5.

START 18 0 K M

FERRARA NERVESA DE LL A BAT TAGL IA18 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 180

Here the G i ro d ’ I t a l ia e p i to m ize s a lo ng h istor y t h at st ar ted in 1919 wit h a

stage won by Swi ss O sc a r E g g ; the n v icto ry went to Fabio Bat tes in i in 1932 ,

A l f redo B inda in 19 33 , Le arc o G ue rra in 19 3 4, Raf f ae le D i P aco in 1936, Adol fo

Leoni in 1940 and 19 50, Mig ue l Po b let in 19 57 an d P aolo Rosola in 1981.

T h e E s t e ’ s C a s t l e T h e C a t h e d r a l w i t h t h e L o g g i a d e i M e r c a n t i

Ferrara was the b i r thp lac e of G e ro la m o S avo n aro la (1452 -1498) , a Domin ican

fr iar and preacher who was c o nsid e re d a he ret ic an d was con demn ed, h an ged

and burned; wr i ter G io rg io B a ssa ni (19 16 -2000); f i lm d i rector Mich elan gelo An -

tonioni (1912-2007); a cto r A rno ld o Fo à (19 16 -2 0 14) , an ec lect ic an d ou t st an -

d ing art ist ; nature d o c um e ntar ia n Fo lc o Q ui l ic i an d V i t tor io Sgar b i , an ar t cr i t ic

and te lev is ion ce le b r i ty.

1 3 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


V i l l a F o s c a r i n i E r i z z o

P i a z z a V i t t o r i o E m a n u e l e I I

ROVIGO/ROVIGO/ V E N E TO

ANGUILL ARA VENE TA / PA DOVA / V EN ETO

PONTELONGO/PADOVA / V E N E TO

After the haml et of Po nte la g o sc uro , the race i t in er ar y sh ows a passage in Ven eto

through Poles e l la a nd Bo sa ro . The ro ute th en reach es Rovigo , t h e capit a l of t h e

Poles ine , betwe e n the r ive rs A d ig e a nd Po . I t is a c i t y wit h a prevalent ly moder n ap-

pearance, with the c e ntra l a nd tra p ezo id -sh aped P iazza V i t tor io Eman u ele I I , wh ich

has h istor ica l b u i ld ing s of note suc h a s

the P alazzo de l Munic ip io and the P a la z zo

de l l ’Accademia d e i C o nc o rd i , ho using the

art ga l lery. The B le sse d V irg in of S e c o urs ,

with an octagonal p la n and i ts im p re ss ive

be l l tower is anothe r im p o rta nt s i te .

The route is s t i l l in the p rovinc e of Rovig o , pass in g t h rou gh Mordimago, fo l lowed

by a short pas sa g e in the p rovinc e of P adova t h rou gh An gu i l lar a Ven et a , on t h e

banks of the r i ve r A d ig e , and the n A g na, q u ick ly ret u r n in g to t h e provin ce of Rovigo

through Cona.

The ro ute leads to V i l la de l Bosco an d Ponte lon -

g o , o n the r iver Bacch ig l ion e, kn own for i t s su gar

fa cto ry, w h ich h as been in oper at ion s in ce 1910 ;

V i l la Fo scar in i -Er izzo – t h e p lace of b i r t h of C ar -

d ina l Lo r i s C apovi l la (1915-2 0 16) , legate of Pope

J o hn X X I I I – st an ds h ere .

14 7 K M

137 K M

116 K M

From Rovig o a re the so p rano o p e ra

s inger Kat ia R ic c ia re l l i and Mar io

“Maci ” Batt a g l in i (19 19 -19 71) , a rug -

by icon, af te r who m the c i ty rug by

stadium ha s b e e n nam e d .

Giacomo Zam p ie r i , a p rofe ss io na l r id e r f rom 1949 to 1962 , was bor n in Agn a.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 3 8

13FERRARA NERVESA DE LL A BAT TAGL IA

P i a z z a V i t t o r i o E m a n u e l e I I

L a M a l c o n t e n t a

The swimming cha m p io n Fe d e r ic a P e l le g r in i is bor n in Mir an o.

PIOVE DI SACCO / PA DOVA / V E N E TO

MIRA/VENEZIA/VENETO

MIRANO/VENEZIA/VE N E TO

The next town is Piove di Sacco, a centre of reference of the area known as “Sac-

cis ica” , in the south-eastern part of the province of Padova. Once a farming centre,

recently i t has undergone a major industr ia l and commercial transformation. The

C athedral , housing works by Gian Batt ista Tiepolo and i l Sansovino stands in the

centre, with i ts bel l tower, which was or ig inal ly a c iv ic medieval tower. Via G aribaldi ,

l ined by the typical port icoes, has some noble Venetian mansions of var ious per iods.

The br idge over the Bre nta is c ro sse d , re ac hing the provin ce of Ven ice , comin g to

C ampagna Lupia , S am b ruso n and the n, a g ain in the R iv ier a de l Brent a , t h e den sely

populated town of Mira , whe re the P a l la d ian

V i l la “ la Malcontenta” , V i l la Wid m a nn Fo s-

car i and the Barchesse d i V i l la Va lm a rana ,

f ine chemical compan ie s and tex t i le b us i-

nesses are to be found .

The route then reaches Mirano, another act ive commercial centre and home to var-

ious industr ia l businesses and smal l trades, with the C athedral of St Michael the

Archangel and numerous Venetian Vi l las. After Maerne, on the outskirts of Mestre,

and Martel lago, with the Parco dei Laghett i – an extensive green area run by the town

counci l and by the WWF – and the s ixteenth century Vi l la Pr iul i Gr imani Morosini , the

route meets the province of Treviso where the stage f inale is going to be raced.

110 K M

9 0 K M

8 3 K M

In 1989 the G iro s tag e n . 11 , Ma nto -

va-Mira , was won by Ma r io C ip o l l in i .


1 3 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


T h e C a t h e d r a l o f T r e v i s o

T h e C a t h e d r a l i n T r e v i s o

ZERO BRANCO/TRE V IS O / V E N E TO

TREVISO/TREVIS O / V E N E TO

The f i rst munic ip a l i ty in the p rovinc e of Treviso en cou ntered is Zero Br an co, wit h

the ancient P a laz zo S a g ra m o ra in G oth ic -Ven et ian st y le .

Before go ing thro ug h Treviso ,

the route meets Q uinto d i Tre -

v iso . The o ldest p art of Treviso ,

with a medieval a sp e ct , inte r-

sected by a netwo rk of va r io us

waterways, w hic h offe r p ictu-

resque v iews, is e m b e l l ishe d

by the C athedra l , by the 13 th

century Church of S t . Fra nc is

and by the Goth ic c hurc h of

St . N icholas . Of the c iv ic b u i l -

d ings , ment ion c an b e m ad e of

the P iazza de i S ig no r i with the

P alazzo de i Trec e nto , the Mo nte

d i P ietà , with the C a p p e l la d e i

Rettor i ins ide and the Lu ig i B a l-

lo C iv ic Museu m .

The harmoniou s p icture of Tre -

v iso a lso inc lud e s d e l ic io us

specia l i t ies of fo o d a nd wine

speci f ic to the are a , suc h a s re d

rad icchio and a wid e c ho ic e of

wines (prosecc o fro m Vald o b -

biadene and C o ne g l ia no , the

excel lent C art iz ze , C ab e rnet ,

Mer lot , P inot n e ro and Ra b o so ) .

6 8 K M

5 7 K M

Si lvano Schiavo n (19 42-19 76 ) , a so un d pro r ider f rom 1965 to 1974 wh o re-

ta ined the Ma g l ia Ro sa fo r 3 d ays in 1967, came f rom a h amlet of Zero Br an co.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 4 0


T h e S a n V a l e n t i n o c h u r c h

Vi l lorba is hometow n to the re nowne d e ntre p ren eu r Massimo Zan et t i , t h e “pa-

tron” of the Segafre d o Zanett i c o m p a ny tha t , wit h Trek , spon sors a cycl in g

team. Bruno V ic ino a lso c o m e s fro m V i l lo rb a . H e was a sou n d pro r ider wh o won

the motor-paced Wo r ld C ha m p io nship s thre e t imes wit h Domen ico De L i l lo . To-

day he is sports d i re cto r in G iuse p p e S a ro nni ’s teams.

VILLORBA/TREV IS O / V EN ETO

BAVARIA/TREVISO/V EN ETO

MONTELLO/TREV IS O / V EN ETO

The route passes through Vi l lorba, an industr ious centre with a number of f ine vi l las.

The stage route then runs d own to Ba-

var ia with S ant ’Urban o and S an Vale nt i -

no churches and, past the Ve net ia n V i l la

Sfogl io-Antonin i , reac he s A rc a d e ’s te rr i -

tory with i ts f ine parochia l c hurc h.

The land is st i l l and a lways o nly f la t g o ing thro u gh Vascon , Maser ada su l P iave

and Spres iano, a long the Po nte b b ana m a in ro ad an d t h en a f i rst passage t h rou gh

Nervesa de l la Battagl ia . B efo re S a nt i A ng e l i , the 4t h categor y c l imb of Monte l lo is

reached, a long the R id g e , whic h sho uld not b e d i f f icu l t for t h e spr inters ’ appet i tes .

5 3 K M

10 K M

19 K M

Treviso has a great cyc l ing t ra d i t io n . The C o rsa Rosa h as gon e t h rou gh ou t st an -

d ing feats characte r is ing i ts h isto ry. The cycl in g in du st r y h ere h as feat u red

some important protag o nists , inc lud ing P ina re l lo .


1 4 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


T h e S a c r a r i o o f M o n t e l l o

NERVESA DELL A BATTAG L I A / TREV IS O / V EN ETO

Nervesa de l la Battag l ia a d d e d “ d e l la Battagl ia” (of t h e Bat t le) to i t s or ig in a l n ame

of Nervesa afte r the F i rst Wo r ld War, d ue to t h e great Bat t le of t h e Solst ice in Ju n e

1918, when the I ta l ian A rmy wa rd e d off the at tempt by t h e Au st ro-Hu n gar ian s an d

the Germans to b re a k the I ta l ian l i fe of defen se wh ich was h ere af ter t h e bat t le

of C aporetto . T he S ac rar io d e l Mo nte l lo was bu i l t by t h e mu n ic ipa l i t y on 1935 an d

holds the remains of ove r n ine tho usa nd war dead previou s ly bu r ied in abou t on e

hundred and twe nty c e m ete r ie s a lo ng the r iver P iave. Fr an cesco Bar acca, t h e ace

of I ta l ian av iat io n , was shot d own he re in an a i r f ight an d is remembered wit h a

monument .

The Abbey of S ant ’Eustac hio , ab ove N e rvesa, became a dest in at ion of p i lgr image

and retreats , b ut a lso a c u l tura l p o le . Dur in g t h e F i rst Wor ld War, becau se of i t s

c loseness to the P iave , i t und e rwe nt hug e damage an d was aban don ed, u nt i l t h e

ru ins were res to re d tha nks to fund ing f ro m t h e Eu ropean Un ion .

The G iro d ’ I ta l ia wa nts to c o m m e m o rate here t h e centen ar y of t h e war event s t h at

were p layed out in the P iave a re a .

F IN ISH

I t is in Ne rve sa that Mo nsig no r G iovan n i

Del la C asa (1503 -1556 ) wrote h is fa mou s

treat ise on p o l i te b e havio ur “ G a la te o overo

de ’ costum i” . N e rve sa d e l la Battag l ia was

a lso the b i r thp lac e of a h ig h-p rof i le per -

sonal i ty of I ta l ia n fo otb al l , G iuse p p e “ G ipo”

V ian i (190 9 -19 6 9 ) , fo otb al le r , c o ac h an d

sk i l led manag e r afte r who m the town’s st a-

d ium is nam e d .


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 4 2


T h e S a c r a r i o o f M o n t e l l o

In 1985, in the Mo nte l lo c i rc u i t , the Wo r ld C hampion sh ips were won by Joop

Zoetemelk , ahead of G re g Le Mo nd a nd Mo re no Argent in , as t h e Du tch man dar -

ted off with 2 km to g o ; in the U 23 c ate g o ry v ictor y went to Po l ish r ider Lech

P iasecki ; in the 100-k m te am rac e the Russian s won , wh ereas t h e I t a l ian team

(Marcel lo Barta l in i , Ma ssim o Po d e nz a na, E ro s Pol i , C lau dio Van del l i ) f in ish ed in

th i rd , with Checo- S lowak ia in se c o nd . The Fren ch at h lete Jean n ie Lon go c la i -

med the v ictory in the wo m e n’s rac e , Mar ia C an in s won t h e s i lver .

The 26 years of the European LIFE program for the env i ronment as wel l as the Habi -ta ts Di rect ive have both had a meaningfu l impact in Veneto, as they have contr ibuted to preserve a unique natura l her i tage in Europe, a lso through the ident i f icat ion of twenty-s ix s i tes wi th in Rete Natura 2000 managed by the Veneto Agency for inno-vat ion in the pr imary sector, such as Cansig l io , S in is t ra Piave, Destra Piave, Mal -gonera, P iangrande, Val Mont ina, Monte Baldo, Val d ’Adige, Giazza, Bosco Nord io, Val levecchia, Riserva Bocche d i Po and Bosco del la Donzel la – Oasi d i Cà Mel lo .



1 4 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

13

The Veneto is a re g io n in no rthe ast I ta ly de l imited by Trent in o-Al to Adige , Au s-

tr ia , Emi l ia-Romag na, Lo m b a rd y, Fr iu l i -Ve n ez ia G iu l ia an d t h e Adr iat ic Sea. I t s many

landscapes go f ro m the b e ac he s of the c oast a l st r ip , to broad p la in s in t h e cent re

and south , to the g e nt le B e r ic i a nd Eug an ean h i l ls , an d t h e mou nt a in s t h at reach

the ir peak on the Ma rm o lad a , in the sp le n did Dolomites , at 3 , 343 m. Th e region al

capi ta l is Venez ia ; the othe r p rovinc e s a re Bel lu n o, P adu a, Rovigo , Treviso ,

Verona and V ic e nz a .

The Veneto attra cts m o re to ur ists tha n a ny ot h er I t a l ian reg ion . Th e amazin g, u n iqu e

beauty of Ven ez ia is wo r ld re nowne d . Ve ron a h as i t s Roman Aren a an d t h e f asci-

nat ing story of Ro m e o a nd J u l iet . V ic e nz a an d P adu a h ave t h e ir won der f u l ar t ist ic ,

monumental a nd re l ig io us he r i tag e . Trevis o h as i t s can als , Be l lu n o i t s mou nt a in s

and the stunning C o rt ina d ’A m p ez zo a nd R ovigo . A l l t h ese town s are major tou r ist

magnets . The m a in b e a c h re so rts are Ie so lo , C aor le , B ib ion e, Sot tomar in a an d Ro-

sol ina . In the m o unta ins , a s we l l as C o rt ina d ’ Ampezzo, Ar abba, S appada, Fa lcade

and Val Zo ldan a a re the m o st p o p ular d e st in at ion s . Th ere are n u merou s c i t ies an d

towns with stunning a rc hite ctura l a nd a rt is t ic t reasu res: t h e f amou s Ven et ian v i l la

des igned by An d re a P al lad io , the wa l le d tow n s –C i t t adel la , Este , C aste l f r an co Ven e-

to , Conegl iano , B a ssa no d e l G rap p a, Marost ica – t h at preser ve an d protect t h e ir

h istory and trad i t io ns . O n the Ve net ia n b a nks of Lake G arda, inter n at ion al tou r ism

is h igh ly develo p e d . S uc h a re the re g io n ’s ar t ist ic an d cu l t u r a l r ich es t h at i t is qu i te

impossib le to sum m a rise the m . The re g ion ’ s u n ivers i t ies an d academies h ave a

long and prest ig io us trad i t io n . To g ive just on e n ame, t h e p laywr ight C ar lo Goldon i

(Venez ia 1707-P a r is 179 3 ) m ad e a m a jo r cont r ibu t ion to t h e development of mod-

ern theatre , wr i t ing m a ny of h is wo rks in h is Ven et ian mot h er ton gu e.

Unt i l the per io d afte r Wo r ld Wa r Two , the Ven eto exper ien ced major ou t migr at ion .

In the 1960s and 19 70s i t we nt thro ug h a years of r ap id in du st r ia l growt h in many

sectors , which ra ise d the sta nd a rd of l iv ing for a l l .

Among the many lo c al d ishe s , as we l l a s t h e f amou s red r ad ish , t h e Ven eto of -

fers asparagus f ro m B a ssa no , b e a ns f ro m L amon , n ear Bel lu n o, Marost ica ch er r ies ,

As iago cheese , ‘so p p re ssa ’ (a sa lam i m ad e wit h por k , lard , sa l t , pepper, sp ices an d

RE G IO N VENETO

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 4 4

13

somet imes gar l ic) , and othe r sa usag e s, e e l f ro m t h e Po de l t a , c lams f rom Poles-

ine . ‘S arde f r i t te ’ (Venet ian-sty le swe et and so ur s ard in es) , baccalà a l la v icent in a

(V icenza-sty le dr ied c o d ) , fe g a to a l la ve nez iana (Ven et ian -st y le l iver ) , ‘ r is i e b is i ’

( r isotto with peas) , r isotto ‘a l ne ro d i se p p ia ’ (wi t h squ id o i l ) , a l l man n er of f ish

f rom the Adr iat ic , ‘p inz a ’ , a t rad i t io nal swe et m ad e wit h po lent a .

And there are the wine s: Va lp o l ic e l la , Lug a na, Re c ioto , Amaron e, Bardol in o , Raboso,

Soave, C abernet and Pro se c c o , a nd C a rt iz ze , m a d e in an area of ju st 10 6 h ect ares

around C art izze , in Va ld o b b ia d e ne .

As in Treviso , the reg io n p a s p ro d uc e d g re a t c hampion s of past an d present : to

name but one, the gre at O ttav io Botte c hia (b o rn S an Mar t in o d i Co l le Umber to , 1

August 1894, d ied Gem o na , I ta ly, 14 J une 19 27) , the f i rst I t a l ian win n er of t h e Tou r

de France. He was fou nd d e a d by the ro ad sid e ; the reason remain s a myster y.

RE GION V E NE TO

1 4 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

ITA LY PORDENONE

UDINE

NATION P ROVINCE


km 186

S A N V I T O A L

T A G L I A M E N T O

M O N T E Z O N C O L A N

1 4

14 SAN V ITO AL TAGLIAMENTO MONT E ZONC OL A N19 MAY 2 018 SATURDAY km 186

The p la in? Never heard of i t ! c o uld b e the t i t le of today’ s st age, wh ol ly in Fr iu l i -Ven ez ia G iu -l ia , with a cont inuous and inc re a sing ly a c c e ntua te d u pwards ten den cy, u p to t h e su mmit of Mount Zoncolan , the “ Ka ise r” . The f in ish ing l ine is p laced at t h e en d of t h is icon ic c l imb of vert ica l cycl ing at interna t io nal leve l .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 4 8

14SAN V ITO AL TAGLIAMENTO M ONT E ZONC OL A N19 MAY 2 018 SATURDAY km 186

SAN VITO AL TAG LI A ME NTO / P O RDEN O N E/ FR IULI VENEZIA GIULIA

It is the lovely little town of San Vito al Tagliamento, on the right of the river of the same

name that hosts the stage start, a debut in the geography of the Pink Race. Its history

can be read in the remains of the ancient walls, with three well-preserved gates, together

with the medieval structure of the centre. Today the town has combined its mainly agri-

cultural activity, fostered by the natural springs, with many productive activities.

The mid-18 th century C athedral , dedicated to

Saints Vito, Modesto and Crescenzia, with the

76 metre-high bel l tower, the Church of San

Lorenzo, the Smal l Church of Santa Maria dei

Battut i and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di

Rosa are the main places of worship and house

some f ine works. For the civic architecture,

mention must be made of the Palazzo Rota, now

the town hal l , with i ts e legant inner courtyard

and the park of the same name, and the central

Piazza del Popolo.

START 18 6 K M

Cycling is associated with San Vito al Ta-

gl iamento because of the Coppa San Vito,

a classic race managed by the C.C. Stefa-

nutti that has been organised since 1923.

P aolo S arp i (1552- 16 23 ) , a p r ie st of the O r-

der of the Serv i d i Ma r ia who c r i t ic ize d the

tempora l power of the C hurc h, d e sc e nd e d

from a fami ly f rom S a n V i to a l Tag l ia m e nto ,

which was a lso the b i r thp la c e of the g re at

a lp ine c l imber R ic c ard o C ass in (19 09 -

2009) , a long- l ived sp e c ia l ist who o p e ne d

severa l routes on a num b e r of m o unta ins of

the wor ld . From the sa m e town c o m e s C e -

sare Benvenuto , a p ass io nate , sc rup ulo us

race D irector in m a ny nat io na l eve nts o r-

ganized by Franco Me al l i ’s G .S . Fo rze S p o r-

t ive Romane, the “Pr im ave ra C ic l ist ic a ” , the

U23 Giro d ’ I ta l ia , the G i ro d e l Fr iu l i and oth-

er races in Veneto and Fr iu l i .

P i a z z a d e l P o p o l o a n d t h e C a t h e d r a l

T o r r e R a i m o n d a i n S a n V i t o

o f T a g l i a m e n t o

1 4 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

14 SAN V ITO AL TAGLIAMENTO MONT E ZONC OL A N

The town remembers Pier Paolo Pasol in i (1922-1975), poet , writer and director,

bur ied here, who was always very fond of this place, the birthplace of his mother.

Domenico “Nico” Naldini , writer, d irector and poet , both in I ta l ian and Frui l ian, a

cousin of Pasol in i to whom he was very close, comes from C asarsa del la Del iz-

ia . The Jacuzzi dynasty, which emigrated to the USA in the ear ly 20th century

and the inventors and manufacturers of the hydromassage system bearing their

name, a lso came or iginal ly from here. The professional r ider Enr ico G asparotto,

winner of the nat ional t i t le in 2005 and of two edit ions of the Amstel Gold Race

(2012 and 2016) was born in Saci le , into a family from C asarsa del la Del iz ia .

S an G iorg io d e l la R ic h inve ld a is ho m etown to G in o P an cin o , a ch asin g specia l ist

who, with Ro nc a g l ia , C a ste l lo a nd the late Ch emel lo , won t h e Wor ld Team Ch am-

pionship in 19 6 6 in Frank furt . R ino De C an dido , coach of t h e I t a l ian ju n ior team,

a lso comes fro m the sam e town.

CASARSA DELL A D E LI Z I A / P O RDEN O N E/ FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

SAN GIORGIO DELL A RI NCHI VE LDA / P O RDEN ONE/FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

SAN DANIELE DEL FRI ULI / U DIN E / FRIU LI V EN EZIA GIULIA

The start of th e sta g e is e asy f ro m the a l t i t u de po int of v iew. I t develops t h rou gh

C asarsa de l la De l iz ia , a fe rt i le a g r ic u l tura l cent re , especia l ly for v in eyards an d wit h

a strong indus tr ia l a nd c o m m e rc ia l c o nnot at ion . Th e impor t ant cooper at ive soci-

et ies have cou nte r-b a la nc e d the lo ss of t h e st ron g mi l i t ar y presen ce. Here , u nt i l

mi l i tary serv ic e wa s ab o l ishe d , the re wa s t h e largest bar r acks in I t a ly af ter t h at of

Cecchignola in Ro m e .

The route pass e s thro ug h A rze ne , S a n Mart in o a l Tagl iamento , an d S an Giorg io de l la

R ich invelda , in the a re a of whic h the re is “ la R ich invelda” , t h e sacred p lace wh ere

the patr iarch of A q ui le ia , Be rtrand o , was mu rdered in 1350 .

After cross ing the b r id g e ove r the Tag l ia mento , t h e rou te enters t h e provin ce of

Udine go ing thro ug h Dig nano and C arp ac co before reach in g S an D an ie le de l Fr iu -

l i . A pretty town, i t is c ha racte r ize d by Ven eto arch i tecton ic feat u res an d d ist in -

guished by spec i f ic hum a nist ic a nd c ul tura l t r ad i t ion s , su ch as t h e Gu ar n er ian L i -

18 2 K M

171 K M

15 1 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 5 0

14SAN V ITO AL TAGLIAMENTO M ONT E ZONC OL A N

PINZANO SUL TAGLIA ME NTO / P O RDEN O N E/ FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

The route passes through the

scattered vi l lage of Ragogna

and, after Muris , the cl imb to

the 3 rd category summit starts

amidst f ine greenery, a sort of

appetizer for the other cl imbs

of the day. The descent re-

serves the view of the remains

of the C ast le of San Pietro fol-

lowed by a very br ief return

into the province of Pordenone

in Pinzano al Tagl iamento. The

new br idge over the Tagl ia-

mento, a spectacular structure

with a s ingle arch, resisted the

strong earthquake of 1976.

T h e C h u r c h

o f S a n t ’ A n t o n i o A b a t e

T h e C a s t l e o f S a n P i e t r o

135 K M

brary, founded in 1466. A rc hi te ctura l e le m e nts of va lu e

inc lude the C athedra l with i ts 18 th c e ntury fa ç ad e, t h e

Church of S ant ’Antonio A b a te a nd P o rta G e m o na, ca l led

in Fr iu l ian portonat , bu i l t to the d e s ig n of P a l la d io .

PDO San Danie le ham is produced in the hear t o f Fr iu l i undergoing a del icate process that is carr ied out accord ing to the centur ies-o ld t rad i t ion. The European Union protects th is t rad i t ion wi th in EU f ront iers as th is product has been granted the Pro-tected Designat ion of Or ig ins (PDO).

Here, in 1991, Gianni Bugno conquered the Ital ian Championship jersey when he

won the Giro del Friul i , val id for the Ital ian Road Championships, ahead of Franco

Chiocciol i and Claudio Chiappucci. The Coppa San Daniele, a classic under 23 race,

has already had over eighty edit ions.



1 5 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


L a k e C o r n i n o

L a k e V e r z e g n i s a n d M o u n t A m a r i a n a

FORGARIA DEL FRI ULI / P O RDEN O N E/ FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

INTERNEPPO/PO RDEN O N E/ FRIULI V E N E ZIA GIULIA

VILL A SANTIN/PO RD E NO NE /FRI UL I VE NE Z IA GIULIA

Th e rou te immediate ly ret u r n s

into t h e provin ce of Udin e an d,

af ter t h e br idge over t h e Ar z i -

n o st ream, reach es Forgar ia

n e l Fr iu l i . Th e Nat u r a l Reser ve

of Lake Cor n in o , an A lp in e t ype

of lake fed by t h e u n dergrou n d

water bed in a pecu l iar n at u r a l

set t in g c lose to t h e Tagl iamen -

to , is in i t s ter r i tor y.

The route goe s thro ug h S o m p c o rnino ,

Peonis , the v i l la g e of ho ney a nd c he st-

nuts , Trasaghis , Inte rne p p o , k nown a s

the “v i l lage of b utte rf l ie s” , lo o k ing o n to

Lake C avazzo , the la rg e st na tura l lake

in the reg ion . S o m p la g o fo l lows. We a re

now in the C arn ia with the larg e P o nte

Avons over the Ta g l iam e nto in the te rr i -

tory of To lmez zo a nd whic h is ove r o ne

hundred years o ld .

The next p laces are Ve rze g nis , with the

art i f ic ia l bas in whic h sup p l ie s the hyd ro e lect r ic power st at ion of Somplago an d, in

the backgroun d , the c hara cte r ist ic s i lho uet te of Mou nt Amar ian a, Inv i l l in o wit h t h e

wel l -known Smal l C hurc h of S anta Ma r ia M addalen a an d i t s h ou ses su r rou n ded by

sheer rock wal ls .

The ascent of the 3 rd c ate g o ry c l im b of Avagl io t h en begin s , in t h e woods an d wit h a

v iew of the v i l la g e s in the va l ley b e low, retu r n in g again , at t h e en d of t h e descent ,

to V i l la S ant ina . The p la in is now a d istant memor y of t h is st age an d, af ter C an eva,

128 K M

110 K M

8 7 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 5 2


PALUZZA/PORDEN O N E/ FRIULI V E N E ZIA G IULIA

SUTRIO/PORDEN O N E/ FRIULI V E N E ZIA G IULIA

OVARO/PORDENONE/ FRIU LI V EN EZ IA G IULIA

The stage once again m e ets the ha rd a sc e nt , a l re ady t ackled in recent ed i t ion s of

the P ink Race, of the Duro n P a ss , a 2 nd c a te g o ry c l imb. On t h e descent t h e rou te wi l l

go through Forcel la d i L ius , L ig o sul lo a nd P a luz z a .

The descent ends in Su tr io and the a sc e nt to the 3 rd categor y c l imb of Se l la Va lca l-

da-Ravascletto starts im m e d iate ly, with g rad ie nts t h at are mu ch gent ler t h an t h e

Duron P ass . Ravasclet to , with i ts v i l lag e s in the g reen lan dscape wit h past u res , is a

popular ho l iday spot , w ith a c ab le -c a r c o nne ct ing t h e cent re to t h e s lopes of Mou nt

Zoncolan which dominate s the a re a , with i ts twin Mou nt Crost is .

The race proceeds, in d e sc e nt , toward s

Comegl ians , in a gree n va l ley, and the n

Ovaro . Th is v i l lage in the De g ano va l ley,

a lso ca l led C anale d i G o rto , sta nd s in a sun-

ny va l ley surrounded by m o unta ins with

character ist ic bu i ld ing s . I t is c o nsid e re d

the gateway to the mo st c ha l le ng ing s lo p e

to reach Mount Zoncola n . L a C o n c a d i O v a r o

L a k e V e r z e g n i s a n d M o u n t A m a r i a n a

P aularo is the b i r thp la c e of the fo otb al l c o a c h Man l io Scopign o (192 5-1993) ,

ca l led “ the phi losop he r” , a d is i l lus io ne d p e rson al i t y wh o led C agl iar i squ ad to

winning the 1969/7 0 I ta l ia n C ham p io nship .

P a luzza is the b i r thp la c e of Manue la a nd G io rg io D i Cent a , great cross-cou nt r y

sk i ing champions and c o usins of Ve na nz io O rt is , a more-t h an -on ce win n er in

middle-d istance running in the late 19 70s.

27 K M

34 K M

10 K M

the route cont inues for Zug l io , of Ro m an o r ig in an d a b ish op’ s seat in t h e Middle

Ages, in the va l ley of t he B ut to rre nt . The n c o m e s P au laro , sou t h of t h e border wit h

Austr ia .


1 5 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


M o u n t Z o n c o l a n

MONTE ZONCOL A N/ PO RDEN O N E/ FRIULI V E N EZIA GIULIA

Mount Zoncolan is both the stage f in ish and a 1st category cl imb. In 2007 the as-

cent, on this s ide of the mountain, was unprecedented and became immediately a

feared-yet-coveted icon of vert ical cycl ing internat ional ly. Zoncolan is an important

vacation resort for downhi l l and cross-country ski ing with spectacular v iews on al-

most the ent ire C arnia.

The race, after having made a “pit stop” to a l low the technical and assistance person-

nel to go from four wheels to two wheels in the

hamlet of Chial ina, passes Ovaro. From here on

i t is only and always a hard cl imb, in the middle

of the wooded slopes and the panoramas below

on to meadows and grazing land which become

increasingly broader, a long the narrow r ibbon

of asphalt cut into the mountain which leads to

the summit , a lways accompanied by fans at the

s ides who ral ly on the leaders before opening

out into the natural stadium – a lways packed –

which crowns the f in ishing l ine.

F IN ISH

Mount Zoncolan has always been a spectacular and breath-taking portion of the

route, since 2007, when Gi lberto Simoni from Trentino nai led the win and repeated

his success on Mount Zoncolan during the 2003 Giro, when the route cl imbed on

the easier slope of Sutrio. In 2010 Ivan Basso reached the summit f inish f irst and,

on the fol lowing year, victory went to Spaniard Igor Anton. In 2014 the Austral ian

Michael Rogers claimed the victory. And yet Mount Zoncolan was f irst introduced

in women’s cycling races, ahead of their male col leagues. The 1997 Women’s Giro

d’ Ital ia included a stage f inish on Zoncolan, on the slope of Sutrio, placed at about

three ki lometres from the summit. Fabiana Luperini was the stage winner.

The WWI landmarks in the h i l ls o f Fr iu l i have been funded by the European Union through the I ta ly-Aust r ia Cooperat ion wi th in the In ter - reg ional Programme. The a im is to promote the r iver Tagl iamento area, a bat t le f ie ld dur ing WWI in October-No-vember 1917.



G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 5 4

14REGION FRI U L I V E NE ZIA GIU LIA

Friul i-Venezia Giul ia is a special-status region. Fr iu l i occupies about 96% of the re-

gion, with Venezia Giul ia makes up the rest as a result of terr itor ia l changes made af-

ter World War I I . The regional capital , Tr ieste, is one of four administrat ive provinces:

the others are Goriz ia , Pordenone and Udine. Fr iu l i-Venezia Giul ia has borders with

Austr ia to the north, Slovenia to the east , Veneto to the west and the Adriat ic Sea to

the south. The region’s history includes A q ui le ia , a Roman colony founded in 181 BC,

of whichì stunning archaeological survivals remain, and, for more than a thousand

years, a major rel ig ious and administrat ive centre with i ts own patr iarchate. There is

C iv ida le de l Fr iu l i , founded by Jul ius C aesar with the name of Forum Iul i i , which gave

i ts name to the ent ire region, and later became the capital of the Lombard Kingdom.

And there is Udine that , start ing in the 13 th century, became the most important

centre in Fr iu l i , and the seat of the patr iarchate of Aqui le ia . Fr iu l i-Venezia Giul ia is

a borderland and a meeting point of cultures, which l ive in harmony there. The very

act ive associat ion of Fogolars Fur lans (Eng. hearths of Fr iu lani) connect Fr iulans

spread around the world by past migrat ion, and perpetuate i ts deeply-felt tradit ion,

start ing with the Fr iulan language.

In the Fr iulan Mountains, S a ur is , in the Val Lumiei , is the region’s highest town at

1212 m. I ts prosciutto c rud o and sp e c k are del ic ious. The prosciu t to cr u do of S an

D anie le del Fr iu l i , a pretty town on the plain, is internat ional ly renowned. The P ian -

caval lo distr ict in the province of Pordenone, is a popular ski stat ion and a centre of

winter and summer tourism. Piancaval lo has welcomed many edit ions of the Giro del

Fr iu l i organised by the passionate U g o C a o n, and a stage of the 1998 Giro d’ I ta l ia won

by Marco P antani . The hi l ly Col l io , above al l on the Slovenian border, produces f ine

wines, especial ly white, as wel l as grappa of the highest qual i ty. The central p la in is

dedicated to agr iculture and l ivestock, whi le , a long the coast l ine, long, sandy beach-

es ( l ike the wel l-known beaches of L ig na no , and G rado, with i ts lagoon) and the mag-

nif icent coast around Tr ieste. The C arso or Karst Plateau, a l imestone region formed

by the dissolut ion of soluble l imestone, dolomite and gypsum and character ized by

s inkholes, caves, and underground drainage systems, covers much of the provinces

of Gor iz ia and Tr ieste.

The regional economy developed rapidly in the second half of the twentieth century,

with the spread of a dense manufactur ing infrastructure, and tourism, fol lowed by

shopping centres and service-sector businesses. Among the major tour ist attrac-

t ions are Cividale del Fr iu l i with i ts Lombard ruins, the old town in Goriz ia , Gemona,

Palmanova, Vi l la Manin and C o rm o ns, known to I ta l ians as the hometown of Br u n o

P izzu l , former professional footbal l p layer and, from 1986 to 2002, the main TV com-

mentator on matches involving the nat ional footbal l team.

1 5 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

14 RE G IO N FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

Tr ieste , with i ts history, monuments, culture and commerce, not to mention i ts major

port , is a paradigm of an open, cosmopol itan city. Udin e l ies beneath a high-standing

C ast le , with i ts g lor ious Duomo, i ts Venetian-Gothic Loggia del L ionel lo (Eng. town

hal l , bui l t 1448–1457), the Archbishop’s Palace with frescoes by Tiepolo, the Palace

of the Patr iarch, and many beautiful p iazzas and parks. Udine University is growing

constantly, as is the Luigi D aniel i Science and Technology Park, a miniature s i l icon

val ley. The smal lest province is G o r iz ia , with i ts beautiful cast le and old town.

Typical d ishes in the C arnia area of Fr iu l i include “f r ico” (cr isp fr ied cheese), polenta,

“brovada” , a broth of turnip and pork and game. Typical sweets include gu ban a, from

the Nat isone val leys, made of sweet pastry stuffed with nuts, sultanas, p ine nuts,

and grappa in a snai lshel l shape. S l ivoviz is a dist i l led spir i t produced from plums.

Fr iul i-Venezia Giul ia is c losely t ied to the A lp in e Regiment of the I ta l ian Army, who

has many bases in the region, share the local character and contr ibuted great ly to

the work of reconstruct ion after the devastat ing 1976 ear t h qu ake. When the Giro

d’ I ta l ia v is its the region, the “Black Feathers” , both those in act ive service and vet-

erans, br ing their expert ise to the voluntary groups coordinated by En zo C ain ero

who has, for years, harnessed sport (he was project manager of the 2003 World

University G ames), and especial ly cycl ing to promote the region in concert with the

appropriate inst itut ions. After gathering great experience in footbal l (he was a Ser ie

A goalkeeper) , basketbal l and other sports, C ainero has played an important role in

br inging the Corsa Rosa to Fr iul i-Venezia Giul ia . His niece Ch iar a C ain ero is an I ta l ian

sport shooter who won a gold medal in S ke et at the 2 0 0 8 Bei j in g Su mmer O lympics .

The region has lo ng p ro d uc e d exc e l le nt spor t smen an d women , in c lu din g foot bal l -

ers Ferruccio Valc a re g g i , N e re o Ro c c o , Enzo Bear zot , Cesare Mald in i an d D in o Zof f ,

to name the ve ry c re am . I t has p ro d uc e d many top basket bal l p layers . Th e wor ld

heavyweight c ha m p io n P r im o C arne ra (19 06-1967) was f rom Sequ als , a t iny v i l lage

100 km northwe st of Tr ie ste a nd 25 k m nor t h east of Porden on e. N in o Benven u t i ,

Welterweight wo r ld c ham p io n, was f ro m Tr ieste . Th e D i Cent a s ib l in gs Man u ela ,

1994 Olympic c ham p io n a t L i l le ha m m e r, an d G iorg io , t wice-Olympic ch ampion at

Tor ino in 2006 , a re f ro m Fr iu l i . Twic e I ta l ian cyclo-cross ch ampion D an ie le Ponton i

is f rom Udine .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 5 6

Sulle strade del Giro d’Italia, scopri il Friuli Venezia Giulia

Se il ciclismo è la tua grande passione e vuoi sfrecciare sulle strade che hanno contribuito a fare la storia di questo sport, il Friuli Venezia Giulia è il territorio perfetto per la tua vacanza. Itinerari straordinari che ripercorrono le mitiche tappe del Giro d’Italia: fatiche leggendarie come il valico di un passo alpino...discese mozzafiato con panorami che guardano dall’alto la costiera dell’Alto Adriatico... La tua vacanza unica è quella che vuoi raccontare. E in Friuli Venezia Giulia trovi tutti i motivi per farlo.

Una vacanza da raccontare

Gabriele Moretti Altro che vacanza, queste sono le strade che ti fanno sentire un mito! #fvglive

Gabriele MorettiMonte Zoncolan, Italy >

Ph

: F

. Galli

na

NOTE14 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 5 8

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

ITA LY UDINE

BELLUNO

NATION P ROVINCE

20 MAY 2018 SUNDAY

km 176

T O L M E Z Z O

S A P P A D A

1 5

15 SAN V ITO AL TAGLIAMENTO MONT E ZONC OL A N2 0 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 176

On weekends the Cors a Ro sa is rac e d m o st ly in th e mou nt a in s . Th e same is t r u e for t h is Sunday, with a re lat ive ly sho rt sta g e , b ut with a ver y wavy prof i le , a l t h ou gh n ot as tou gh – in terms of gradients o r le ng th – a s the p revio us st age wit h t h e f in ish on Mou nt Zon colan .

The route starts again in Fr iu l i Ve nez ia G iu l ia , in To lmezzo, t h e capit a l of t h e C ar n ia , in t h e province of Udine , and f in ishe s in Ve neto , S ap p ad a, in t h e provin ce of Be l lu n o.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 6 0

15SAN V ITO AL TAGLIAMENTO M ONT E ZONC OL A N2 0 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 176

TOLMEZZO/UDIN E / FRIU LI V EN EZ IA G IULIA

This is the first time that Tolmezzo, which has al-

ways been considered the capital of the Carnia, in

the mid-valley of the river Tagliamento, has hosted

a stage start of the Giro d’Italia. Like all the areas of

Friuli Venezia Giulia struck by the 1976 earthquake,

it was able to recover quickly with hard-working

tenacity and the proverbial capacity from the se-

vere damage suffered. It is characterized by the

typical pyramidal silhouette of Mount Amariana.

The C athedra l , of the middle of the 18th century,

the C arn ia Museum of P o p ula r A rts and Trad i-

t ions , established in 1921 by Michele Gortani and

housed in the 18th century P a la z zo C am p e is , and

the P alazzo L inuss io also characterize the city.

START 176 K M

14 5 K M

From here comes Maur iz io G anz , a p ro l i f ic

str iker in many footb a l l te a m s.

T h e C a t h e d r a l i n T o l m e z z o

T h e P a l a z z o C a m p e i s

Among the EU-funded pro jects there is the GeoTrAC - Cross-border Geopark of the Carn ic Alps. I ts goal is the creat ion of a Geopark, the promot ion of the geologica l env i ronment , the implementat ion of susta inable developmenta l s t ra teg ies of the Car-n ic A lps d is t r ic t , awareness-ra is ing about the natura l her i tage to favour a ba lance between growth, protect ion, and good management of the env i ronment , by a lso pro-mot ing the sc ient i f ic cu l ture and an increase in tour ism in the involved areas.

FORNI DI SOTTO / U DIN E / FRIU LI V EN EZ IA G IULIA

L ike the previous day, the ro ute a lso g o e s thro ugh V i l la S ant in a , t h en , in a s l ight

c l imb, Ampezzo, a long a g re e n p la te a u with the typ ica l h omes of t h e area wit h wo-

oden ba lconies , to then re a c h Fo rn i d i S otto and , immediate ly af ter t h at , obviou s ly

at a h igher a l t i tude, Forn i d i S o p ra . Fo rn i d i S otto has ch an ged i t s or ig in a l st r u ct u -

re with wooden home s d ue to a d isa stro us f i re , wh ich lef t on ly t h e 19 t h cent u r y


1 6 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


founta ins intact . The a sc e nt

to the P ass of the Ma ur ia ,

3 rd category c l im b the n fo l -

lows. The P ass of the Mau-

r ia is a long-sta nd ing fe a-

ture of the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia and

a lso a long-est a b l ishe d ro u-

te of communi c a t io n .

P a s s o f t h e M a u r i a

M a n s i o n o f t h e M a g n i f i c e n t

C o m m u n i t y o f t h e C a d o r e

T h e h o u s e w h e r e T i t i a n

w a s b o r n

LORENZAGO DI CA D O RE / BELLU N O / V EN ETO

PIEVE DI CADORE / B E LLUN O / V E N E TO

The route is now in the Ve neto , in the sp le ndid reg ion of t h e C adore , wit h t h e Magn i-

f icent Community of the sa m e na m e , m ad e u p of t went y-t wo v i l lages , f u l l of n at u r a l

beauty, h istory, c u l ture and tra d i t io ns st i l l kept a l ive . Th e rou te descen ds t h rou gh

Lorenzago d i C a d o re , in th is te rr i to ry the r iver Tagl iamento r a ises an d a d ia lect wit h

Ladino inf luence s is sp o ke n.

After Pelos di Cadore, the route passes through Lozzo

di Cadore in the territory of which there is the plateau

of Pian dei Buoi which allows a sweeping view of moun-

tains and valleys. The itinerary then meets Pieve di Ca-

dore, the recognized capital of the Cadore on the right of

the Piave, and the artificial lake formed by the barrier of

the river. The Magnificent Community of the Cadore is

based in the central and characteristic Piazza Tiziano, in

a 16th century building with a tower which also houses

a paleo-Veneto archaeological museum. Nearby there is

the house where Tiziano was born and in the vicinity the

Church of Santa Maria Nascente, which still has one of

his paintings. The structure and the decorated buildings

reveal a certain wealth, which came from the trade in

timber and from the close and profitable relations with

Venice. Of considerable interest is the Museum of Glass-

es, linked to the economic activity in the Cadore, with

the historical and technological evolution of glasses in

the area and of the related accessories.

128 K M

10 5 K M

2 0 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 176

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 6 2


The Giro d’Italia had a stage in Pieve di Cadore in 1940 when victory went to Mario Vici-

ni, in 1947 with Gino Bartali in first and in 1979 when Roberto Ceruti nailed the victory.

T h e h o u s e w h e r e T i t i a n

w a s b o r n C o r t i n a d ’ A m p e z z o

8 5 K M

73 K M

Pieve d i C adore is the b i r thp la c e of the g re a t an d mu lt i - f aceted pa inter T iz ia-

no Vecel l io (1488/149 0-1576 ) , Fathe r Lu ig i C iot t i , a pr iest kn own for h is socia l

commitment , and Kr ist ian G he d ina , a sk i ing c hampion .

G iampietro Ta lamin i (18 54-19 3 4) , the fo und e r of t h e most popu lar n ewspaper

of the Tr iveneto , th e “ G a z zett ino ” , c am e fro m Vodo.

VODO DI CADORE/BE LLUN O / V E N E TO

CORTINA D’AMPE Z ZO / BELLU N O / V EN ETO

The route cont inues a lo ng the sho rt p la in of the bot tom of t h e va l ley v ia Val le d i

C adore , on the s lopes of the A nte lao g ro up , the se con d peak in t h e Dolomites af ter

the Marmolada. The rac e the n c o m e s to Vo d o d i C adore , a tou r ist resor t in t h e va l-

ley of the Boi te torrent , whic h offe rs sp e cta c ula r v iews of t h e Ante lao an d of Mou nt

Pelmo. Th is is fo l lowed , a g ain in the va l ley of the Boi te , by S an V i to d i C adore , in t h e

middle of great f i r fore sts a nd sp e cta c ula r m o unta in s , popu lar h o l iday spot , wit h a

very smal l lake c lose to the Bo i te .

The route fo l lows a road , whic h te nd s

to c l imb constant ly w itho ut sp r ints

and whi ch leads to Cort ina d ’A m p ez -

zo , the “Queen of the Do lo m ite s” by

def in i t ion . Cort ina stand s in a g re -

en va l ley in the wonderfu l sett ing of

the Dolomites , with Tofa ne , P o m a-

gagnon, Cr ista l lo , Sora p iss , C inq ue

Torr i , Croda da Lago and othe rs . I t

has had a story of spec ia l ho sp ita l i -

ty with an internat ion al a tm o sp he re

s ince the middle of the 19 th c e ntury.

Corso I ta l ia is the e legant showc a se


1 6 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


The Giro d’ Ital ia placed here a stage f inish in 1939 when victory went to Secondo

Magni from Tuscany, to Fausto Coppi in 1948, to Luison Bobet in 1951, to Angelo

Conterno in 1955, to Giuseppe Perletto in 1977 when the f inish was in Col Drusciè

and then, in 2012, when Spaniard Joaquim Rodriguez claimed the win.

T h e T h r e e P e a k s o f L a v a r e d o

AURONZO DI CAD O RE / B E LLUN O / V E N E TO

The Three Crosses Pass, a 2nd category cl imb, fol lows on immediately, with a maximum

gradient towards the f inal part which connects the val ley of Cortina with the val ley of

Ansiei , between the Cristal lo to the north and the Sorapiss to the south. The descent

leads to the fork for Auronzo and then to Palùs San Marco, between thick forests of

ash trees and conifers, again in descent towards Auronzo di Cadore. The Ansiei torrent,

which is born in Lake d’Antorno, a small stretch of water at the foot of the Three Peaks

of Lavaredo, feeds the Lake of Misurina and then forms the Lake of Santa Caterina,

where speedboat and rowing races are held.

37 K M

Cortina d’Ampezzo remembers Lino Lacedell i (1925-2009), a mountaineer who,

together with Achil le Compagnoni, was among the f irst to cl imb K2, the second-hi-

ghest peak in the world, in 1954.

of Cort ina , whic h has in the 18 th c e ntury P ar ish Ch u rch of S a int s Ph i l l ip an d James

a wel l -known sym b o l . The C a sa d e l le Re gole combin es a r ich geologica l mu seu m

with the important “ Ma r io R im o ld i ” a rt g a l ler y. Th e O lympic Ice St adiu m recal ls t h e

h istor ica l Winte r O lym p ic s he ld he re in 19 5 6.

There are var io us s i te s that re c a l l p la c e s , for t i f icat ion s an d memor ies of t h e F i rst

Wor ld War affe ct ing the are a , a t the c e ntre of impor t ant rou tes of commu n icat ion .


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 6 4


T h e P a l a z z o P o l i - D e P o l

29 K M

15 K M

8 K M

Costa l ta is hometown to Ma ur i l io d e Zo l t ,

a cross-country c ha m p io n who wo n se -

vera l prest ig ious m e d a ls at the O lym p i-

cs and the Wor ld C ha m p io nship s , a lso

known as “Cr icket” b e c ause of h is t iny

body structure . Costa l ta is re m e m b e re d

a lso for the walks of Po p e J o a n P a ul I I o n

the s lopes around the v i l lag e d ur ing h is

stay ing in Lorenzago , C ad o re .

PASSI DI SANT’ANTO NI O / B E LLUN O / V E N E TO

COSTALISSOIO/BE LLUN O / V E N E TO

SAPPADA/UDINE/FRIULI V E N E ZIA G IULIA

SAN PIETRO DI CADORE / BELLU N O / V EN ETO

Immediate ly after the b ui l t -up are a c o m e s the c l imb of t h e P ass of St . Ant h ony,

2 nd category c l imb, a l re ad y tac k le d in the 2011 e d i t ion of t h e G i ro d ’ I t a l ia , bu t f rom

the opposi te s lope. From th is s id e , the s lo p e s to reach t h e pass , a lso kn own as t h e

P asso de l Zovo or Mou nt Zovo , are ste e p e r.

The route descends in the va l C o m e l ic o thro ug h D ant a d i C adore , in t h e midst of an

intact natura l landscap e . The b r id g e ove r the D ig o n tor rent mar ks t h e begin n in g of

the unprecedented as c e nt of C o sta l isso io (B o sc o dei G iav i) , an ot h er 2 n d categor y

c l imb.

The f ina l c l imbs up towa rd s the f in ish ing l ine of S appada, a v i l lage wh ich exten ds

east-west a long the w ho le of the va l ley whe re the P iave f lows, a r iver t h at is recu r -

rent and ce lebrated in th is ye ar ’s G i ro , o ne hund re d years af ter t h e v ictor y in Wor ld

War I . I ts sources are in the te rr i to ry of S ap p ad a, at an a l t i t u de of 1830 met res ,

The road descends to S an P ietro d i C a d o re ,

with the sp lendid P a la z zo P o l i -De P o l of the

second hal f of the 17 th c e ntury and c urre nt ly

the town hal l .

F IN ISH


1 6 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


The Giro d’ I ta l ia f in ished here in 1987 for the f i rst t ime: i t was the 15th stage, L ido

di Jesolo-Sappada, won by Dutchman Johan Van der Velde ahead of Rominger and

Giupponi , at 46” . On that occasion the Ir ish r ider Stephen Roche wore the pink

jersey, snapping i t from his designated captain, Roberto Visentini , and he won the

Giro in his magic year, when he also conquered the Tour de France and the World

Championships. The above-mentioned episode caused r ivers of ink to f low, s ince

Roche attacked several t imes and Visentini , supported by his team-mates, mana-

ged to respond to the attacks of the Ir ishman a couple of t imes, but in the f inal he

did not have the legs anymore and crossed the f in ish l ine 6’50” down. A somewhat

“histor ical” episode, with inevitable ensuing polemics, in strong tone, that are st i l l

causing discussions and opposite opinions nowadays.

Sappada is the birthplace of Si lvio Fauner and Pietro Pi l ler Cottrer, both cross-coun-

try ski ing protagonists and winners at the Olympics and the World Championships.

on the s lopes of Mo unt Pe ra lb a . The

p leasant and c hara cte r ist ic v i l la g e

stands in scene ry that is st i l l unc o n-

taminated with m e ad ows a l te rnat ing

with forests of f i rs and larc he s inha-

b i ted by a var i e d A lp ine fauna. I t ha s

f ine and pecu l ia r ho use s in a rust ic

sty le , many of whic h in wo o d , b u i l t

with the techn iq ue of sup e r im p o se d

beams cal led b lo c k ha us, a nd with

the typ ica l f lowe r-d e c ke d b a lc o nie s .

The G iuseppe Fo ntana Ethno g rap hic

Museum has s eve ra l exhib i ts of the

cul ture and enviro nm e nt of S a p p a d a,

a German-speak ing is land .

The PDO Honey f rom the Be l luno Do lomi tes i s p roduced in a spec i f i c geograph ica l a rea , the p rov ince o f Be l luno , where low tempera tu res , abundant ra in fa l l and the so i l o f Do lomi t i c o r ig in a l low fo r the deve lopment o f the A lp ine f lo ra r i ch w i th t re -es and herbaceous p lan ts tha t a t t rac t the bees , idea l fo r the p roduc t ion o f a very f ine honey. Thus , i t has been gran ted the Pro tec ted Denomina t ion o f Or ig in by the European Un ion .

T h e s o u r c e o f t h e r i v e r P i a v e



G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 6 6

15NOTE

NOT E S

1 6 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

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ADV_SOCIAL_APP_2018.indd 1 28/03/18 18:14

T R E N T O

R O V E R E T O

1 6

22 MAY 2018 TUESDAY

km 34,5

ITA LY UDINE

BELLUNO

NATION P ROVINCE

162 2 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 34,5

TRE NTO ROVERETO

Stage 16 is the t ime tr i a l stag e of the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia no . 10 1 af ter t h e in i t ia l TT t h at h as open ed the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia 2018 in J e rusale m . Th is sta g e ha s does n ot feat u re any d i f f icu l t y in ter ms of prof i l e and is raced afte r the th i rd re st d ay. I t of fers to t ime-t r ia l ist s a ch an ce to win , but should not cause re levant t im e g a p , a lso d ue to t h e re lat ive ly sh or t d ist an ce, as lon g as the r iders have spare d the ir le g s in the two p reviou s st ages f u l l of c l imbs. Th e GC r iders a lso are to do the ir best – whethe r they a re TT sp ecia l ist s or n ot – a lon g t h e cou rse , t h at is expected to be very fast : sp e e d a nd sta m ina wi l l be an asset , as ver y h igh gears wi l l h ave to be used.

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 7 0

162 2 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 34,5

TRE NTO ROV E RE TO

TRENTO/TRENTO / TRE N TIN O A LTO A DIG E

Trento, the capital of Trentino, stands at

the confluence of the main valleys that

spread out into the splendid surround-

ing Alpine landscape; it is a historical

city with its strategic position of geo-

graphical and cultural junction between

Italy and the countries north of the Alps.

The city centre shows severe medieval

and Renaissance architecture, when

the city was an episcopal principality.

More recent residential, industrial and

commercial buildings are distributed in the numerous parts of its extensive municipal

area. The city stably occupies the very top positions on the quality of the environment

and l ife.

P iazza de l Duomo, with the C athe d ra l in Romanesque-Gothic style, with a massive

16th century bell tower, dedicated to San Vigil io, is surrounded by noble buildings. In the

centre of the square there is the 18th century Fo unta in of Nept u n e. The Renaissance

Church of S anta Mar ia Ma g g io re and other fine places of worship are the most impor-

tant buildings. The city’s architecture also offers the massive C ast le of I l Bu on con -

s ig l io , the firmer residence of the bishop princes, surrounded by walls with low towers.

It is made up of several parts, includ-

ing the crenellated C aste lvecch io and

the Tower of Au gu st u s , in the Goth-

ic-Venetian style, with many frescoed

rooms. The castle also recalls the trial

undergone by the Irredentist patriots

Cesare Battisti , Damiano Chiesa and

Fabio Filzi , executed here as desert-

ers in the summer of 1916 by the Aus-

tro-Hungarians. Today the castle hosts

numerous exhibitions.

The P alazzo de l le A lbere , a vil la-for-

tress in a decentralized position dating

START 34 K M

C a t h e d r a l

C a s t e l l o o f i l B u o n c o n s i g l i o

The ent i re stage runs thro ug h the Tre nt ino A l to A dige , in t h e au ton omou s provin ce of Trento , with the start in Tre nt ino ’s c a p ita l and th e f in ish in Rovereto .

1 7 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

M U S E i n t e r i o r

T h e M U S E

back to the middle of the 16th century, is

of interest, as are the C ase C a z uff i -Re l-

la . P a lazzo Th un, the seat of the town

hall , was restored in a neoclassical style

in the first half of the 19th century. It is in

the splendid via Belenzani, which is l ined

with Renaissance mansions in the Veneto

style, many of which have frescoed fa-

cades: two of note are P a la z zo G e re m ia

and the A lbert i -C o l ic o ho use . The city

also has a number of medieval towers and

forts from the Austro-Hungarian period.

Modern architecture is expressed with

MUSE, the Science Museum, in the mod-

ern residential area of Le Albere, both de-

signed by the architect Renzo Piano.

The city is also well known for the Ecu-

menical Council of Trento, which lasted

for no less than eighteen years, from 1545

to 1563, under the papacy of three popes.

Called to reconcile Catholics and Protes-

tants, it actually ended with a Counter-Re-

form, which reinforced the Catholic doc-

trine contested by the Protestant Reform.

Alc ide De G asp e r i (18 8 1-19 54) , a h ig h-prof i le po l i t ic ian , an d act ress An n a Pro-

c lemer (1923 -2013) we re b oth f ro m Trento .

The sites of the European heritage are milestones in the creation of present-day Europe. Witnesses of the dawn of civi l ization or of Europe as we know it today. They celebrate and symbolize European ideals, values, history and integration. The De Gasperi Home Museum is for the t ime being the only Ital ian site to have been awarded the mark of “Eu-ropean heritage”. It is in Pieve Tesino in the province of Trento, in the house where Alcide De Gasperi was born. He was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ital ian Prime Minister from 1945 to 1953 and supported the Schuman project, which led to the creation of the Euro-pean Coal and Steel Community. De Gasperi is recognized today as one of the “fathers of Europe” and inspirer of the creation of the European Economic Community. The House highlights his contribution to the reconstruction of Europe after the Second World War.


16 TRE NTO ROVERETO2 2 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 34,5

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 7 2

26 K M

F IN ISH

21 K M

Aldeno is the b i r thp lac e of Re m o Mo sna, re now n ed cycl in g ph otogr aph er.

In cycl ing, besides the Moser’s dynasty and Gi lberto Simoni from the neighbou-

r ing val ley of Cembra, Trento remembers twenty-f ive “appointments” with the

Corsa Rosa in i ts region. The 20 th stage of the 1956 Giro, Merano-Trento/Bondone

on 8 th June, when victory went to the great r ider from Luxemburg Charly G aul du-

r ing a day with snow storm, iced rain and freezing temperature. A gran fondo was

dedicated to him, around Mount Bondone, the iconic mountain of Trento on which

the f in ish was placed in different edit ions of the Giro d’ I ta l ia as wel l as the Giro del

Trent ino. Another long-last ing Under 23 race is the Giro del la Bolghera that has

been organized on a circuit in the distr ict of the same name since 1927, and now

is at i ts 108 th edit ion (on several years two edit ions have been raced).

MATTARELLO/TRENTO / TREN TIN O A LTO A DIG E

ROVERETO/TRENTO/TREN TIN O A LTO A DIG E

ALDENO/TRENTO / TREN TIN O A LTO A DIG E

From Piazza Duomo the i t ine rary a im s so uth , g o ing t h rou gh t h e v i l lages of Madon n a

B ianca and Mattare l lo , a ve ry b ui l t -up a re a of Tre nto , n ear wh ich t h ere st an ds t h e

a i rport of Trento and the Muse um of A e ro naut ic s , bot h dedicated to G ian n i C apron i

(1886-1957) , a p ionee r ing e ng ine e r and e ntre p re neu r in av iat ion .

Rovereto , an important town fo r ind ustry, to ur ism an d cu l t u re , is t h e capit a l of

Va l lagar ina , an area c ha racte r ize d by ex te nsive s t retch es of v in eyards . I t s n ame

seems to come from the La t in ro b o retum , a wo o d of oak , t h e t ree of wh ich t h e sym-

bol appears on the mun ic ip a l c o at-of-arm s. The b e lon gin g to t h e Repu bl ic of Ven ice

The t ime tr ia l schedule includes a passage through A lden o, a v i l lage on the r ight of

r iver Adige, to the eastern s lope of Mount Bondone, surrounded by vineyards and

orchards. The route then runs through N o m i , a v i l lage with a tradit ion of art isanal

furniture and wooden objects production, P iaz zo , Nogaredo, with the P alazzo C an -

delpegher, and Brancol ino with the f ine baroque C h u rch of S ant a Mar ia . Then Isera

fol lows on, “the town of wine” known for an excel lent Marzemino and, after crossing

the br idge over r iver Adige, the f in ish is p laced in Rove reto .

16TRE NTO ROV E RE TO2 2 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 34,5

1 7 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

in the 15th a nd 16t h cent u r ies lef t i t s mar k on t h e t yp ica l

a rc hi te cture . Th is can c lear ly be seen for example in t h e

C a st le , whic h ho uses t h e I t a l ian H istor ica l Mu seu m of War

with d o c um e nts an d remain s f rom t h e F i rst Wor ld War.

In ad d it io n , the re are many symbols l in ked to t h e war,

with a va lue of war n in g an d a h ope for peace. Th e h istor -

ic a l P a la z zo d e l M u n ic ip io recal ls t h e dead of t h e Legion e

Tre nt ina . The m on -

um e ntal Be l l of th e

De ad is s i tuate d on

the H i l l of Mirav-

a l le , in a p a no ramic

p o s i t io n . The ma-

je st ic b e l l of 22 6

tons , more than 3 m etre s ta l l , is c a l le d “ M a-

r ia Dolens” an d wa s m a d e in 19 24 us ing t h e

bronze of cann o ns offe re d by the na t io ns in -

volved in the Gre a t War. E ve ry eve ning , after

sunset , one hund re d to l ls re c a l l the d e ad of

a l l wars , with a so und that a im s to b e a s ign

of brotherhood. The S ac rar io d i C a ste l D a nte ,

an impress ive cy l ind r ic a l c o nstruct io n , ho lds

the remains of twe lve tho usand d e a d from

var ious countr ie s of F i rst Wo r ld War.

The town has a num b e r of c u l tura l inst i t u -

t ions , with the MA RT (Muse um of m o d e rn an d

contemporary art of Tre nto and Rove reto) ,

opened in 200 2 in a b u i ld ing d e s ig ne d by t h e

T ic ino archi tect Mar ia no Botta , sta nd ing ou t

above a l l the othe rs . I t ho use s 15,000 wo rks ,

with specia l atte nt io n fo r re p re se ntat ive s of

the 20th century avant-g a rd e m ove m e nt s .

Other bu i ld ing s of arc hi te ctura l im p o rtan ce

embel l ish Rovereto , f ro m the Tartarott i C iv ic

L ibrary and th e R ic c ard o Zand o nai Munic ipa l

Theatre .

The archipresbyte r ia l c hurc h of S t . Ma rk , in

the baroque sty le with ne o c lass ic ad d it io n s ,

is the main p la c e of wo rship .

T h e B e l l o f t h e D e a d

M A R T

T h e I t a l i a n H i s t o r i c a l M u s e u m o f W a r

T h e S a c r a r i o d i C a s t e l D a n t e

16 TRE NTO ROVERETO2 2 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 34,5

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 74

M A R T

T h e I t a l i a n H i s t o r i c a l M u s e u m o f W a r

T h e S a c r a r i o d i C a s t e l D a n t e

16TRE NTO ROV E RE TO

Rovereto was the b i r thp la c e of A nto nio Ro sm in i (1797-1855) , ph i losoph er, t h e-

o log ian and presby te r , fo und e r of the Ro sm inian con gregat ion , an d For t u n ato

Depero (1892-1960 ) , who wa s b o rn in Fo nd o , va l ley of Non , bu t l ived in Rovereto

unt i l h is dead. He was p a inte r , sc ulpto r and des ign er, a represent at ive of t h e

“second Futur ism” .

The Giro d’ Ital ia placed three stage f inishes in Rovereto: in 1959 victory went to

the Belgian r ider Rik Van Looy, in 1995 to the Swiss athlete Pascal Richard and in

2005 to Alessandro Petacchi.

This s tage covers a s t re tch of the i t inerary – which should broadly connect the whole country, as a nat ional greenway – EuroVelo no. 7 , f rom the Nor th Cape to Mal ta . A l l th is is made poss ib le a lso thanks to the European Union, which promotes susta i -nable tour ism.


2 2 MAY 2 018 TUESDAY km 34,5

1 7 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

16 AUTO NOMOUS PROVINCE OF T RE NTO

Autonomous Province of TRE NTOThe Autonomo us Provinc e of Tre nto c overs t h e sou t h er n par t of t h e A lps . I t is

mounta inous in i ts e nt i rety, a nd fo rm e d by A lp in e va l leys l ike t h e Val d i So le , t h e

Val d i F iemme and the Val le d i P r im ie ro , wh ich l ie at t h e foot of h igh massi fs wit h

g lac iers and ab und ant wa te r , and by sub -Alp in e va l leys , p lateau s an d smal l p la in s

with a sub-Me d ite rrane an c l im ate tha t a l l ows o l ive t ree cu l t ivat ion ( for example ,

the north s ide of La ke G a rd a) .

In geologica l te rm s, i t inc lud e s m o unta in massi fs wit h a var iet y of or ig in s . To t h e

west , the lands c a p e is d o m ina te d by the massi fs of Mou nt Adamel lo , t h e Presan el la

and the Ort les -C eve d ale (Eng . O rt le r A lp s) , wh ose per man ent sn ow cap is amon g

the most extensive in I ta ly. In ad d it io n , th e Au ton omou s Provin ce of Trento can

boast many Do lo m ite m a ssi fs : the Bre nta Grou p or Brent a Dolomites ( t h e on ly Dolo-

mite massi f to the we st of the A d ig e R ive r) , t h e Mar molada, kn own as t h e Qu een of

the Dolomites , the P ala g ro up ( in I ta l ian , th e P ale d i S an Mar t in o) , wh ich i t sh ares

with the provinc e of B e l luno ) , the S e l la G rou p (sh ared wit h t h e provin ces of Be l lu n o

and Bolzano) , the La te m àr, the S a sso lung o an d t h e C at in accio (at t h e border wit h

South Tyro l) . In the e a ste rn p a rt stand the Lagor a i Mou nt a in s an d t h e gr an i te mas-

s i f of the C ima d ’A sta . The se a re the wi ld est , most u n pol lu ted par t of t h e provin ce.

Not so h igh but no le ss im p o sing a re the P agan el la an d Mou nt Bon don e, n ot f ar f rom

the regional cap i ta l , not to m e nt io n the se ct ion of t h e Ven et ian Pre-Alps or A lp in e

footh i l ls in the Provinc e , whic h inc lud e Mo u nt Baldo , Mou nt Less in i , P iccole Dolomi-

t i (Eng. L i t t le D o lo m ite s) and the P a sub io .

The mounta ins a nd va l leys of the A uto no mou s Provin ce of Trento of fer many n at -

ura l monuments , l ike the pyram id s a t S e gon zan o, created by eros ion . Th e ter r i to-

ry conta ins the S te lv io N at io na l P a rk , the Adamel lo-Brent a Nat ion al P ar k an d t h e

P aneveggio-P a la G ro up N a t io nal P ark .

The most comm o nly sp o ke n lang ua g e is I t a l ian , a l t h ou gh Trent in o d ia lect is a lso

common. There is a G e rm an-sp e a k ing m inor i t y, wit h t h ree lesser kn own lan gu ag-

es off ic ia l ly rec o g nise d : Mò c he no , c lo se ly re lated to Bavar ian an d c lass i f ied e i -

ther as a Sout he rn Bavar ia n d ia le ct o r a s epar ate lan gu age of i t s own , spoken in

three towns of the Mo c he ni Va l ley; C im b r ian , c lose ly re lated to Mòch en o, spoken

in Luserna in the C im b r ia n h ig hland s; a nd Ladin o , c lose ly re lated to t h e Swiss Ro-

mansh and Fr iu la n , sp o ke n in Va l d i Fassa. Th e 2 0 11 lan gu age cen su s est imated

that around 7000 inha b ita nts of the Va l d i Non an d t h e Val d i So le a lso speak lad in o ,

a l though witho ut off ic ia l re c o g nit io n .

Local economy c e ntre s o n ag r ic u l ture and l ivestock, in du st r y ( text i les , con st r u c-

t ion , mechanic s , t im b e r and p a p e r) , fo o d wit h many win e produ cers an d t r ad i t ion al

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 7 6

16AUTONOMOUS PR OV INC E OF T RE NTO

dist i l ler ies , and f ru i t , esp e c ia l ly a p p le s . The ab und an ce of mou nt a in s an d water h as

led to the construct ion of hyd ro e le ctr ic p lants .

One of the reg ion ’s mo st im p o rta nt e c o no m ic se ctors is tou r ism, su mmer an d, es-

pecia l ly, winter . The jet set g o e s to Mad o nna d i C ampig l io , for t h e 3-Tre p iste , a f re-

quent venue of Wor ld Cup s la lo m eve nts . In the e aster n par t of t h e Provin ce l ies t h e

winter resort of S an Ma rt ino d i C a stroz z a , surro unded by meadowlan d on ce ten ded

by the o ld monastery of S a n Mart ino e G iu l iano , a nd by t h e peaks of t h e P ala grou p.

S an Mart ino , in the Pr im ie ro Val ley, is c o nsid e re d by many to be t h e most beau t i f u l

part of the Dolomites . The P r im ie ro Va l ley is the set t in g for an ot h er beau t i f u l an d

h istor ica l v i l lage , F iera d i Pr im ie ro , r ig ht a t the fo ot of t h e P ala massi f . Across t h e

P asso Rol le f rom S an Mart ino l ie s the Val d i F ie m me, wit h t h e town s of C avalese,

Predazzo and Tesero . T h is r ic h ly fo re ste d va l ley is kn own as a major winter spor t s

centre , especia l ly for c ro ss-c o untry sk i ing : two c ross-cou nt r y sk i in g

Wor ld Championships have b e e n he ld he re (19 9 1 an d 2 0 0 3) . To t h e n or t h of t h e Val

d i F iemme l ies the land of the Lad ino p e o p le , the Va l d i Fassa, wit h many smal l town s

and v i l lages , the largest and b e st k nown of the m probably Moen a an d C an azei ,

over looked by some of the m o st im p re ss ive m a ssi fs in t h e Dolomites: Mar molada,

Se l la , and C at inaccio .

The Autonomous Prov inc e of Tre nto b o asts m a ny mu seu ms, in c lu din g t h e fo l low-

ing: the Museum of Mo d e rn a nd C o nte m p o rary Ar t of Trento e Rovereto (MART) ,

The C iv ic Museum of Rove reto , The Buo nc o nsig l io Mu seu m in t h e cast le of t h e

same name, The Tr ident ine Muse um of N atura l S c ien ce at Trento , Th e Mu seu m of

the Customs and Tradi t io ns of the P e o p le of the Trent in o in S an Mich ele a l l ’ Ad ige ,

the I ta l ian War Museu m a t Rove reto and the G e o logica l Mu seu m of t h e Dolomites

at Predazzo .

1 7 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

NOTE16 NOTE S

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 7 8

1 7 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 8 0

NOTE16 NOTE S

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

R I V A D E L G A R D A

I S E O

1 7

ITA LY TRENTO

VENEZIA

BRESCIA

TREVISO

PADOVA

NATION PROVINCE

23 MAY 2018 WED NESDAY

km 155

2 3 MAY 2 018 WEDNESDAY km 155

RIVA DEL GARDA ISEO17

To continue celebrat ing with the Giro d’ I ta l ia the great tradit ion of I ta l ian wines and, as has already been the case for a number of years, the Pink Race includes a stage, which concerns a specif ic winemaking area. For the 101st edit ion, attent ion is focused on the wines of Fran-ciacorta, a hi l ly area between Brescia and the southern shore of Lake Iseo, the area with the highest production of sparkl ing wine. The stage is undulated, especial ly in the f i rst part .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 8 2

17

RIVA DEL GARDA / TREN TO / TREN TIN O A LTO A DIGE

Riva de l G arda is at the northern t ip of Lake G arda, the largest lake in I ta ly. Of moraine

or ig in, the lake is narrow between the mountains in the northern part and gradual ly

becomes wider between the moraine hi l ls of the central and last part . Lake G arda

and i ts places have always exerted a great attract ion for internat ional tour ism, with

intel lectuals from various per iods who have magnif ied i ts beauty.

Riva del G arda looks on to the lake surrounded by the sheer drops of Mou nt Rocch et -

ta , Mount Ba ldo and Mo unt Br io ne . Due to i ts strategic posit ion, the town, especial ly

on the higher parts, has fo rt i f ic at io ns from various per iods.

The sites of architectonic interest include the B a roqu e Ch u rch of t h e Inv io lat a , the

P alazzo Pretor io of 1375, which, under the loggia, preserves gravestones from var-

ious per iods. On the lake, in front of the harbour, the Rocca stands out , a square

fortress with a massive keep and the Apponale tower. Today the Rocca houses the

MAG – Museum of the Upper G arda – and an art gal lery. Dest inat ions of interest in the

vicinity of Riva del G arda are the Bast ione, in a panoramic posit ion on Mount Roc-

chetta, the Varone Wa te rfa l ls and the “G iants ’ Kett les” , spectacular phenomena of

g lacial erosion in the area of nearby Torbole.

START 15 5 K M

RIVA DE L GA RDA ISE O2 3 MAY 2 018 WEDNESDAY km 155

Here the Giro d’Italia hosted several finishes with victory going to Giuseppe Olmo

in 1936, Fiorenzo Magni in 1953 and, in 1954, to the Swiss rider Hugo Koblet who,

in the time trial with the start in Gardone Riviera, clinched a stage victory ahead of

Fausto Coppi at 29” and Fiorenzo Magni at 1’58”. Adorni won the first stage of the

1964 Giro, whereas in 1987 the “philosopher” Marco Vitali f inished first. He is now

a television commentator. Riva del Garda hosted two stage starts: in 1966, with

the finish in Levico Terme – won by Gianni Motta wearing the pink jersey during his

year of grace – and in 1992 with Frenchman François Simon first at the finish l ine

in Palazzolo sull ’Oglio. The Giro del Trentino by G.S. Alto Garda di Arco, currently

Tour of the Alps, has also included Riva del Garda in numerous stages.

T h e R o c c a T h e C h u r c h o f t h e I n v i o l a t a

1 8 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


Here stage 16 of the 19 6 6 G iro d ’ I ta l ia , wit h t h e st ar t in Brescia , was won by

Franco B i toss i ahe ad of Z and e g ù, a nd A nq u et i l in t h i rd , 2 ” down .

MOLINA DI LEDR O / TRE N TO / TRE N TIN O A LTO ADIGE

BEZZECCA/TRENTO / TREN TIN O A LTO A DIG E

STORO/TRENTO/ TREN TIN O A LTO A DIG E

PONTE CAFFARO/ BRES C IA / LO MBA RDY

After the start , the c l im b ap p e a rs im m e d iate ly wit h lon g t u n n els ; t h e rou te reach -

es Mol ina d i Le d ro , a p lac e whic h in 2010 became on e of UNESCO’ s wor ld h er i t age

s i tes , inc luded in the A nc ie nt sett le m e nts in t h e A lps . I t is h ome to t h e Mu seu m of

the P i le Dwel l ing s of Lake Le d ro .

The route passes through Bezzecca, which recal ls the batt le of 21 st July 1866, when

the part isans of G ar ibaldi re jected a massive Austr ian attack during the Third War of

Independence. I t is a lso remembered for the concise “ I obey” , the only words used

by the condott iere in the laconic telegram of response to the in junction of Alfonso

La Marmora, head of the Piedmontese army, to stop the advance of the red shirts .

There is again a s l ig ht c l im b in a g re e n la ndscape an d a lon g a wide road, towards

the Lake of Am p o la , the wa te rshe d b etween t h e S arca an d t h e Ch iese towards

which the road d e sc e nd s to S to ro , we l l -kn own for t h e ye l low f lou r of t h e same

name obta ined fro m g r ind ing the “ Ma rano ” maize grown h ere .

After the hamlet of C a ’ Ro ssa , the ro ute le aves Trent in o-Al to Adige an d enters Lom-

bardy, in Ponte C affaro . The v i l lag e sta nd s at t h e st ar t of Lake d ’ Idro , for med by t h e

r iver Chiese; he re to o , in 18 6 6 , the re wa s a v ictor iou s bat t le for G ar iba ld i ’ s t roops

against the Austr ian army. The ro ute runs n ow in Val le S abbia , on lan d wit h karst

character ist ic s and v i l la g e s sc a tte re d over t h e wooded s lopes , wit h a t r ad i t ion of

meta lwork ing .

14 5 K M

139 K M

123 K M

118 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 8 4

17RIVA DE L GA RDA ISE O

Vestone hosted the sta rt of the f ina l stag e of t h e 2 0 0 7 Giro d ’ I t a l ia , wit h t h e

f in ish in Mi lan . Th e f ina l sp r int was wo n by A lessan dro Pet acch i , bu t v ictor y

went to Maximi l ia no R ic heze , the se c o nd wh o crossed t h e l in e , as t h e r ider

f rom La Spez ia was d isq ua l i f ie d .

The G ardone Val Tro m p ia -Pra t i d i C a re g no , an approx . 10 km-lon g u ph i l l t ime

tra i l for under 23, is a t i ts 35 th e d i t io n th is year . Th e 2 0 18 edi t ion of t h is r ace

wi l l be va l id for the f i rst I ta l ia n c l im b e r nat io n al jersey, u n der 2 3 categor y.

VESTONE/BRES C IA / LO MBA RDY

GARDONE VALTROMP I A / B RE S C IA / LO MBA RDY

The route goes throu g h A nfo ,

with i ts fort i f ied Venet ian Ro c -

ca, bu i l t in the 15 th century a nd

Vestone. Vestone is th e c e ntre

of references in Va l le S a b b ia

and, after i ts hamlet of N oz z a ,

there is the 3 rd category c l im b

of Lodr ino , in the v i l lag e of the

same name, which le ad s into

Val Trompia .

After passing through B roz zo, the route reaches G ardon e Val t rompia , an industr ia l

centre crossed by the Mel la torrent . The town is wel l known for the f i rearms indus-

try, developed in the whole of Val Trompia. The best known and oldest – the year of

foundation is 1526 – is the Fabbrica d’Armi Pietro Beretta in G ardone Val Trompia. I ts

production includes weapons suppl ied to armies and pol ice forces al l over the world.

9 9 K M

70 K M

T h e R o c c a i n A n f o

As to cycling, Daniele Contrini, a skilled professional from 1996 to 2008, was born here.


1 8 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


The territory of Franciacorta , geographically, is an arc of roll ing hil ls that was

shaped by glacial action and extends from Brescia and river Oglio, to the south-

ern shore of Lake Iseo and Montorfano (the orphan mount), an isolated mountain

standing out in the plain that reveals its location by its name. There are many ver-

sions at the origin of the name Franciacorta. Among the most grounded, it seem-

ingly comes from Corte Franca. At the beginning of the 17th century, “it was a

district free of taxes and levies.” The area is dotted with vil lages, vil las, mansions,

large and well-groomed gardens, all of which were built with the financial resourc-

es of the members of noble families from Brescia in a scenery that is comparable,

in parallel, to what the Brianza used to be for the Milanese patrician families.

Nowadays, the area is well-known as one of the areas with the highest spumante

production, both qualitatively and quantitatively. The production of Franciacorta

wine, favoured by the nature of the soil , the climate and the exposure to the sun,

has a long history and does not involve the entire geographic area.

The new development of wine-production started in the 1960s with the creation of

OME/BRESCIA/LO MBA RDY

The route goe s thro ug h P o lave no , a c e ntre wit h var iou s act iv i t ies on an u n du lat -

ing p lateau, and the n O m e , a v i l la g e whic h mar ks t h e st ar t of Fr an ciacor t a , amidst

woods, o l ive g rove s a nd v ineyard s , d iv id ed into var iou s n e igh bou r h oods an d wit h

construct ions of sp e c i f ic va lue .

KM 0.0 5 6 K M

Ome is hom etown to the r id e rs Erne sto Bon o an d Mat teo Bon o, sou n d profes-

s ionals with a lo ng c are e r .

V i n e y a r d i n F r a n c i a c o r t a


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 8 6


T h e c h u r c h o f S a n B a r t o l o m e o i n B o r n a t o

the first wineries prompted by the passion and the financial resources of Brescian

entrepreneurs from different sectors, who invested in the wine-making sector. The

wine-production was immediately successful on the growing international market

and was granted the DOCG status that ensures its peculiar, high qualitative value.

The DOCG Franciacorta is produced with Chardonnay and/or Pinot nero grape va-

rieties, and the use of Pinot bianco variety is allowed up to a maximum of 5%. It is

produced exclusively with the classic method of fermentation in the bottle for at

least 18 months, in compliance with regulations, which preserve its uniqueness.

The result is a tasty, fresh and harmonious wine with straw-yellow colour and nu-

ances of greenish gold, a fine and persistent perlage and a bouquet with reminis-

cences of bread crust and yeast and delicate notes of citrus and dried fruit. It can

be enjoyed with all sorts of courses. Of value are also the stil l red and white wines

coming from the same area that are labelled “Curtefranca”.

“Franciacorta”, as is simply called. Just three Ital ian wines – Asti, Marsala and, indeed, Franciacorta – have been granted the privi lege of the toponym only, without any other qualifying terms. This is to emphasize the value, uniqueness and universality of the wine and its terri tory. The regulations in force even forbid explicit ly the use of the term “spu-mante” both in i ts designation and on its label.

RODENGO SAIANO/BRES C IA / LO MBA RDY

The route then meets Roden go S aian o, a

densely inhabited centre in the hi l ls with

an ancient and large abbey with f ine ar-

t ist ic e lements, P ader n o Fr an ciacor t a ,

the smal lest v i l lage in Franciacorta, with

a cast le current ly being restored in i ts

centre, and P ass ir an o with a cast le and

f ine elegant vi l las.

The race continues through Bor n ato , en-

ter ing N igo l in e Bon omel l i , s l ight ly south

of Lake Iseo.

5 2 K M



1 8 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


PROVAGLIO D’ ISE O / B RE S C IA / LO MBA RDY

MONTICELLI BR USATI / BRES C IA / LO MBA RDY

ISEO/BRESCIA/ LO MBA RDY

The route goe s thro ug h Ise o a f i rst t im e . Th is lovely spot is a lso t h e n ame of t h e

lake and the route c o nt inue s thro ug h P rovagl io d ’ Iseo , wit h t h e Tor b iere de l Sebin o

Natura l Reserve , a natura l a re a whe re p e a t was on ce du g u p, n ow ch ar acter ized by

th ick rushes and m a rshe s. O f note is the M on aster y of S an P iet ro in Lamosa.

The route reaches Mo nt ic e l l i B rusa t i , in a f ine sett ing of untouched hi l ls , fo l lowed by

C amignone, with pleasant vi l las with cel lars and the Pol isport iva C amignone, which

for many years has been an act ive and organized pole of Brescian cycl ing for youth.

The route again passes through Passirano and Corte Franca and then reaches the

f in ishing l ine in Ise o .

Iseo is an important centre for tour ism on the south-eastern shore of the lake of the

same name, a lternat ing mountains and hi l ls , and i t keeps the topographic structure

19 K M

13 K M

F IN ISH

Provagl io d ’ Ise o is ho m etown to : P ie rfran co V ian el l i , road cycl in g o lympic ch am-

pion in Mexic o C i ty in 19 6 8 a nd p rofe ss ion al r ider f rom 1969 to 1973, P ier mat t ia

G avazz i , a lso k nown a s “ the fast P ie r ino” , a h igh -qu al i t y profess ion al f rom 1973

to 1992 an d the winne r of Mi lan-S a nremo 1980 ah ead of G iu seppe S aron n i an d

Jan Raas. He a lso wo n f ive stag e s of th e G i ro d ’ I t a l ia an d was I t a l ian ch ampion

thr ice , fath e r of N ic o la and Ma tt ia , b oth profess ion al r iders as wel l .

T o r b i e r e d e l S e b i n o N a t u r a l R e s e r v e T h e M o n a s t e r y o f S a n P i e t r o i n L a m o s a


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 8 8


I s e o

O l d o f r e d i C a s t l e

of a fort i f ied vi l lage with wal ls , which

today have disappeared. The lake re-

ceives the waters of the r iver Ogl io in

the north, between Lovere and Pisogne;

the r iver comes out in the south, near

Sarnico. Close to the eastern coast of

the lake stands Monte Iso la , the larg-

est is land in an Ita l ian lake.

Thanks to i ts posit ion Iseo has always

represented and been a reason of spe-

cif ic interest for the area. In the cen-

tral Piazza del Sagrato there stands the

Smal l Church of St . Andrew, founded

in the 5 th century, with the l imestone

bel l tower and a paint ing by Francesco

Hayek. In the square there is a lso the

Statue of San Vigi l io , the patron saint

of Iseo and the Church of St . John the

Baptist . On the edge of the old centre,

on a rocky spur, there is the Oldofredi

C ast le , recently restored and now the

municipal l ibrary.

The G iro d ’ I ta l ia ha s a l re ad y p la c e d two sta ge f in ish es h ere: in 1973 t h e 6 t h

stage, Mi lan- Iseo , whe n G ia nni Motta na i le d t h e win ah ead of Fe l ice G imon -

di , and in 1974 th e 17 th sta g e , C o m o -Ise o , wh en Span iard S ant iago Lazcan o

crossed the f in ish l ine ahe ad of h is fe l low c o unt r yman an d capt a in Josè Ma-

nuel Fuente .


1 8 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

17

Lombardy is a region in northwest Italy, with 12 provinces, the fourth largest Italian re-

gion by area, and the second largest by population. A sixth of Italy’s population l ives in

Lombardy and about a fifth of Italy’s GDP is produced in the region, making it the most

populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in Europe. The regional

capital is Milano. Lombardy shares borders with Switzerland (Canton Ticino and Canton

Grigioni), Piedmont, the Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige and Emilia-Romagna. During and af-

ter the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Lombardy suffered heavily from destruction

brought about by a series of invasions by tribal peoples. The last and most effective

was that of the Lombards, or Longobardi, who came around 570s and whose long-last-

ing reign (whose capital was set in Pavia) gave the current name to the region. The

topography is divided between flatlands (47%) and mountains (41%, the highest point

being in the Bernina massif). The rest of the region (12%) is hil ly. In the Alpine foothil ls,

or Prealps, some of Italy’s largest lakes are found (Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and Lake

Como), while many rivers (the Po, the Adda, the Oglio, the Mincio and the Ticino) flow

through deep, narrow valleys. The various subdivisions of the Lombard Alps derive from

the peoples who lived in them at the time of the Romans (the Lepontine Alps, in the

north-western part of the Alps between Switzerland (Valais, Ticino, Uri and Graubünden)

and Italy (Piedmont and Lombardy), the Western Rhaetian Alps (Alpi Retiche occiden-

tali in Italian) in the central part of the Alps; and the Prealpi Orobie (or Bergamo Alps, in

northern Lombardy). Four massifs stand out: the Badile-Disgrazia with Monte Disgrazia,

Piz Cengalo and Piz Badile; the Bernina range, the Ortles-Cevedale (Eng. Ortler Alps in

the Central Eastern Alps, in Italy and Switzerland) and the Adamello. The Lombardy plain

is part of the Po valley that that stretches from Piedmont to Romagna and from the Alps

to the Apennines. Lombardy was the first Italian region to protect natural areas at the

regional level (1983). It introduced innovative concepts, creating River Parks (the first

in Europe was the Lombardy Park of the Ticino Valley in 1974). The network of protected

areas consists of 22 regional parks, more than 60 reserves and 18 natural monuments,

as well as the Stelvio National Park.

Lombardy shares with Switzerland the archaeological site at Monte San Giorgio, which

contains the single best known record of marine l ife in the Triassic period, and records

important remains of l ife on land. Monte San Giorgio became a UNESCO World Herit-

age Sites in 2003; the Italian side of the mountain was added as an extension to the

World Heritage Site in 2010. In the Po Valley archaeologists have identified remains that

demonstrate human habitation in Lombardy in the 3rd millennium BC. The first civil isa-

tions were the Camuna (in the Neolithic) and the Golasecca (in the Bronze Age).

In the 4th century BC the Gauls invaded the region. At the end of the 3rd century BC, the

Romans began their conquest of the Po Valley (some celebrated exponents of Latin

culture, l ike P l iny and V irg i l , were born in the region). In the last centuries of the empire,

Milano was such an important political and religious centre that it became the seat of

RE G IO N LOMBARDY

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 9 0

17RE GION LOMBA RDY

one of the Tetrarchs at the time of Constantine, who published an Edict (the Edict of

Constantine or Ed ict of Mi lano , 313 AD) tolerating religious freedom. After the fall of

the Western Roman Empire tribal peoples occupied Lombardy: Heruli , Ostrogoths, Lon -

gobards . In 774 Char le m ag ne , king of the Franks , descended into Italy at the request

of the Pope, who was threatened by the Longobards. Frankish dominion created the

first feudal structures characteristic of the High Middle Ages (c. 1000–1299). In the Late

Middle Ages (c. 1300–1500) a new political model spread across Italy: the commu n e. In

1176 the Lombard Leag ue defeated Frederick I Barbarossa, the Holy Roman Emperor, at

the Battle of Legnano. With the Peace of Constance, the communes pledged loyalty to

the Emperor, in exchange for their autonomy. From the 12th century the commune model

went into crisis and was replaced by the S ig no r ia , meaning de facto sovereignty or lord-

ship in the Italian city states during the medieval and renaissance periods. Under this

system, the noble families of the Gonzaga at Mantua, the Visconti and then the Sforza

at Milano, rose to power. From the end of the 15th century, Lombardy suffered another

wave of invasions: first, the Fre nc h, then the S p a nish , and, from 1706, the Au st r ian s .

Theeastern part of the region fell to Venetian rule during the 15th century. After Napo-

leon’s Cisalpine Republic, a French client state in Northern Italy from 1797 to 1802, the

Lombard-Veneto kingdom returned to Viennese rule. Lombardy was an important centre

of Italian Unification, with the Plebiscite for the union of Lombardy and Piedmont (1848),

the F ive D ays of Mi lano – not a bike race but five days of street fighting that drove

Marshal Radetzky and his Austrian soldiers from the city – in 1848. The unification of the

Kingdom of Sardinia followed the Secondi Italian War of Independence. The Alpine Front

in the First World War crossed the eastern face of the Lombard Alps, and after the Great

War Milano was the centre of the ‘Fasci Italiani di Combattimento’ (Eng. Italian Fasci of

Combat), created by Benito Mussolini in 1919. In 1921, this fascio would be transformed

into the Partito Nazionale Fascista, the National Fascist Party. Milano received the Gold

Medal for Military Bravery for the Resistance during World War Two.

In the post-War years of Italy’s economic boom, Milano was one of the corners of the-

north Italian ‘ industr ia l t r iang le ’. In the 1980s Milano was a symbol of economic growth,

Italy’s financial capital. The economy of Lombardy is very varied: agriculture and l ive-

stock, heavy and l ight industry, the service sector. There are many industrial sectors:

mechanics, electronics, metallurgy, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceutics,

publishing. In the service sector, commerce and finance are central. Milano is the home

of the I ta l ian Stock Exc hang e and the F ie ra d i Mi lan o. Although Lombardy is often

characterised as a strictly economic centre, it possesses a wealth of artistic treasure.

In recognition of its artistic heritage, Lombardy is the Italian region with most UNESCO

World Heritage Sites with 9 sites.

The cuisine of Milano offers specialities l ike Riso allo zafferano (Eng. saf f ron r ice) and

Cotoletta alla Milanese (b re ad e d m e at f i l let). Less well known, but tied to a long peas-

ant tradition in the countryside around Brianza is Cassoeùla.

1 9 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 9 2

NOTE17 NOTE S

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

ITA LY MIL AN

ALESSANDRIA

AST I

CUNEO

PAVIA

NATION PROVINCE


km 196

A B B I A T E G R A S S O

P R A T O N E V O S O

1 8

18 AB B IATEGRASSO PRATON E VOSO2 4 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 196

The 18 th stage runs f ro m Lo m b ard y to P ie d m o nt . Th e rou te is t h ree-qu ar ters f lat , wit h a summit f in ish in Prato N evo so . Lo c ate d in the p rovin ce of Cu n eo, t h e p lace is especia l ly renowned for winter sp o rts .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 9 4

18ABBIATEGRASSO P RATONE VOSO2 4 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 196

ABBIATEGRASSO / MIL A N / LO MBA RDY

The stage starts from Abbiategrasso, a f irst-ev-

er event for the city. Lying in the plains south-

west of Milan, within the Ticino Val ley natural

park, the city is ancient and densely populated.

Its municipal territory is the largest of the entire

province, after Milan. The city is crossed by the

Navigl io Grande and the Navigl io di Bereguardo.

In the Middle Ages, the Visconti and Sforza fam-

il ies bui lt towers and walls, to protect two of the

major crossing points on r iver Ticino, along with

a number of monuments. The B a si l ic a d i S anta

Mar ia Nuova, bui lt in 1338, is considered as the

latest masterpiece by the great Renaissance ar-

chitect and painter, Donato Bramante. Major re-

l igious bui ldings also include the Baroque C hie sa

d i S an Bernard ino , designed by the Milanese ar-

chitect Francesco Maria Richini , and the late-15

century Convento de l l ’A nnunc iata . The C a ste l lo

V isconteo has a square-shaped plan, with cor-

ner towers and a moat; it is currently the seat

of the municipal administration and of the civic

l ibrary. Morimondo, close by, is home to a Gothic

C isterc ian Abbey, bui lt between 1182 and 1296.

START 19 6 K M

18 6 K M

Abbiategrasso was hometown to Christian Abbiati (goalkeeper), Marco Vil la (a long-

time Pro rider, a successful track cyclist and currently head coach of the Italian

National track racing team), Franco Moschino (1950-1994, fashion designer), and

Enrico dell ’Acqua (textile industrialist). Notable citizens also include Guerrino Tosello

and Giovanni Mantovani, formerly a powerful sprinter who was then in charge of the

Giro advertising caravan and finish area for years. A proud citizen of Abbiategrasso,

Mario “Mariett” Cislaghi provided his invaluable support to RCS Sport for decades.

T h e B a s i l i c a o f S a n t a M a r i a N u o v a

T h e M o r i m o n d o A b b e y

VIGEVANO/PAVIA/LO MBA RDY

Right after the start, the route enters the province of Pavia through Vigevano, a his-

toric city with a r ich architectural and monumental heritage. The beautiful Piazza Du-

1 9 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

18 AB B IATEGRASSO PRATO N E VOSO

Vigevano was hometown to Count Alberto Bonacossa (1883-1953, internat ional

sports director and former “G azzetta del lo Sport” editor) , E leonora Duse (1858-

1924, actress) and C arlo Erba (1811-1888, pharmacist and founder of the epon-

ymous pharmaceutical company). Notable cit izens also include Pino Massara

(1931-2013, musician, composer and conductor) , Lucio Mastronardi (1930-1979,

writer) , Giovanni Peroni (1848-1922, entrepreneur and engineer, and creator of

the eponymous brewery) and Sergio Santimaria , former Pro r ider from 1978 to

1987, winner of two Giro stages and of the 1979 Gran Fondo Mi lano-Roma.

P i a z z a D u c a l e T h e f a ç a d e o f t h e D u o m o

cale ( late 15 th century), with its f inely-decorated porticoed bui ldings, is considered as

one of the most elegant Renaissance squares. At one end of it stands the Duomo, and

besides it the tower of the Castle. The Duomo was rebuilt in the 16th century, and the

concave Baroque façade was added in 1680. The castle was rebuilt in the late 16th

century under Ludovico i l Moro, with designs by Bramante. A distinctive elevated walk-

way connects the castle to the outer fortress (Rocca Vecchia), below. Ludovico i l Moro

also ordered the construction of the so-cal led “Colombarone”, a farmstead and hunting

lodge complex, with hydraulics projects by Leonardo da Vinci . With regard to manu-

facturing, the city experienced a remarkable growth in texti les and footwear since the

late 19 th century, even though the operations declined considerably in the late 1960s.

The history of this industry is recal led in the Museo Internazionale del la Calzatura (In-

ternational Footwear Museum), on the premises of the Castel lo Sforzesco.

Due tappe del la c o rsa ro sa so no te rm inate a V igevan o, con le v i t tor ie de l lo

sv izzero Robe rt D i l l B und i ne l 19 8 2 e d i Mar io C ipo l l in i n e l 1992 .

2 4 MAY 2 018 THURSDAY km 196

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 9 6

18ABBIATEGRASSO P RATO NE VOSO

Mortara was hom etown to Lu ig i Ma ng ia g al l i (1849-

1928) , a notable ob stetr ic ia n and fo rm e r Mayor of Mi-

lan , the promoter a nd f i rst De an of Mi lan ’s “ U nivers i t à

degl i Studi ” , and to To m m aso “ To m ” De P rà , a su cces-

sfu l Pro r ider f rom 19 6 3 to 19 71.

T h e C a s t e l o f P a l e o l o g i

S i n a g o g a

T h e S a n t ’ A l b i n o

A b b e y

MORTARA/PAVIA/LOM BA RDY

CASALE MONFERRATO / A LES SA N DRIA / P IEDMO N T

Mortara , next on the ro ute , is a p la c e of p a d d y f ie lds an d

r ich agr icu l ture , and a m a jo r ro ad way hub . Ma in s ight s in -

c lude the Goth ic Chie sa d i S a n Lo re nzo , re novated in t h e

ear ly 20th century, an d the S ant ’A lb ino A b b ey, just ou t s ide

the town centre .

The route crosses river Sesia and enters

the province of Alessandria (Piedmont)

through Castello d’Agogna and Candia

Lomellina. Casale Monferrato, next on

the stage course, sits on flat ground near

the right bank of river Po, at the foot of

the Montferrat hil ls (Italian: Monferrato).

Casale has always been the major cen-

tre of this famous wine-producing area,

with Barbera, Grignolino (especially in

the Low Montferrat), Dolcetto and Frei-

sa being the most popular wine qualities.

Local delicacies include the traditional

“krumiri” biscuits.

The old town centre has retained an an-

cient character, with mediaeval tower

houses. Major monumental and architec-

tural heritage includes the Duo m o , re-

stored completely in 1861, the Baroque

Chiesa d i S an F i l ippo N e r i , the 15-cen-

tury Chiostro d i S anta C ro c e , the S yna -

gogue and S an Domen ic o . Major civil ian

174 K M

14 5 K M


1 9 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


Notable c i t izen s inc lud e G iovanni C e lo r ia ( 1842 -192 0 ) , ast ron omer an d pol i t ic ian ,

G iovanni Lanza (18 10-18 8 2) , Pre s id e nt of t h e Cou n ci l of Min isters f rom 1869 to

1873, Ascanio S o b re ro (18 12-18 8 8 ) , c he mist an d physic ian wh o d iscovered n i t ro-

g lycer in , Umberto C a l ig ar is (19 01-19 49 ) , lef t back foot bal ler wh o, toget h er wit h

V i rg in io Rosetta a nd G ia np ie ro C o m b i , fo rmed on e of t h e best defen sive combin a-

t ions ever. C as a le is a lso ho m etown to G iampaolo P an sa, jou r n al ist an d wr i ter , an d

to Roberto Bol le , d anc e r.

The “POR CRO FESR Piemonte” European Regional Development Fund allowed for major repair and reconstruction init iat ives in Casale Monferrato. Nearly € 1 mil l ion of EU funds were allocated to restore and renovate the castle. The site was opened to the public during the “Giornate FAI di primavera” owing to an extraordinary cooperation between the European Commission and the National Trust of Italy (Fondo per l ’Ambiente Ital iano) in the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

buildings include the imposing civic tower (To rre C iv ica) and the C aste l lo de i P a leo log i .

One of the largest fortified citadels was constructed under the Gonzaga family, and further

expanded over the centuries, until the beginning of the Savoy rule in 1713.

Armando Pel le g r in i , f ro m Be rg am o , na i le d a st age win in C asale in t h e 1962

Giro d ’ I ta l ia .

VIGNALE MONFERRATO / A LES SA N DRIA / P IEDMONT

The route ro l ls p a st C anto ne Lo sa a nd Ro n-

cagl ia , leaving C a sa le , a nd re ac he s V ig na le

Monferrato; he re , the 16 -c e ntury P a la z zo

C al lor i serves a s the se a t of re g io na l wine

promot ion aut ho r i ty of Mo ntfe rrat .

127 K M

P a l a z z o C a l l o r i



G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 1 9 8


MONTEMAGNO/ASTI/PIEDMO N T

ASTI/ASTI/PIEDMON T

The route enters the p rovinc e of A st i thro ug h Montemagn o. Th e v i l lage is com-

posed of twelve a l leys , m a rke d by Ro m an num b ers , wit h e legant bu i ld in gs an d a

beaut i fu l square in f ro nt of the p ar ish c hurc h. C a s t agn ole Monfer r ato , n ext on t h e

route , is nest led amon g the h i l ls , c ove re d in v ineyards . Major lan dmar ks in c lu de t h e

18-century Chiesa de l l ’A nnunz ia ta .

After ro l l ing past Quarto Infe r io re , the ro ute re a c hes Ast i . Th e c i t y is con sidered as

the “ l ink” connect ing t he “ h ig he r” p a rt of Mo ntfe rrat ( to t h e sou t h ) an d t h e “ lower ”

part , which extends towa rd s r ive r P o . The m e d ia eval o ld town is bu i l t in red br icks

and ye l low tuff stone. Ma jo r re l ig io us b ui ld ing s in c lu de S an Secon do (a Roman -

esque-Gothic co l leg iate c hurc h) , ho using the re main s of t h e pat ron sa int of t h e

c i ty, the C attedra le d i S a nta Mar ia A ssunta (the major Got h ic cat h edr a l in P ied-

mont) , the Rotonda d i S a n P ietro (d at ing b a c k to the Middle Ages) an d t h e Ch iesa d i

V iatosto . Main c iv i l ian b ui ld ing s inc lud e P a la z zo C aten a, P a lazzo Zoya, P a lazzo de l

Podestà , the mediaeval towe rs and V ia A l f ie r i , a t th e h ear t of t h e c i t y. Major event s

inc lude the P al io , a pop ular b a re b ac k ho rse rac e .

The local wine scene offe rs exc e l le nt ex p e r ie nc e s wit h Ast i Spu mante DOCG, bot h

“do lce” (sweet) and “se c c o ” (d ry) . The swe et va r iet a l is t h e best -kn own an d most

exported wor ldwide. R e d wine s suc h a s B a rb e ra , Do lcet to , Gr ign ol in o , Fre isa an d

Ruché are equal ly va lue d .

119 K M

10 1 K M

T h e S a n P i e t r o B a p t i s t e r y T h e A s t i C a t h e d r a l


1 9 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


Notable c i t izen s inc lud e V i t to r io A l f ie r i (1 749-180 3, p laywr ight an d poet ) , Br u n o

G ambarotta (wr i te r , jo urna l ist , and rad io an d TV au t h or ) , G iorg io Fa let t i (1950 -

2014, actor , w r i te r a nd showm a n) , P a o lo Conte ( lawyer, mu sic ian an d s in ger -son g-

wr i ter) , and G iovanni G e rb i (18 8 5-19 55) , th e “Red Devi l ” , a cycl in g p ion eer.

A lba is h ometown to Beppe Fen ogl io

(192 2 -1963, t r an s lator , par t isan ,

an d wr i ter , t h e “s in ger ” of t h e Lan -

gh e) , A ldo C azzu l lo ( jou r n al ist ) an d

D iego Rosa (r ac in g cycl ist ) .

The l ist of G i ro stag e winne rs in A st i inc ludes G iu seppe Olmo in 1935, R ik Van

Looy in 1960, V i to Tac c o ne in 19 6 3 and A l essan dro Pet acch i in 2 0 0 3.

Alba hosted two Giro d’ I ta l ia stage f in ishes, with Guido Reybroeck (Bel) and

Alessandro Petacchi spr int ing to victory, respectively in 1968 and in 2004.

ALBA/CUNEO/PIEDMO N T

Iso la d ’Ast i is the last town in the m u-

nic ipa l terr i tor y of A st i . The ro ute the n

enters the provinc e of C une o , ro l ls

past C anove and re a c he s A lb a , the m a-

jor centre in t he Lang he re g io n . A lb a

s i ts at the conf lue nc e of r ive rs C he r-

asca and Tanaro , a nd is b e st k nown

to foodies for white t ruff le s and wine .

The c i ty has a we l l -d eve lo p e d and

wor ld-c lass ind ustr ia l fab r ic , with b ig

names such as Fe rre ro a nd Ed iz io n i

S an P aolo . The c i ty stre ets fo l low the

po lygonal route of the a nc ie nt d efe n-

s ive wal ls , surro und ing the m e d iaeva l

centre – dotte d with towe rs a nd tow-

er houses. M ajo r re l ig io us he r i tag e

inc ludes the la te 15-c e ntury G oth ic

Duomo, S an G i ova nni B a tt ista and S an

Domenico; the Town H a l l is the m a in

c iv i l ian bui ld ing .

73 K M

T h e A l b a C a t h e d r a l


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 0 0


GRINZANE CAVOUR/C UN EO / PIEDMO N T

MUSCATEL/CUNEO/PIEDMO N T

NOVELLO/CUNEO/PIEDMO N T

MONDOVÌ/CUNEO/PI E DMO N T

Gr inzane C avour, next o n the ro ute , is na m e d afte r C ami l lo Ben so d i C avou r (1810 -

1861) , who served as m ayo r of the town fo r 17 ye ars . Th e majest ic Mediaeval C as-

t le , tower ing over the town, is c urre nt ly the se a t of t h e reg ion al win e promot ion

author i ty (Enoteca regio nale ) , a nd wa s d e c la re d a UNESCO Wor ld Her i t age S i te in

2014 with in the “v ineyard land sc a p e of P ie d m o nt” .

The route ro l ls in the c ha rm ing land sc a p e

of v ineyards and h i l ls , a l l the way to Mus-

cate l , a f raz ione of Baro lo (whic h is b e st

known for the eponym o us re d wine ) . The

majest ic C ast le , one of the la nd m arks of

Baro lo , is the seat of the re g io na l wine

promot ion author i ty and of the H isto r ic L i -

brary, bu i l t on the orde rs of S i lv io P e l l ic o .

From here on , the route sta rts to g o up and take s in a 4 t h categor y c l imb in Novel lo

(another major wine-pro d uc ing c e ntre ) . N ex t o n th e rou te are Lequ io Tan aro an d

Madonna del la Neve.

Mondovì is arranged on m ult ip le leve ls , a nd d iv id ed into sever a l qu ar ters ( “ r ion i ”) .

R ione P iazza stands in an e leva te d p o s i t io n , a t arou n d 60 0 met res . Th is is t h e o ld-

est part of the town, d a t ing b ac k to the Mid d le A ges, wit h e legant Baroqu e bu i ld-

6 5 K M

5 9 K M

5 6 K M

26 K M

In the 1990 Giro d ’ I ta l ia , the G r inz ane C avo ur-Cu n eo ITT en ded wit h a su r pr ise

win of the late Lu c a G e l f i , 6 ” ahe ad of the Magl ia Rosa, Bu gn o.

T h e C a s t l e o f B a r o l o


2 0 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


Mondovì was h o m etown to G iova nni Be rto ne (1884-1972 , ent repren eu r an d fou n der

of the eponymo us c ar sty l ing c o m p any) , S aver io Ver ton e (192 7-2 0 11, sch olar , wr i t -

er and po l i t ica l sc ie nt ist) and C ar lo J e an (gen er a l an d wr i ter ) . Not able c i t izen s a lso

inc lude journal ist E ug e nio C am i l lo C o stam agn a (1864-1918) , on e of t h e fou n ders –

and then d i recto r – of the “ G a z zetta d e l lo Spor t ” , an d a keen b icycle lover .

The l ist of Giro stage winners in Mondovì includes Carlo Galetti in 1911 and in

1912, and Alfredo Sabbadin in 1958.

FRABOSA SOTTANA / C U N E O / P IEDMO N T

PRATONEVOSO/C U N E O / P IEDMO N T

The mountains draw increasingly nearer, as the route rol ls past V i l lan ova Mon dovì

and Frabosa Sottana , and the cl imb grows evenly and steadi ly from here on.

The finish in Pratonevoso is a 1st category climb.

The place has a strong vocation for tourism. The

resort was founded in the 1960s by a group of

Ligurian businessmen who thought the plateau

was conveniently located and had all it would

take to please ski enthusiasts coming from

both Liguria and Piedmont. The resort l ies in a

sun-drenched area, in a wide, open basin betwe-

en Monte Malanotte and Colla dei Prei, with si-

gnificant snowfall in the wintertime. The initiati-

ve was successful right from the start, and the

construction rate of tourist facil ities was fast

and almost uncontrolled at first, but eventually

became more balanced and regulated.

13 K M

F IN ISH

P r a t o n e v o s o

ings . Other “ r io n i ” , na m e ly Bre o , P ian d e l la Va l le , C ar asson e, Borgato an d R in ch iu so

(where most of the m a nufactur ing a ct iv i t ies t h at developed in t h e 18 t h an d 19 t h

centur ies take p la c e ) l ie furthe r d own, a lon g t h e ban ks of r iver E l lero . Th e n ewest

quarter , R ione A l t ip iano , is a m o d e rn re s id ent ia l area . Th e recent ly restored (2 0 0 6)

funicular ra i lway c o nne cts the o ld and the n ew town .


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 0 2


Prato Nevoso a l re ad y fe ature d in the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia rou te , as wel l as in ot h er r ac-

es . The l ist of G i ro sta g e winne rs he re inc ludes P avel Ton kov (Ru s) , wear in g

the Magl ia Rosa, in 19 9 6 , and S tefano G arze l l i (wh o event u al ly f in ish ed f i rst

on the GC) in 2000.

Ten years ago, bac k in 2008 , S im o n G e rra ns roared to v ictor y r ight h ere in

Prato Nevoso, c la im ing the 15th stag e of the Tou r de Fr an ce.

A special variety of hazelnut, called Tonda Genti le Tri lobata, is cult ivated in Piedmont, especial ly in the provinces of Cuneo, Asti and Alessandria, in the geographical area between the hil ls of Langhe, Roero and Montferrat. Thanks to the EU PGI designation (which stands for Protected Geographical Indication), consumers and users are guaran-teed the quality and authenticity of the produce throughout the Union.



2 0 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

18 RE G IO N PIEDMONT

Piedmont is a re g io n in no rthwe st I ta ly wit h Tor in o as i t s capi t a l . I t is de l imited by

France, the Val le d ’A o sta , S witze r la nd , Lombardy, Emi l ia-Romagn a (wit h wh ich i t

shares a border a l i t t le und e r 8 k m lo ng ) an d L igu r ia . I t s ter r i tor y can be su bdiv ided

into three con c e ntr ic b a nd s, the la rg e st of wh ich is t h e ou ter , mou nt a in ou s c i rc le

of the A lps an d the A p e nnine s (43%). Ins ide i t is a h i l ly ban d (30 % ), an d in s ide

that , the f lat land s (27%). The m a in m o unt a in ch ain is t h e A lps , wh ich su r rou n d

the region to the we st a nd no rth , a nd the Apen n in es t h at for m a n at u r a l f ront ier

with L igur ia an d E m i l ia-Ro m ag na. P ie d m ont mean s ‘ at t h e foot of t h e mou nt a in s

(pedemont ium ), ’ so nam e d b e c a use i t is sur rou n ded on t h ree s ides by mou nt a in s .

The mounta ins in P ie d m o nt are im p re ss ive an d r u gged: In t h e wester n par t of t h e

reg ion , there a re no fo oth i l ls . The re g io n ’s h igh est peaks , a l l over 40 0 0 m, are in t h e

west : the Monte Ro sa m a ssi f a nd G ra n P ar adiso . From over 30 0 0 met res , t h e lan d

descends rap id ly to the p la in . The m ain c hain s of h i l ls are C an avese ( in t h e n or t h -

west) , the Lan g he a nd the Ro e ro (to the sou t h ) , Monfer r ato ( in t h e cent re) an d

the Tortonesi h i l ls ( to the so uthe ast) . B etween t h ese h i l ls an d t h e A lps l ie t h e be-

g innings of the Po Va l ley, c ove re d with d en se r ice cu l t ivat ion s , especia l ly in t h e

provinces of Ve rc e l l i and N ovara , tha nks to t h e large qu ant i t ies of avai lab le water .

Large numbers of r ive rs and stre am s f low t h rou gh t h e region , a l l of t h em into t h e

Po R iver that has i ts so urc e o n the P ian de l Re at t h e foot of Monte V iso or Mon -

viso , the h ighest m o unta in of the C ott ia n A lps , c lose to t h e Fren ch border . Th e Po

crossed the re g io n f ro m we st to e ast . O th er r ivers in c lu de t h e Tan aro , t h e Dor a

R ipar ia , the Do ra Bal te a , the T ic ino and the Toce. Th ere are a lso many A lp in e lakes ,

with g lac ia l an d m o ra ine o r ig ins: La ke Maggiore (at t h e border wit h Lombardy) ,

Lake Orta and Lake V ive ro ne .

193.000 hectare s of the re g io n are p rote cted areas: in ot h er words , 8% of i t s tot a l

area; th is inc lud e s two nat io na l p a rks , G ran P ar adiso an d Val Gr an de, an d 56 ot h er

reg ional parks and re se rve s , and num e ro us areas protected at a provin c ia l level .

Inhabited f rom the N e o l i th ic ( the p e r io d f rom 10 . 2 0 0 BC to 2 . 0 0 0 BC) , t h e area was

occupie in the 1 st m i l le nnium B C by C e lt ic a nd L igu r ian (t h e Tau r in i an d S alass i) peo-

p les , then conque re d by the Ro m ans, who fou n ded co lon ies l ike Au gu st a Tau r in or u m

(modern Tor ino ) and Ep o re d ia (m o d e rn Ivrea) . Af ter t h e decl in e of t h e Wester n Ro-

man Empire th e re g io n b e c a m e the the a tre of in cu rs ion s an d con qu est s : t h e ar my

of F lav ius Odoac e r (433 [1]– 49 3) , a G e rm an ic so ld ier , wh o in 476 became t h e f i rst

K ing of I ta ly (476 -49 3) was fo l lowe d by G oth s , t h e Byzant in e Empire , t h e Lombards ,

Franks , Magyars and S a rac e ns. D iv id e d into cou nt ies an d march es, t h e reg ion was

part ly un i f ied ( into the m arc he s of To r ino an d Ivrea) in t h e 11 t h cent u r y by Man -

fred I of Tor ino , who left i t to O tto I , C o unt of S avoy. Th e reu n i f icat ion of P iedmont

under the House of S avoy to o k m a ny c e nt u r ies . On ly af ter t h e 1559 Peace of C a-

teau-C ambrés is , d id Em m anue l P hi l ib e rt , D u ke of S avoy an d h is su ccessors begin

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 0 4

18RE GION P IE DMONT

the reuni f icat ion proce ss , whic h wa s c o m p lete d in 1748 wit h t h e Treat y of Aqu is-

grana. After the Napole o nic o c c up a t io n , P ie d m o nt sh ared t h e for t u n es of t h e K in g-

dom of S ard in ia and p laye d a c e ntra l ro le in I ta l ia n u n i f icat ion an d t h e con st r u ct ion

of the new, un i f ied sta te (18 6 1) , whic h ad o pte d P iedmont ’ s ju r id ica l an d po l i t ica l

structure f rom the 1948 S ta tuto A lb e rt ino (Eng . A lber t in e St at u te) , t h e con st i t u t ion

that K ing Char les A lbert c o nc e d e d to the K ing d o m of P iedmont -S ard in ia in I t a ly on

4 March 1848. The St a tuto la te r b e c am e the c o nst i t u t ion of t h e u n i f ied K in gdom

of I ta ly and remained in fo rc e , with c hang e s, unt i l 1948. P iedmont was t h e cr u cia l

po l i t ica l and socia l “ la b o rato ry” , with wo rke rs ’ str ikes du r in g t h e Wor ld Wars , t h e

Tor ino exper iences of the revo lut io na r ie s A nto nio Gr amsci an d P iero Gobet t i , mass

part ic ipat ion in the Resista nc e , and A d r ia no O l ivet t i ’ s in du st r ia l in n ovat ion s (t h e

typewri ter , the person a l c o m p ute r) . The p ro c e ss of in du st r ia l isat ion was ext r aord i-

nary: f rom the agr icu l tura l structure s of the S avoy re ign , f rom t h e t ime of C avou r,

in the 1850s, the reg io n m o d e rnise d to the p o int of becomin g, at t h e begin n in g of

the twent ieth century, o ne c o rne r of the ind ustr ia l t r ian gle wh ere I t a ly ’ s econ omic

take-off took p lace. The e c o no m ic fa b r ic , in which F IAT p layed t h e prepon der ant

ro le , attracted huge m ig ra t io n f ro m the so uth in th e 1950 s an d 1960 s, cau sin g so-

c ia l and cul tura l t ransfo rm a t io ns .

Another important cha pte r in the d eve lo p m e nt of t h e P iedmont econ omy was wr i t -

ten by the confect ion e ry ind ustry ( f ro m c ho c o late to t h e invent ion of Nu te l la by

Ferrero) . The “white t ruff le ” is fo und in the c o untr ys ide arou n d t h e c i t ies of A lba

and Ast i . And the S low Fo o d m ove m e nt b a se d in Br a ( in Cu n eo provin ce) fou n ded

by C ar lo “C ar l in” Bergog l io (19 49 ) .

P iedmont has an extr ao rd ina r i ly va r ie d h isto r ic a l , cu l t u r a l an d ar t ist ic h er i t age,

with legends and trad i t io ns tha t are st i l l a l ive . I ts cou nt less arch i tect u r a l jewels

- Roman, Romanesque, b aro q ue , l ib e rty, art no uveau an d contempor ar y – h ou se

over 150 museums , many of whic h have a n inte rn at ion al repu t at ion (Th e Nat ion al

Museum of C inema, To r ino ’s E g ypt ia n Muse um , th e GAM (G al ler y of Moder n Ar t ,

the Red S i lk Factory a t C ara g l io , the Muse um of the C ampion iss imi at Novi L igu re ,

and many others) . Tou r ist i t ine rar ie s inc lud e the 15 S avoy Residen ces of P iedmont ,

the 13 H istor ic V i l lages of P ie d m o nt (B e rg o lo , C andelo , Ch ian ale , Cor temi l ia , G ares-

s io , Levice , Macugnag a, Mo m b a ld o ne , N e ive , O rta S an G iu l io , Ost an a, S a lu zzo , Us-

seaux) , the Luoghi de l la S p ir i tua l i tà (Eng . S p ir i tua l P laces) , t h e V ia Fr an cigen a (t h e

common name of an a nc ie nt ro ad and p i lg r im ro ute r u n n in g f rom Fr an ce to Roma)

and the seven S acr i Mo nt i p ie m o nte s i (Eng . H o ly Mou nt a in s of P iedmont ) l isted by

UNESCO as a Wor ld Her i tag e S i te .

2 0 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 0 6

NOTE18 NOTE S

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

ITA LY TORINO

NATION PROVINCE

25 MAY 2018 FRIDAY

km 184

V E N A R I A R E A L E

B A R D O N E C C H I A

1 9

19 V E NARIA REALE BARDONEC C HIA2 5 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 184

The route of stage 19 runs e nt i re ly in P ie d m o nt (an d, more speci f ica l ly, t h rou gh t h e prov-ince of Tur in) , across t he We ste rn A lp s .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 0 8

19VENARIA REAL E BA RDONE C C HIA2 5 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 184

VENARIA REALE / TO RIN O / P IEDMO N T

The start is set in Venar ia Re ale . This dense-

ly populated and charming city, bordering Tu-

r in , is home to the f i rst regional park in I ta ly,

La Mandr ia , establ ished by the regional counci l

of Piedmont in 1978. The park is surrounded by

defensive wal ls bui l t by Victor Emmanuel I I in

the mid-19th century. Enclosed within the park

is the 19-century Savoy cast le , B o rg o C aste l-

lo , housing the royal apartments. The Re g g ia

d i Venar ia Reale is a former residence of the

Royal House of Savoy, which was declared UNE-

SCO World Heritage Site in 1997. Bui l t in the late

1600s, the Reggia experienced splendour and

decay over the centur ies. The restorat ion of the

palace and the urban redevelopment of Venaria

began in 1978, and the complex was opened in

October 2007.

START 18 4 K M

T h e p a r k o f t h e R e g g i a

T h e M a n d r i a

T h e R e g g i a a s s e e n f r o m t h e p a r k

The 2011 G iro d ’ I t a l ia , ce lebr at in g 150 years

s inc e I ta l ian Un i f icat ion , st ar ted wit h a TTT

f ro m Ve nar ia Reale to Tu r in . V ictor y went to

H TC -H ig hroad (Usa) , wit h t h e f i rst Magl ia Rosa

g o ing to Marco P in ot t i .

The renovation of the Reggia di Venaria was strongly supported by the European Union. The restoration of the Reggia and gardens took several years to complete and required large investments, with € 20 mil l ion al located for Piedmont in the Operational Program-me of the 2007-2013 ERDF alone. The renovation and redevelopment of the complex was the largest restoration project in Europe concerning a cultural asset, which turned a derelict building into the f irst tourist destination in Piedmont.


2 0 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

19 V E NARIA REALE BARDONEC C HIA

T h e S a c r a o f S a n M i c h e l e

L ANZO TORINESE / TO RIN O / PIEDMO N T

COLLE DEL LYS / TO RIN O / PIEDMO N T

SANT’AMBROG I O D I TO RI NO / TO RIN O / P IEDMONT

After rolling past Robassomero, the route reaches Lanzo Torinese, by the Stura river. Main

sights here include the Devil’s Bridge (Ponte del Diavolo) and peculiar geological formations

referred to as giant’s cauldrons (Marmitte dei Giganti). The civic tower, built by Aymon of

Challant, formerly one of the gates to the town, is the only part of the ancient defensive

walls that has survived to the present day. As remembered by a commemorative plaque,

breadsticks were invented in the town in the late 1600s, by the physician Teobaldo Pecchio

and the court baker Antonio Brunero, in order to whet the appetite of young princes.

The route starts to go up, heading for the first categorized summit of the day: the category 1

Colle del Lys. This long climb (from the bridge over the Stura di Lanzo all the way to the top)

unfolds through a stunning natural landscape, among the chestnut and beech trees. Main

sights in Col San Giovanni, a frazione of Viù, include the lovely ancient Chiesa Parrocchiale di

San Giovanni Battista (1614) and the 12-century belfry, the oldest one in the Valli di Lanzo.

After c lear ing the summit , a fast drop leads al l the way to Ru bian a ( ly ing in a basin

within Val d i Susa, surrounded by the Alps) and V i l lar Dor a (s itt ing on the left bank

of the Dora Ripar ia , with a lovely cast le nest led on a smal l rocky hi l l at the heart of

the town). S ant ’A m b ro g io d i To r ino , at the end of the

descent, l ies at the mouth of the Val d i Susa and at

the foot of Mo nte P i rc hir iano . Sitt ing prominently on

the top of the hi l l , in a panoramic posit ion, is the ma-

jest ic complex of the S ac ra d i S a n Mic he le . The town,

founded in ancient t imes, has always been a major and

strategic hub. Main s ights in the town centre include a

number of mediaeval towers, fountains and dist inct ive

bui ld ings, as wel l as the mediaeval P a la z zo Abbaz ia le ,

which r ises in a more elevated posit ion.

16 6 K M

135 K M

118 K M

Lanzo Tor inese wa s ho m etown to G ian lu ig i Mar ian in i (1918-2 0 0 9) , an eccent r ic

cu l t ivated man , a n ae sthete and a ve ry p opu lar TV person al i t y as a contest ant of

the “Lascia o r a d d o p p ia?” g am e show, ho sted by Mike Bon gior n o.

2 5 MAY 2 018 FRIDAY km 184

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 1 0

19VENARIA REAL E BA RDONE C C HIA

T h e S a c r a o f S a n M i c h e l e

S ant ’Ambrogio d i To r ino was ho m etown to C ar lo G iorda (1946-1985) , mou nt a in eer

and A lp ine sk ier .

SUSA/TORINO/PIEDMO N T

COLLE DELLE FI NE STRE /TO RI NO /PIEDMO N T

Next on the route are S a nt ’A nto nino d i S usa

( former ly the seat of the Va l le susa tex -

t i le factory) , S an G ior io (a m ajo r sto p ove r

a long the V ia Francigena) , C o ld im o sso and

Susa. S i t t ing at the junct io n b etwe e n the

major t ransalp ine road s to Mo nc e nis io and

Monginevro , Susa is a h isto r ic a l refe re nc e

centre for th is area . I t is d o m inate d by the

majest ic Rocciamelon e , whic h use d to b e

considered as the ta l le st p e ak of the A lp s

in the Middle Ages. Owing to i ts stra te g ic

pos i t ion , Susa was known in a nc ie nt t im e s

as the “key to I ta ly” . I t ha s reta ine d m ajo r

Roman and mediaeva l he r i tag e , suc h as

the C attedra le d i S an G iusto , with the Ro -

manesque bel f ry, s i t t ing b e s id e P o rta S a-

voia , and the Arch of A ug ustus , whic h r is-

es in an e levated pos i t io n , o n an e sp la nad e

with a number of Ro m an ve st ig e s . Ma in

s ights a lso inc lude the we l l -p re se rve d Ro -

man wal ls , the C ast le of C o unte ss A d e la id e

and the 18-century roc k -c a rve d Fo rte d e l-

la Brunetta .

Next on the stage course is Me a na d i S usa , ne st le d in t h e lu sh veget at ion . Here t h e

route is a l ready going up the C o l le d e l le F ine stre , bet ween t h e Cot t ian an d Gr a ian

A lps , which connects the Val d i S usa a nd the Val Ch ison e. Th is is on e of t h e most

“sacred c l imbs” in cycl ing , fo r i ts un iq ue te c hnic a l feat u res an d i t s ext r aord in ar y

landscape.

The road was or ig ina l ly a m i l i tary ro ad . In the f i rst par t of t h e c l imb, t h e rou te t akes

in 28 ha irp ins (out of 3 3, ove ra l l ) , q u ic k ly, o ne a fter an ot h er. Th e road t u r n s to gr a-

vel after approximatel y 11 k i lo m etre s , at C o l letto d i Mean a, wit h a wide , open lan d-

9 2 K M

73 K M

T h e A r c h o f A u g u s t u s

T h e C a s t l e o f C o u n t e s s A d e l a i d e


2 1 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


T h e t o w n h a l l o f P r a g e l a t o

PRAGEL ATO/TO RIN O / PIEDMO N T

The sight at the top of the mountain

is breath-taking. The route then drops

down among the meadows and grass-

lands al l the way to Pourrières, in the

Val Chisone. Here, the route starts to

go up again, heading for Sestriere,

through Pragelato. The town, with its

iconic tradit ional Occitan architec-

tures, is home to an unspoilt nature

reserve (Parco Naturale del la Val Tron-

cea). Pragelato hosted the Nordic ski-

ing event at the 2006 Winter Olympics,

and the ski jumping hi l l (Stadio del

Trampolino) was bui lt to this purpose.

5 6 K M

scape cutt ing ac ro ss the m e a d ows. The ro u te r u n s con st ant ly an d steadi ly u ph i l l on

d i r t , barren road a l l the way to the to p . The su mmit is c leared n ear t h e mi l i t ar y for t

(bui l t in 1891 and c urre nt ly ab a nd o ne d ) .

The Col le de l le F ine stre is the ta l le st p e ak of t h e 2 0 18 edi t ion an d, as su ch , i t wi l l be

the “C ima Copp i ” of the 101 st G i ro . The f i rst r ider c lear in g t h e c l imb wi l l be awarded

the “Trofeo Tor r ia n i ” , in m e m o ry of the la te G i ro D i rector .

The f i rst c l im b up the C o l le wa s in the 200 5 Giro d ’ I t a l ia , st age 19, S avig l ia-

no-Sestr iere . V icto ry we nt to J o sé Ruja no (Ven ) , 2 6” ah ead of S imon i an d 1 ’ 37”

ahead of D i Luc a . P a o lo S avo ld e l l i ( the n GC leader ) master f u l ly man aged h is

advantage ove r h is o p p o ne nts in a p o ig nant h ead-to-h ead bat t le a lon g t h e

c l imb, down the d e sc e nt a nd a l l the way to t h e f in ish in Sest r iere . C ar min e

C aste l lano had lo ng d re amt of fe atur ing t h e Col le de l le F in est re in t h e G i ro

route . Thanks to m ajo r re d eve lo p m e nt an d improvement wor k , car r ied ou t in

partnership betwe e n d i f fe re nt re g io na l b odies , wh at u sed to be n ot h in g more

than a mule t ra c k was m a d e p assab le . The pro ject was promoted by En zo Gh i-

go , the then re g io na l p re s id e nt of P ie d m ont , a cycl in g ent h u siast an d t i re less

b ike-goer and c urre nt v ic e -p re s id e nt of the Lega C ic l ismo Profess ion ist ico of

the I ta l ian Cyc l ing Fe d e ra t io n . Tha t was a con sider able oper at ion , car r ied ou t

in an environme nta l ly re sp o nsib le way, respect in g t h e n at u r a l lan dscape.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 1 2

19VENARIA REAL E BA RDONE C C HIA

The l ist of G i ro s ta g e winne rs in S e str ie re in c lu de Edu ardo Ch ozas (Esp) in

1991, Miguel Indura in in 19 9 3, P asc a l R ic hard (Su i) in 1994, Jan Hr u ska (Pol)

in 2000, José Ruja no (Ve n) in 2005, Vas i l K i ryen ka (B l r ) in 2 0 11 an d Fabio Ar u

in 2015. The l ist of To ur d e Fra nc e stag e winn ers h ere in c lu des Fau sto Coppi

in 1952, C laudio Chia p p uc c i in 19 9 2, B ja rne R i is in 1996 (t h e st age was sh or t -

ened because of the b ad we athe r) , a nd La nce Ar mst ron g in 1999 (wh o was

f i rst at the f in ish , b ut wa s eve ntua l ly str ip p e d of t h is v ictor y) .

In the 2013 Giro d ’ I ta l ia , C e sana was sta rt lo c at ion of st age 15, f in ish in g on t h e

top of the Col du G a l ib ie r , a nd wo n by G iovanni V iscont i .

SESTRIERE/TOR IN O / P IEDMO N T

CESANA TORINESE/TO RIN O / PIEDMO N T

BARDONECCHIA/TOR IN O / PIEDMO N T

The route takes in the c l im b towa rd s the 3 rd c a te g or y Sest r iere su mmit , in a lovely

scenery between the Val C hiso ne and the Va l d i S u sa. Created by t h e Agn el l i f ami ly

in the ear ly 1930s as a to ur ist d e st ina t io n , S e st r iere grew into a popu lar , wel l -

equipped winter sport s re so rt , with d ist inct ive arch i tect u res . I t h osted mu lt ip le

stage f in ishes of both the G i ro and the To ur, as wel l as major A lp in e sk i in g event s ,

such as the 2006 Olymp ic s , the 19 9 7 Wo r ld C ham pion sh ips an d sever a l ed i t ion s of

the Wor ld Cup.

A long drop leads throu g h C e sana To r ine se (a love ly town wit h sever a l smal l lakes) ,

Oulx (s i t t ing on a p la in in the up p e r Val d i S usa ) an d S avou lx .

The route eventual ly re ac he s B a rd o ne c c hia , he a d in g towards t h e f in ish l in e of t h is

leg-sapping stage. The town ( ly ing a t the we ste rnmost po int of I t a ly) h osted many

events of the 2006 Winte r O lym p ic s , a lo ng with oth er major spor t in g event s . Nes-

4 6 K M

32 K M

F IN ISH


2 1 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1


P a l a z z o d e l l e F e s t e F o r t e d i B r a m a f a m

This c l imb f i rs t fe ature d in the G i ro d ’ I ta l ia rou te in 1972 (st age 14) . Th e Span -

ish c l imber Jo sé Manue l Fue nte had a l re ady been on a so lo break for a lon g

t ime, but Edd y Me rc k x (the n G C le ad e r) man aged to catch u p wit h h im a lon g

the c l imb, leaving h im b e hind and swe e pin g to v ictor y. Th e st age is a lso re-

membered be c a use so m e r id e rs we re d isqu al i f ied for “h i tch in g a r ide” f rom

their team cars a lo ng the c lo s ing c l im b . In 1984, v ictor y went to D ag Er ik Ped-

ersen (Nor) . In 2013 , Mauro S antam b ro g io f in ish ed f i rst af ter a b i t ter ly co ld

and snowy day, b ut v icto ry eve ntual ly went to V in cen zo N iba l i (wh o was a l -

ready leading the G C ) , as h is o p p o ne nt was d isqu al i f ied .

t led among the C ott ia n A lp s , at the c o nf luen ce of fou r major va l leys , t h e town is

a major hub to a nd fro m Fra nc e , owing to t h e Fré ju s Rai l Tu n n el , open ed in 1871.

S i t t ing on a rock y o utc ro p ne a r the m o uth of t h e t u n n el , t h e imposin g For te Br ama-

fam ( late 19 th c e ntury) is c urre nt ly ho m e to a mu seu m. Major lan dmar ks in c lu de

the ear ly 20-c e ntury P a la z zo d e l le Fe ste (bu i l t in t h e Ar t Nou veau st y le) an d t h e

Chiesa P arrocc hia le d i S ant ’ Ip p o l i to , with i t s e legant 13-cent u r y Roman esqu e ston e

bel l tower.

The f in ish l ine is set a l i t t le furthe r up , at t h e en d of t h e categor y-on e c l imb t h at

begins at the Ba rd o ne c c hia b r id g e , at the foot of Mt . Jaf fer au .


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 1 4

F o r t e d i B r a m a f a m

A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

NOTE S19

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 1 6

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167


km 214

S U S A

C E R V I N I A

2 0

ITA LY TURIN

AOSTA

NATION P ROVINCE

20 SUSA CERVINIA2 6 MAY 2 018 SATURDAY km 214

The Western A lps wi l l b e tak ing c e ntre sta g e , a g ain , for t h e pen u lt imate st age of t h e 10 1 st

G i ro , running f rom Pie d m o nt to the Va l le d ’A o sta . A l l t h e mou nt a in s wi l l be t u cked away in the stage f ina le , aroun d A o sta .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 1 8

2 0SU SA C E RV INIA2 6 MAY 2 018 SATURDAY km 214

SUSA/TURIN/PIEDMO N T

The start is set in Susa, the town after which the val ley is named, and which already

featured in the route in the previous stage.

START 214 K M

20 9 K M

T h e b e l l t o w e r

o f S a n t a M a r i a A s s u n t a

Susa was G iro d ’ I t a l ia stag e c i ty b a c k in 19 59, wit h an ITT st ar t in g an d f in ish -

ing in the town, wo n by the Fre nc h t im e tr ia l ist Jacqu es An qu et i l , wear in g t h e

Magl ia Rosa. In 19 8 4, i t was b a c kup sta rt c i ty, rep lac in g Bardon ecch ia , for t h e

stage f in ish ing in Le c c o and wo n by J urg Bruggman n (Su i) .

BUSSOLENO/TURIN/P IEDMO N T

L A CASSA/TURIN/PIE DMO N T

The route t ravels dow n the va l ley, thro ug h the

mediaeval town of Busso le no . Ma in s ig hts he re

inc lude the 14-century C a sa A sc hie r is , the wal ls

a long the Dora R ipar ia a nd the im p o sing b e l l

tower of the Chiesa P arro c c hia le d i S a nta Mar ia

Assunta . Next on the ro ute a re Bo rg o ne S usa and

Condove.

The route ro l ls past D rub r ia g l io -G rang ia , C ase lette (s i t t in g on a mor a in ic h i l l at

the foot of Monte Musiné , the c lo se st m o unta in to Tu r in ) , Gr an ge d i Br ion e, Br ion e

(with in the Val C astemo ne ) and the n arr ive s in La C assa. Th e town dr aws i t s n ame

from “caccia” ( I ta l ian fo r “ hunt ing ” ) ; m a in s ig hts inc lu de t h e tower of t h e o ld cast le ,

which was turned into a b e l f ry.

170 K M

2 1 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

20 SUSA CERVINIA

T h e t o w n h a l l o f R o b a s s o m e r o

A m e d i a e v a l h o u s e w i t h

v i n e y a r d i n C a r e m a

Speaking of cyc l ing , and e sp e c ia l ly of I ta ly ’ s major st age r ace, C i r iè was t ied to

G iovanni Brune ro (18 9 5-19 34) , thre e -t im e Giro win n er in 192 1, 192 2 an d 192 6

(the f i rst one in h isto ry) . H e se rve d a s a cycl ist bersagl iere du r in g Wor ld War I ,

and then went p rofe ss io nal . H is c are e r la s ted f rom 1919 to 192 9, most ly wit h

Legnano. He is re m e m b e re d by the lo c a l cycl in g c lu b , wh ich is n amed af ter

h im, and whic h was p ro m ote d by the la te P ier an gelo S asso (wh o sadly passed

away in 2017) , an invalua b le refe re nc e p o i nt for t h e c lu b i t se l f an d for t h e local

cycl ing movem e nt a s a who le .

CIRIÈ/TURIN/PIEDMO N T

CAREMA/TURIN/ PIEDMO N T

The route passes through Ro b asso m e ro , l ike the

previous day, and reaches C ir iè , at the out let of the

Val l i d i Lanzo, near the Vauda plateau (an ancient

term meaning “woodland”) , in the lower C anavese

region. The Duo m o d i S an G iovanni , s i tt ing in the

eponymous piazza, is a masterpiece of Piedmon-

tese Gothic architecture. I t was declared a nat ional

monument in 1887. Industry in Cir iè has become

increasingly prominent and var ied s ince the late

1800s. More recently, several d isused industr ia l

instal lat ions have been turned into shopping mal ls

and tert iary service centres for cultural act iv it ies.

The route rol ls past Cent ro , Front , Favr ia (with the

12-century C hiesa C imiter ia le d i S an P iet ro Vecch io) ,

S a lassa (with i ts d ist inct ive G ate Tower and fort i f icat ion,

cal led r icetto) , St r ambin el lo , Lor an zé and S amon e ( in the

morainic landscape of the C anavese), Ba io Dor a , Set t i -

m o V i t to ne and eventual ly reaches C arema, marking the

border with the Val le d ’Aosta. The town has an ancient

mediaeval centre, with narrow al leys, stone houses and

pergolas, supported by dist inct ive whitewashed stone

and br ick columns. C arema wine is produced only here.

15 6 K M

9 9 K M


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 2 0

2 0SU SA C E RV INIA

T h e R o m a n B r i d g e

i n P o n t S a i n t M a r t i n

F o r t B a r d a s s e e n f r o m a b o v e

PONT-SAINT-MARTIN/ AO STA / VA LLE D ’AO STA

BARD/AOSTA/VALLE D ’AO STA

The route enters Val le d ’A o sta thro ug h Po nt S a int

Mart in . The town is cro sse d by the Do ra B a l te a

and by the Lys (which o r ig ina te s f ro m the Mo n-

te Rosa g lac ier) . The anc ie nt s ing le -sp an Ro m a n

Br idge over r iver Lys g ra nte d a c c e ss f ro m Ivre a

to the va l ley for 2 ,000 ye ars , a nd i t eve n sur-

v ived the bombings dur ing WWII . The ru ins of the

C ast le , s i t t ing in an e levate d p o s i t io n , a re a p o p -

ular dest inat ion for h ik ing e nthusia sts .

Bard , next on the route , is o ne of the m o st b e a u-

t i fu l v i l lages in I ta ly. I t is lo c ate d at the c e ntre

of a narrow gorge, dom inate d by the fo rt of the

same name. The fort i f ie d c o m p lex was re b ui l t

by the House of S avoy in the 19 th c e ntury, the n

further restored and eve ntual ly re o p e ne d to the

publ ic in 2006.

9 7 K M

9 2 K M

Made from Nebbiolo grapes (85%), this DOC red wine is best paired with red meat,

wi ld game and r ipened cheese.

The complex compr is ing For t Bard and the v i l lage has become the leading cu l tura l cent re of the Western Alps. Fol lowing restorat ion of the majest ic for t ress and of the adjacent areas, a pro ject was carr ied out combin ing innovat ive serv ices for cu l ture and top-qual i ty accommodat ion, in a s ing le fac i l i ty. The For t was d isused by the mi l i -tary proper ty off ice in 1975; i t was then acqui red by the Autonomous Region of Val le d ’Aosta in 1990, which conver ted i t in to a publ ic asset . The pro ject was co- funded by the European Regional Development Fund and the State Revolv ing Fund.



2 2 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

20 SUSA CERVINIA

T h e C a s t l e o f V e r r e s

VERRÈS/AOSTA / VA LLE D ’AO STA

CHALL AND-SA I NT- VI CTO R/ AO STA / VA LLE D ’ AOSTA

SAINT-VINCENT/ AO STA / VA LLE D ’AO STA

Arnad, next on the route, is home to a C a s t le and a Ro-

manesque church (C hie sa d i S a n Ma rt ino ); the town is

renowned for the production of “Lard d’Arnad” . Next , the

stage course rol ls past Ve rrè s; the town now has a di-

verse economy, fol lowing the reconversion of previous

industr ia l instal lat ions. The Renaissance C ast le bui l t

by the Chal lant noble family, possibly one of the most

beautiful strongholds in the ent ire region, stands at the

mouth of the Val d ’Ayas, in a more elevated posit ion.

Chal land-S aint -V icto r marks the passage to the Val d ’Ayas, lateral to the Val le d ’Aos-

ta. Here the route takes a f i rst-ever pass up the 1 st category Col Tsecore summit .

The val ley is surrounded by the mountains of the Monte Rosa group, with peaks over

4,000 m. Next , st i l l a long the cl imb, the route rol ls past T i l ly and clears the summit in

an unspoi l t , charming landscape.

Next , the route drops into S a int-V inc e nt , in a stunning scenery. The town l ies in a

wide, sun-drenched and wel l-protected basin. The Abbott Jean-Baptiste Perret , na-

t ive to Saint-Vincent, d iscovered the propert ies of the “Fon s S alu t is” Spr in g in the

late 18 th century. The famous C asinò d e la Va l lée , opened in 1946, sparked a ser ies

of successful cultural events.

8 4 K M

79 K M

5 2 K M

The l ist of G i ro d ’ I ta l ia stag e winne rs in S a int -Vin cent in c lu des P asqu ale For -

nara in 1952, Ma r io Baro ni in 19 57, S a lva dor Bote l la (Esp) in 1958, A l f redo S ab-

badin in 1959 , G iuse p p e S arto re a nd A lb e rto Ass i re l l i in 1962 (on t wo d i f ferent

stage f in ishes ) , V i to Tac c o ne in 19 6 3 , an d Eddy Merckx in 1968 an d in 1970 .

In 1978, a f i rs t-eve r ITT “ p re lud e ” , v icto ry went to D iet r ich Th u r au , in 1969 to

Roger De V lae m inc k , in 19 8 5 to Fra nc e sco Moser, an d in 1987 to Steph en Ro-

che. In 2015, S a int-V inc e nt was start c i ty ; t h e st age f in ish ed in Sest r iere , wit h

Fabio Aru roar ing to v icto ry.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 2 2

2 0SU SA C E RV INIA

T h e C a s t l e o f U s s e l

T h e M a t t e r h o r n

T h e C a s t l e o f V e r r e s

CHATILLON/AOSTA/VA LLE D ’AO STA

CHAMBAVE/AOSTA/VA LLE D ’AO STA

ANTEY-SAINT-ANDRÉ / AO STA / VA LLE D ’AO STA

Chati l lon, next on the route, marks the passage to

Valtournenche. Main s ights here include the C as-

t le of Ussel and the C ast le of the Passerin d’En-

trèves family, a long with many Mediaeval Towers.

The h i l l top v i l lage of Cham b ave is re nowne d fo r i t s mar ket s as wel l as for v i t icu l-

ture (with Muscat de C ham b ave b e ing the m a in produ ce) . Here t h e road st ar t s to

c l imb, heading for the 1st c a te g o ry sum m it of C ol S an P ant a léon . Next a lon g t h e

route , in a stunning mo unta in land sc a p e , is the tow n of Semon .

The descent t h en win ds i t s way

a g ain st t h e ou t l in e of t h e Mat ter -

ho rn , ro l l in g past Torgn on an d An -

tey- S aint -An dré . Here , t h e road

g o es u p again , a l l t h e way to t h e f in -

ish in Cer v in ia (categor y 1 su mmit ) .

4 9 K M

4 4 K M

19 K M

Chat i l lon was hometown to the fam i ly of

Marcel B ich (1914-19 9 4) , whic h m ove d to

France where i t wa s natura l ise d in 19 3 0.

After WWII , Marcel B ic h ro se to fa m e as the

leading producer of b a l lp o int p e ns, a fte r b uy-

ing the patent f ro m the H ung ar ia n inve nto r

Lasz lo B i ró .


2 2 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

20 SUSA CERVINIA

T h e c a b l e c a r , w i t h t h e M a t t e r h o r n i n

t h e b a c k g r o u n d

CERVINIA/AOSTA/ VA LLE D ’AO STA

Cervin ia s its at the southern foot of the mountain, the third tal lest peak of the I ta l ian

Alps. Here, tour ism started to thr ive in the late 19th century, as the Matterhorn was

a favoured dest inat ion for mountaineers. In the ear ly 1900s, Cervinia became a lea-

ding dest inat ion for Alpine ski ing, and later a lso a summer tourism stat ion, with out-

standing natural landmarks such as the B lue Lake, the art i f ic ia l basin of Lake Goi l let

and the P lateau Ro sa glacier. The Klein Matterhorn has the highest cable car stat ion

in Europe. The top of Plateau Rosa houses the weather stat ion and the laboratory of

the I ta l ian Nat ional Research Counci l (CNR).

The stunning mountain scenery wi l l salute the crowning of the Magl ia Rosa, possibly

the f inal one, as the closing circuit stage in Rome should not a lter the GC.

F IN ISH

The Matter ho rn is a le g e nd ary p e a k for mou nt a in c l imbers . Th e f i rst su cces-

sfu l ascent was m a d e o n 14 J u ly 18 6 5 by a grou p of seven mou nt a in c l imbers ,

inc luding thre e g uid e s , le d by the Engl ish man Edward Whymper (1840 -1911) ,

a long the Swiss s id e (Ze rm a tt) . The d e scent en ded d isast rou sly wh en fou r of i t s

members fe l l to the i r d e aths d ue to a broken rope. Th e ascent is a lways f asci-

nat ing , but is re se rve d to exp e rt m o unta in c l imbers on ly. Ju st a few days later ,

Va l tournenc he -nat ive J e a n-A nto ine C ar re l (182 9-1891) , persu aded by h is f r ien d

Quint ino Sel la (18 27-18 8 4, p o l i t ic ia n an d mou nt a in lover , on e of t h e promoters

and founde rs of the C lub A lp ino I ta l iano) reach ed t h e su mmit of t h e Mat ter h or n

up the I ta l ia n s id e fo r the f i rst t im e .

Notable c i t ize ns a lso inc lud e othe r lo c al mou nt a in gu ides su ch as Jean -Joseph

Maquignaz (18 29 -18 9 0) and A m é G o rret (1836-1970 ) , pr iest an d a lp in ist .

The l ist of G i ro stag e winne rs in

Cerv in ia inc lud e s A d d a Ka z iank a in

1960, Ivan Gott i in 19 9 7 (he c la im e d

the Magl ia Rosa he re , d efe nd ing i t

a l l the way to the g rand f ina le in Mi-

lan) , Andrey A m a d o r (C rc ) in 2012

and Fabio Aru in 2015.


G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 2 4

2 0

The Aosta Val ley is th e sm al le st a nd – with a p o pu lat ion of abou t 130 , 0 0 0 – least

populous region of I ta l y ly ing in the no rth-we ste rn par t of t h e cou nt r y. I t s ter r i tor y

is a lmost ent i re ly mou nta ino us. I t is b o rd e re d by S w it zer lan d to t h e n or t h , Fr an ce to

the west and P iedmont to the so uth a nd e a st . Fro m an admin ist r at ive po int of v iew,

i t is an autonomous re g io n with sp e c ia l sta tute .

The regional capital is A o sta (after which the region is named). Aosta was founded

by the Romans, and this is evidenced by her itage such the Arch of Augustus, the

Porta Praetor ia (one of the gates of the city) ,the forum, the enceinte and the towers.

I ts terr i tory inc ludes t he s lo p e s of Mo nt B lanc (4 ,810 m) , t h e h igh est peak in Eu -

rope, Matterhorn (4 ,47 8 m ) , Mo nte Ro sa (4 ,6 3 7 m) an d Gr an P ar adiso (4 , 0 61 m) .

The Gran P aradiso Nat io na l P a rk was I ta ly ’s f i rst nat ion al par k , est abl ish ed in 192 2

to protect the f lora and fa una of the A lp s . Ma jo r border cross in g po int s in c lu de

the Mont B lanc Tunnel - 11 .6 k m in le ng th - l ink in g Cou r mayeu r wit h Ch amon ix

(France) , the L i t t le St . B e rnard P a ss and the G re at St . Ber n ard P ass , wit h t h e t u n n el

of the same name.

The regional language is a d ia le ct of Fra nc o -P roven çal ca l led Valdôt a in ( local ly,

“pato is”) , though I ta l ia n is m uc h m o re wid e ly sp o ken in ever yday l i fe . Fren ch is a

co-off ic ia l language. “ Walse r” is a n off ic ia l ly re c ogn ised var iant of a Ger man d ia-

lect , which is spoken i n sp e c i f ic v i l lag e s .

Summer and (above a l l ) winte r to ur ism are the main dr ivers of t h e econ omy of

the Aosta Val ley, with the Mo nte ro sa , Matte rho rn ( in c lu din g Zer mat t , Swit zer lan d) ,

Courmayeur and Cham p o luc sk i re so rts . The m any cast les of t h e Aost a Val ley are

a major h istor ica l and to ur ist la nd m ark . The re g io n is a lso h ome to p lent y of mu se-

ums and sanctuar ies .

Manufactur ing p lans are m o st ly sm a l l - to -m e d ium s ized an d are u su al ly seated in

the lower va l ley. TheC o g ne A c c ia i C o m p a ny in A o s t a is a leadin g p layer in t h e i ron

and steel industry. Re g io na l sp e c ia l t ie s inc lud e font in a ch eese (t h at is label led

“protected des ignat ion of o r ig in” ) , m a d e fro m unheated cu rd , wit h wh ole mi lk f rom

Valdostana cows.

Notable c i t izens of the re g io n inc lud e A nse lm of Aost a , a lso kn own as An selm of

C anterbury (1033/4 -1109 C ante rb ury) , the o lo g ian , ph i losoph er an d arch bish op,

one of the greatest repre se ntat ive s of C hr ist ia n p hi losophy, Nat a l in o S apegn o (Aos-

ta 1901-Rome 1990) , l i te rary c r i t ic a nd h isto r ia n , an d P iero Ch iambret t i (1956) , TV

host . Go ing back to a re m ote , yet g lo r io us p a st , m ent ion mu st be made of Mau r ice

G ar in (Arv ier 1871-Lens 19 57) . B o rn in the A o sta Val ley, an d later a migr ant to

REGION VA L L E D’ AOSTA

2 2 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

20 RE G IO N VALLE D’AOSTA

France with h is fam i ly a t the a g e of fo urte en , h e is best remembered as t h e win n er

of the f i rst Tou r d e Franc e in 19 03. Befo re t h at , t h e “L i t t le Ch imn ey Sweeper ” h ad

achieved two P a r is-Ro ub a ix wins , in 18 9 7 an d in 1898. He took Fren ch n at ion al i t y

as soon as he re a c he d the ag e of m ajo r i t y, a l t h ou gh ot h er sou rces say t h at t h is

happened at a la te r sta g e . A nothe r b ig name in cycl in g is t h at of Fr an co Vagn eu r

(Aosta , 1944) , p rofe sso r a nd cyc lo -c ro ss ch ampion .

Ment ion must a lso b e m ad e of the G i ro d e l la Va l le d ’ Aost a , a tou gh amateu r st age

race across the harsh m o unta ins of the va l ley, wit h over 50 years ’ wor t h of h istor y.

The r iders who p revai l the re m o st c e rta in ly wi l l h ave a great Profess ion al career .

Mounta in b ik ing is ve ry p o p ula r in the va l ley, wh ich of fers a wide r an ge of t r a i ls for

a l l specia l i t ies , a nd to su i t a l l taste s .

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 2 6

ISRAELE

XXX

XXXX

NAZIONE

PROVINCE


km 167

R O M A

R O M A

2 1

ITA LY ROME

NATION PROVINCE

27 MAY 2018 SUNDAY

km 118


RO M E ROME21

ROMA/ROMA/L A Z IO

The imaginary b r id g e that c o nne cts the star t an d t h e f in ish of t h e 2 0 18 Giro d ’ I t a l ia ,

in the name of two extrao rd ina ry c i t ie s wit h t h e ir respect ive ou t st an din g h istor ic ,

cu l tura l , monu m e nta l and re l ig io us le g acy, wi l l t ake u s to Rome – t h e “eter n al c i t y” .

In a un ique context of inc o m p ara b le natur a l beau t y, wit h i t s u n match ed h istor y

START

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 2 8

2 1ROM E ROME2 7 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 118

The eternal c i ty has a lo ng -stand ing cyc l ing t r ad i t ion . Over a h u n dred (an d

one!) ed i t ions of the C o rsa Ro sa , Ro m e has hosted sever a l b ig st ar t s an d b ig

f in i shes: f i rst in 19 09 , fo r the “ p io ne e r” e d i t io n won by Lu ig i G an n a, an d last in

2009, with a c los ing ITT running thro ug h the hear t of t h e c i t y won by Ign at as

Konovalovas (Ltu ) , and f ina l v icto ry g o ing to D en is Men ch ov (Ru s) . In bet we-

en, there were 55 sta g e sta rts and 46 sta g e f i n ish es , an d t h e win n ers on t h at

l ist f requent ly mad e the h isto ry of cyc l ing . W h en in Rome, t h e G i ro d ’ I t a l ia

often “v is i ted” Vat ic an C i ty, with Po p e s who b lessed an d greeted t h e r iders

and the ent i re convoy. In 19 74, the p re l im inar y appoint ment s an d t h e of f ic ia l

start took p lace in the Va t ic a n C i ty S ta te , the symbol of C at h ol ic Ch r ist ian i t y,

an enclave with in the c i ty of Ro m e .

T h e C a p i t o l i n e S h e - w o l f

and cul ture , a long with an unp ara l le le d re l ig io us her i t age, t h e I t a l ian capit a l wi l l be

the perfect sett ing for the twe nty-f i rst and f ina l ch apter of a n ovel wit h an en gag-

ing narrat ive . A story l ine that c o m b ine s sp o rts a nd compet i t ive sp i r i t wit h p laces ,

dates , ep isodes and annive rsar ie s re lat ing to 2018 t h at h ave a specia l h istor ic an d

emot ional re levance. The ten laps of the city circuit, starting and finishing at the Im-

perial Fora, wil l be a major showcase for a significant part of the unique monumental

heritage of the Italian capital.

I t is the largest and most populated comune in I ta ly, s itt ing on the banks of the Ti-

ber r iver. The landscape in the surrounding terr itory is widely var ied, with hi l ls and

plains, a 20-km coast l ine along the Tyrrhenian Sea, and – of course – the iconic seven

hi l ls (standing at approx. 50 metres) , which were pivotal in the history of the city.

According to the legend of the orphaned twins Romulus and Remus who were suckled

by a she-wolf – that was later to

become the symbol of Rome –

the city was founded on 21 Apri l

753 BC. With over approximately

3,000 years of history, it is con-

sidered as the f irst great me-

tropolis of human history.

The h istor ic centre c o nsists

of the area ins ide the A ure l ian

Wal ls , and has been p rote cte d

by the UNESCO s ince 19 8 0. The

Wor ld Her i tage s i te wa s the n

extended to the 17-c e ntury

wal ls of Urban VI I I in 19 9 0.

2 2 9 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

With i ts pecul iar h istory, Rome has had a major inf luence on society, culture, lan-

guage, l i terature, art , architecture, phi losophy, rel ig ion, r ight and customs. Over

t ime, the city has attracted the best art ists and architects, who transformed it into

a masterpiece of urbanizat ion, architecture and art .

The inf luence of Rome on the Western world, f i rst in the surrounding areas and then

in I ta ly and eventual ly in Europe, is c losely l inked to i ts history. The expansion of the

Roman rule, s ince the foundation, through the royal , republ ican and imperial ages

(when the city’s expansion and inf luence in the Mediterranean basin and in Europe

peaked) played a major role in making Rome one of the leading cit ies in history. With

the end of the Western Roman Empire, in the Middle Ages, Rome remained the bea-

con for European Christ ianity, and even became the capital of the Papal State. When

the Lutheran Reformation created a schism in Christ ianity, Rome became the cen-

tre of the Counter-Reformation, restat ing the central ro le of the Pope and of Rome

itself . In the Baroque per iod, the city underwent a considerable urban renewal , the

ult imate expression of which was the Basi l ica di San Pietro in Vat icano (along with

the majest ic Piazza San Pietro) , bui l t through the work of the most important art ists

and architects of the t ime. The central ro le of the city was further reassessed when

Rome became the capital of the Kingdom of I ta ly on 3 February 1871. In the fol lowing

years, a sprawl ing urban development led to the construct ion of publ ic , government

and residentia l bui ld ings in areas where ancient vi l las used to be.

After the First World War, Mussol in i ’s r ise to power entai led a radical urban revolu-

t ion: mediaeval and Renaissance bui ld ings were taken down to construct new roads,

such as Via dei For i Imperial i , V ia del Teatro Marcel lo and Via del la Conci l iaz ione,

a long with working-class suburbs (borgate) and the EUR distr ict ( inspired by Ra-

t ional ism). The 1929 Lateran Treaty set up the independent State of Vat ican City,

the smal lest sovereign state in the world by both area and populat ion, under the

leadership of the Pope.

After World War I I , with the 1946 referendum, Rome became the capital of the Re-

publ ic of I ta ly.

In 1950, Rome hosted the extraordinary Jubi lee cal led by Pope Pius XI I and, in the

fol lowing years, the city experienced a per iod of remarkable art ist ic and cultural v i-

tal i ty, on the internat ional level as wel l . Rome also came under the spot l ight on the

world stage through f i lmmaking, with a number of movies depict ing l i fe in the city,

such as Federico Fel l in i ’s masterpiece, “La dolce vita” .

Besides many pol i t ical in it iat ives, such as the s igning of the Treat ies that estab-

l ished the European Economic Community in 1957, major events that took place in

Rome include the Second Vatican Counci l , from 1962 to 1965, under Popes John XXI I I

and Paul VI , which summoned bishops from al l over the world to discuss subjects

THE HISTORY O F RO ME


RO M E ROME21

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 3 0

2 1

Riders wi l l gather, start and f in ish in the majest ic sett ing of the Imper ia l For a , namely

a ser ies of monumental publ ic squares constructed by local emperors over a per iod

of one and a half centur ies (between 46 BC and 113 AD) at the heart of Rome. The

Fora, located along the eponymous road, between the Colosseum and Piazza Vene-

zia , bordering the Ro-

man Forum complex,

include the For u m of

C aesar, the For u m of

Au gu st u s , the Temple

of Peace, the For u m

of Ner va, the Ter r ace

of Domit ian and the

For u m of Tr a jan .

The I ta l ian medal c o unt a t the Ro m e O lym p ics was ou t st an din g in bot h road

and track cycl ing . S inc e the n, unfo rtunate ly, cycl in g h as decl in ed steadi ly in

the c i ty, despite the v i ta l i ty a nd p a ss io n of Fr an co Meal l i ’ s “For ze Spor t ive

Romane” cycl ing g ro up , whic h o rg a nize s a wealt h of event s in bot h Laz io an d

e lsewhere in I ta ly. Th is is whe re Ma uro Ve g ni , present D i rector of t h e G i ro

d ’ I ta l ia and of the othe r RC S S p o rt – “ G a z zetta de l lo Spor t ” r aces , lear n ed t h e

business f rom his m e nto r , Me al l i . A l l is left now is t h e G . P. L iber az ion e, for t h e

E l i te-amateur cate g o ry, o rg a nize d by the “ P r i maver a C ic l ist ica” cycl in g c lu b ,

which receives co nsid e rab le sup p o rt by a lo c al same-sector company, to en -

sure that the prest ig io us ro le of ho no ur of the r ace goes on .

concerning the l i fe of the C athol ic Church.

Notable sport ing events that took place in Rome include the 1960 Olympics (with

leading sports aces and large crowds of enthusiasts coming to town), which earned

the city worldwide renown because of the qual i ty of part ic ipants. At the organiza-

t ional level , the Olympics were a success, which left the city with a number of new

civi l ian and sport ing faci l i t ies, bui l t through the work of leading f igures in architec-

ture and city planning.

T h e F o r u m o f T r a j a n

ROM E ROME2 7 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 118

2 3 1 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

Past Largo Magnanapol i , the route takes Via 24

Maggio, runs along the Q uir ina l P a la c e (the res-

idence of the President of the I ta l ian Republ ic)

and continues along Via Quattro Fontane, Piaz-

za Barberini and Tr in i tà d e i Mo nt i , with i ts icon-

ic staircase. St i l l running through the heart on

the eternal c ity, among the monuments, and in

a unique atmosphere, the route arr ives in P iaz-

za de l Popolo , one of the most popular squares

in Rome, at the foot of the Pincio, with a stun-

ning view of the city.

The stage course then

takes Via Teatro di Marcel lo ,

where theater that Emperor

Augustus had bui l t is v is i-

ble , in the southern part of

C ampo Marzio, between the

Tiber River and the C apito-

l ine Hi l l . Next on the route is

Via dei Cerchi , which opens

into Piazza di Porta C ape-

na, at the convergence be-

tween the C ael ian, Palat ine

and Aventine Hi l ls .

Next on the route is the histor ic P iaz z a Ven ez ia , at the foot of the C apito l in e H i l l .

Palazzo Senator io is the home of Rome’s municipal counci l ; the histor ic C apitol ine

Museums, c lose by, were opened in 1734 and are considered to be the f i rst museum

in the world accessible to everybody, not just i ts owners.

P i a z z a d e l P o p o l oT h e Q u i r i n a l p a l a c e

P i a z z a d e l C a m p i d o g l i o

T r i n i t à d e i M o n t i


RO M E ROME21

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 3 2

2 1

The route then reaches the Bat h s of

C ar acal la , a magnif icent example

of imperial baths in Rome, bui l t be-

tween 212 and 216. The s ite is st i l l

wel l-preserved overal l , and l ies in a

spot with no modern bui ld ings.

The f i rst lap of this spectacular

c ircuit is over. Measuring approx-

imately 11 km, the route only fea-

tures mi ld , not measurable undu-

lat ions, but i t winds i ts way among

universal ly recognized, extraordi-

nary cultural , h istor ical and mon-

umental landmarks. The route wi l l

be covered ten t imes. On this c los-

ing stage, the 101st Giro d’ I ta l ia

strengthens the t ies with the big

start , with symbols and meanings

that go beyond and yet combine

with the sport ing motif of the Cor-

sa Rosa, in an edit ion that wants to

remember and keep the memories

al ive, and concurrently unlock new posit ive perspectives, not only in terms of com-

petit ion. The f inal Magl ia Rosa winner, as wel l as al l the other r iders complet ing the

race, could not have wished for a better scenario to celebrate the edit ion that opens

the second century of emotions, h istory and stor ies of the great Corsa Rosa.

T h e T h e a t e r o f M a r c e l l u s

T h e B a t h s o f C a r a c a l l a

ROM E ROME2 7 MAY 2 018 SUNDAY km 118

2 3 3 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

21

Laz io is a reg io n of c e ntra l I ta ly, who se c apit a l is Rome.

Laz io has borde rs with Tusc any to the no r t h -west , wit h Umbr ia to t h e n or t h , wit h

Marche to the no rthe ast , with A b ruz zo a nd Mol ise to t h e east , wit h C ampan ia to t h e

south-east and with the Tyrrhe nia n S e a to t h e west . I t is t h e t h i rd most popu lated

region in I ta ly, a fte r Lo m b a rd y and C am p an ia . Ha l f of i t s ter r i tor y is main ly h i l ly,

whi le the other ha l f is e q ua l ly sub d iv id e d into mou nt a in s an d lowlan ds, especia l ly

c lose to the coa st l ine . I ts h i l ls and m o unta in s are of vo lcan ic or ig in , t h e for mer cr a-

ters are occupie d by the Bo lse na , V ic o and Br accian o lakes . Th e Tyr r h en ian coast

is regular , low and sand y, exc lud ing the pan or amic h eadlan ds of An z io , Net t u n o,

Monte C i rceo a nd G aeta . The P o nt ine Is lan ds (s ix smal l vo lcan ic is lan ds) l ie r ight

opposi te G aeta , c lo se to the b o rd e r with C ampan ia .

The port of C iv i tave c c hia is increasingly important for its goods and passenger f low

towards Sardinia, and is the main starting point for sea connections to the Mediter-

ranean basin. The T ib e r is the major r iver of the region. The history of Lazio largely

coincides with that of Rome. The region is divided into f ive provinces: Frosinone, Lati-

na, Rieti , Viterbo and Rome; its territory also includes the enclave of the Vat ican C i t y.

Bes ides the extrao rd inary a rt ist ic , h isto r ica l an d arch itect u r a l h er i t age of Rome,

the archaeologic a l s i te s of V i l la A d r iana a nd V i l la d ’ Este in T ivo l i , toget h er wit h t h e

Etruscan necro p o l ise s of C e rvete r i and Ta rqu in ia are equ al ly n otewor t hy. Th e ter r i -

tory of the reg io n is ho m e to a num b e r of major re l ig iou s an d n on -re l ig iou s bu i ld in -

gs , dat ing back to d i f fe re nt a g e s .

Local gastrono my offe rs the sp e c ia l t ie s of Roman cu is in e , n amely past a (spagh et t i

a l la carbonara , b uc at in i a l l ’a m atr ic ia na, p en n e a l l ’ ar r abbiat a) an d meat -based se-

cond courses , suc h as “ p a jata ” ( the inte st in es of a mi lk-fed veal , baby lamb or baby

goat) , t r ipe with “ m e ntuc c ia ” (Em p e ro r ’s mint ) an d Pecor in o roman o ch eese, coda

a l la vaccinara (a n ox ta i l stew m ad e fro m veal t a i l an d veget ables) , sa l t imbocca a l la

romana (a vea l c ut let l ine d with raw ham an d veget ables) , abbacch io ( lamb meat )

and porchetta . The re g io n is a lso re nowned for i t s win e produ ct ion , in c lu din g Fr a-

scat i (white) , Ce sa ne se d e l P ig l io , C o l l i A lb an i , as wel l as t h e wh ite an d red win es of

the C aste l l i Ro m ani and the E trur ia re g io ns .

The region has a va r ie d e c o no my; the m ain sou rce of in come is t h e ter t iar y sector ,

with tour ism and se rv ic e s . Ind ustr ia l m anuf act u r in g (based main ly in t h e Fros in on e

area) is equal ly d eve lo p e d , a nd so is a g r ic u l t u re – especia l ly wit h o i l produ ct ion .

With i ts un ique h isto r ic a l he r i tag e , and with i t s many n ot able people in a lmost ever y

domain , th is re g io n ha s a m ajo r , neve r-e ndin g appeal .

RE G IO N L AZIO

G I R O D ’ I TA L I A 2 0 1 8 2 3 4

2 3 5 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

07NOT E S 2 1NOTE

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2 3 7 A M O R E I N F I N I T O 1

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TV ROADBOOK

RESEARCH AND TEXTS

LOOK&FEEL

COORDINATION

GRAPHIC DESIGN

PRINT

GRAPHIC ANDICONOGRAPHIC SETTING

GIUSEPPE F IGINI

ER ICA PELLIZZONI

CHIA R A BA NF I , R OBERTO NITTI

STUDIO DISPA R I

ÀNCOR A A RTI GR A F ICHE MIL A NO

ZAMPEDIVER SE

Stage 1: And rew S h iva , Ba ldersdod, young shanahan, B er thold Werner, Proes i , Yoninah, L i l ly _M • Stage 2: Stateof I -srael , Toas t ie lL , israe l tour ism, L ev.Ts imbler , B er thold Wer ner, L arry Koester , Levg, x iqu inhosi lva , Bor is Kuznetsov • Stage 3: gug g ani j , vo i r israe l , Etan Ta l , Andrew Shiva , gord io , Za i ron , He inr ik Sendelbach • Stage 4: Luca A less , Le-andro Neum ann C iu f fo , A nt reus93, C lemensfr anz , codas, He in56didden • Stage 5: Fabior1984, José Lu iz Bernardes R ibe iro , Mb oesch, T ib er io Fr ascar i • St ag e 6: L eonardo Neumann Ciuffo , Matt is , Normangreek, R ichard A l laway • Stage 7: Be ls i to , Fran ca6 8 , Emanuela S antoro , G iovanni D a l l ’ Or to , E lenagm, DonG at ley • Stage 8: Luke18389, R ic-cardo Pesce, V a l f an o, J osé Lu iz B er nardes R ibe iro , B er thold Werner, Andrey Belenko, Mentnafunangann • Stage 9: TheFab4, Z i t um assin , P iet ro , Ra B oe, k r uder 396, L asacr as i l laba • Stage 10: Oraz io .c icc imarra , Luca A less , S4mb0r4, ITASVE, Inf in i t ispaz i , Lored ana C amacci Menichel l i , Assoaeronaut ica , Agomik93, S imonecappel l in i , S a i lko • Stage 11: Att i l ios , S a i lko , M irko S coccia , P ars i fa l l , L igaDue, Gspinoza • St age 12: Crsn .mr l t , D avide Toccacel i , Steevie , STELLUTI SCAL A SILV IO , F ly in g R ussian , Ote l lo Amaducci , B oschett i marco 65, N ico la Quir ico , Stedanophotoart • Stage 13: Van-ni Lazzar i , M arcok, A t ig ra , A . Rosbach, Geobia , D id ier Descouens, C a logero bonaventura , Roberto Ferrar i • Stage 14 : Godromi l , Ad an, Dorot hy 6 1n 1 , Johann Jar i tz , Teoamez, I lar io-FVG, Seraf ino Centenaro • Stage 15: Laky 1970, Zehnf in-ger , I r iss 19 9 8 , M ar in a Vent ayol , Fr anco V is inta iner , LONASI SSI 1 , A lp ino f r iu lano • Stage 16: Matteo Ianesel l i , Jakub Halun, Mat teo De S tef ano/MUSE, Lungoleno • St ag e 17: Mar t in Kraft , Lungoleno, Xavier C arè , Fabio Ingrosso, Frede-r icks , Mol iva , Ben Ben d er, J oJan • St ag e 18 : D avide P apal in i , Francorov, B lackcat , BROTHER698, Th ierry B ignamini , E l i Shany, , M arco.od ina , A lessandro Crea, A less ioMela , Taz , Matthew.M86911 • Stage 19: A lessandro Vecchi , Stefano Mer l i , Va ler io M anas sero , B unet1 981 , K leszczu, D avidetor ino • Stage 20: Bunet1981, Twice25, Cr ive l lar i G iu-l io , Rosar io Lep ore , Laurom , E lena Tar tagl ione, B r uno beftreetv, Andrew Bossi , Tower of Othanc • Stage 21: Markus

Bernet , Wolfgang Moroder, L ac i30, WolfgangM, Antonel la Profeta , D avid Edgar.

The photos , taken from Wik im e d ia C o m m o ns, F l ic kr e P ixabay; are e i t h er pu bl ic domain or under the fo l lowing l inc e nse s: G N U Fre e Do c ument at ion L icen se vers . 1 . 2 e n ewer.

C re at ive C o m m o ns 2 .0 , 2 . 5 , 3 . 0 , 4 . 0 .The autho rs of the p hoto s are l isted be low.

T V R O A D B O O K

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EDITED BY GIUS EP P E FIGINI

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