Italy’s Emilia Romagna to Host the Inaugural Motor Valley Festival (May 16-19)

This spring, the region of Emilia Romagna will debut the first-ever Motor Valley Fest from Thursday, May 16 to Sunday, May 19, 2019 in Modena. The festival was created to celebrate the perfect union between the passion for engines, innovation, culture, identity and the food and wine of this unique territory. Events held in conjunction with the festival will take place throughout the city and be open to the public entirely for free.

Attendees will enjoy four days of car parades and racing competitions all through the UNESCO Heritage monuments and sites of Moden’s historic downtown. All this will be combined with the renown cuisine of the region, such as Michelin rated Chef Massimo Bottura, and the legendary voice of Luciano Pavoratti.

Museo Ferrari

Highlights of the Motor Valley Fest will include:

EXPO: From May 16 to 19 in the historical center of Modena the public will discover treasures in the world of art, museums and dream car collections.

Motor Valley Village: From May 16 to 19 in the Palazzo Ducale (Courtyard of Honor) visitors can discover the best brands and the 4 circuits of the Motor Valley each day from 11am to 11 pm.

Cultural Activities: From May 16 to 19, the Casa Pavarotti Museum will offer a number of activities for the public. Over the same dates, one of Modena’s historic churches will hosts an exhibition of the gorgeous creations and costumes created by the workers of the Teatro Comunale di Modena for their productions.

MASA Project: it is a collaboration between the City of Modena, the University of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Maserati SpA – will feature research and testing activities for autonomous driving. Then on May 17th, the standard electric car championship organized by FIA will take place.

Modena City Center (event name to come): From May 16-18, 2019, professors and engineering students from Italy’s top universities and automotive start-ups will have their moment in the spotlight. Invited participants will take part in innovation activities in collaboration with major industry players, such as creative workshops and hack-a-thons, to showcase possible enhancements and fresh talent.

Motor Valley Village: From May 16 to 19, the “Motor Valley Village,” located in the home of the Military Academy of Modena, will come to life each day from 11:00am to 11:00pm with the prestigious Motor Valley brands and of the four regional autodromes.

Ferrari Tribute: On May 17, Ferrari will bring the Piazza Roma to life with the Ferrari Tribute,a meeting of historic Ferraris (the “Prancing Horse”) kicking off the 1,000 Miglia parade.

1,000 Miglia (1,000 Miles): On May 18, the 2019 edition of the 1,000 Miglia (1,000 Miles) will pass through Novi Sad Park. This historical reenactment of “the most beautiful race in the world,” as described by Enzo Ferrari, will showcase more than 400 unique examples of historical motor vehicles.

Formula1 Pit Stop Show: On May 18 and 19, the Formula 1 Pit Stop show will take over Novi Sad Park. This high voltage show will electrify thousands of fans.

Motor1days: On May 18 and 19, Motor1days invites visitors and test drivers to experience first-hand the most beautiful cars in the world through test drives, rallies, performances, special guests and virtual simulators at the Modena Autodromes.

Piazza del Gusto: On May 17 – 19, the Piazza Matteotti will host the Piazza del Gusto,or the “Square of Taste”. Visitors will be able to savor the best of Emilia Romagna’s traditional foods: Tigelle, Parmigiano Reggiano, Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Lambrusco and Amarene Brusche, Modena PDO Ham.

Competitions and Simulators: On May 17 and 19, the Piazza Largo Sant’Agostino will host car and motorbike competitions and simulators. Motor celebrities are expected to attend as well, including Marco Lucchinelli, Jean Alesi, Ivan Capelli, Marco Melandri to name a few.

THE MOTOR VALLEY BY THE NUMBERS

The Motor Valley is the world renown industrial district specializing in the automotive and motorcycle sectors. It is here where some of the most prestigious global brands are concentrated, symbolizing of the best made in Italy.

Un modello Ferrari esposto al museo

Companies of excellence – like Ferrari, Ducati, Lamborghini, Dallara, Pagani to name just a few – have always been involved in research, technological development and, for some time, in tourism. This is demonstrated by the presence of 15 specialized museums, 16 private collections open to visitors and 4 racetracks for competitions, which have attracted over 1.2 million tourists to the territory. These efforts have resulted in an economic impact of more than €300 million among events in the Imola and Misano circuits and visits to the company museums.*

Expertise has been a key for the development of tourism to the Motor Valley, as it has allowed the region to offer specialized, niche experiences. Visitors can choose the ‘motor valley experience’ of this territory as something that can not be replicated anywhere else on earth, thanks to the 16,500 companies located in the area and over 66,326 highly specialized employees, the third highest in Italian motor industry.

Dallara headquarters – credit Dallara Automobili

*Data source: the Motor Valley Tourist Observatory on the tourist and economic impact of the Motor Valley in the reference territory.