Cortona was ready…the Mille Miglia was passing through the town for the first time ever and the spectators eagerly awaited their arrival. Although the main viewing area was Piazza Repubblica, where each car was announced as it arrived,
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each car first had to pass through the adjacent Piazza Signorelli, my first vantage point. I was in place as the first car arrived in this three-day Italy event from Brescia – Roma – Brescia.
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Other cars soon followed. Given that I took nearly 200 photos today, I leaned on Len to help choose a good sampling.
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As the cars passed from one piazza to the next, the delighted crowds cheered and waved flags. I love that some drivers seemed as taken with Cortona as the spectators were with them (see driver in the red sweater!).
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And then the parade continued, sometimes in single file
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and sometimes in clusters.
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Stopping isn’t as easy as one might think – these cars have mechanical, not power brakes.
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An exception, of course, is this Ferrari pace car which Len said was too beautiful to leave out. Ok, ok.
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I decided to head toward the area where the cars were entering Cortona. On the way, I passed this vintage car on Via Dardano.
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Entering Porta Colonia is a rather tight turn, and I was interested in seeing how the drivers were maneuvering. This driver made it look pretty easy as these cars also have no power steering.
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However, when I passed through Porta Colonia to Piazza Mazzini, I discovered the answer. The usual parking lot had been turned into a wide turning radius, greatly minimizing not only the tight turn but also the chance for scratches and scrapes.
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And then the cars kept coming and coming and coming. Whatever the final count, the original estimate was around 600 – with such an impressive array of makes, styles, colors, and sizes.
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Not quite sure I could spend three days/1000 miles in this!
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Kudos to Cortona for making its debut in the 2018 Mille Miglia circuit and for a job well done!
Arrivederci, Mille Miglia, hopefully we meet again.
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Ciao,
Judy
Blogging In Italy 
Absolutely Beautiful!!!!
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Thanks, John, so happy you visited here and know the town!
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Great pics! Cortona is beautiful 🙂
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Thanks and I agree, it is a beauty!
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How absolutely fabulous. I can picture every street in Cortona. It doesn’t look to be too crowded which makes it even nicer.
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You are right – being mid-day Thursday, the crowds were very manageable making it easy to get around and catch the cars at various points of entry.
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Perfect Day!
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Exactly – even a mid afternoon shower didn’t dampen, well, actually, that it did, but not the smiles!
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What an amazing experience. Thanks for sharing
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You are most welcome – so lucky for me to be able to see it.
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Gorgeous machines! How exciting!
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Thanks, Chuck, you would have loved seeing this!
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Perfect timing. I just picked up my 32 year old convertible from the shop. Anything over 30 years is a classic in California. I was considering selling it until I saw your post 🙂
It was a brilliant idea to make this Italian race a vintage race. As my Classic car insurance company says – “we offer low rates because owners of classic cars are hyper careful about their car.”
I’ll bet there are no accidents with the vintage cars.
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Enjoy your vintage! As for the accidents, there were 2 major ones that took many lives, so the race was actually suspended for a time before they revamped it. See previous post for details.
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In my youth I went to Formula One races. I’ll bet the old one with the fatalities was like that one. Clever for them to switch to Vintage cars to bring back the race.
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Joe and I have loved these, Judy. We have watched the Mille Migilia from multiple spots over the years. My bet would be that the drivers were totally blown away by Cortona. Thank you so much for sharing all of this and Pulgia. We arrive Cortona May 26 for a week. Will you and Len still be there. I come back mid September, but can only be there 3 weeks this year. I do hope our paths cross. Ann
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So good to hear from you – and happy to hear you have seen it in multiple locations. Safe travels and see you soon!
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Excellent photographs of an interesting subject.
Thank you
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Thanks – thought of your red Alfa!
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WOW, what an event! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Perhaps you can design costumes for the next one!!
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Happy Birthday Judy!!! xxooxx from Chuck, Sue & Zoe in Chicago
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Thanks to all of you!
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