Romagna: very hot metal

A week in Romagna included Mille Miglia, Motogiro d’Italia, Mostrascambio and Mutonia

The Mutoids (or Mutoidi as they’re known here) are loved and cherished by the citizens of Santarcangelo. Even though they are largely Brits, this avante-garde collective appear to have been granted honorary Romagnolo status.

About as sustainable as it gets, the Mutoids take scrap metal and alchemise it into great, smack-you-in-they-eye-and-the-laughter-gland art.

Finding it difficult to live in a Thatcherite England, these Acid-House influence travelers first gelled in Berlin creating a massive MIG-based sculpture whilst the wall was being pulled down in 1989.

To cut a long story short  they arrived in Santarcangelo via London, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin and, of course the Glastonbury Festival.

The Mutoidi originally visited to perform at the Santarcangelo Street Theatre Festival in 1990 and liked it so much they wanted to stay. Luckily the local lady Mayor liked them too and offered them an ideal site – a disused gravel quarry beside the Marecchia River.

Here they worked happily for ages, creating their full metal monsters, giving no trouble to no-one until one distant neighbour complained and an eviction order was delivered from Rome.

Now, Santarcangelo is a funny place and apart from the fact that they really like the Mutoidi, they certainly don’t like to be told what to do by any bunch of time-serving civil servants. So the citizens of Santargangelo (pop 22,000) rose up in their thousands and raised over 12,000 signatures for the petition to keep the Mutoidi.

And now the Mutoid Waste Company is to become Mutonia – The Tourism Attraction. Already work is appearing in nearby (and just as vigorously independent) San Marino

So watch this space as waste turns into art – transforming tourism. 

Last week, too, the exhilarating Mille Miglia  thousand-mile parade of classic cars paraded near to Santarcangelo, over the Tiberius Bridge in nearby Rimini. Pity any car broken down and left for dead as Mutoids would certainly pick it up and transform it!

Anyway dozens of purring top-class Mercedes led the parade followed by every kind of Ferrari growling across the bridge. Then… well over 400 classic cars mounted the bridge to the cheers of the spectators. Participation is limited to cars, produced no later than 1957, which had attended (or were registered) to the original race. So Porsches, Jaguars, Bentleys, Alfa Romeos, Bugattis, Mercedes, Aston Martins, BMWs, Maseratis, Fiats, Arbarths, and the rest of a multi-billion dollar parade of classic cars participated – a true feast of engineering beauty.

Although the entry fee is €10,000 per car, you do get a free pair of Chopard watches to remember the occasion.

But, for free, the spectators get a truly incredible spectacle. The UK Independent describes it as a demented and indulgent road race around Italy –  the fulfilment of so many pleasures at once – speed, gluttony, bravado – all crammed into three days.

Whereas on the other hand the Motogiro d’Italia http://www.motogiroitalia.it/en/ , although showcasing classic motorbikes and passing through Romagna the weekend after, is a different thing entirely. Yes, it is also run over 1,000 miles (1500km) and yes, it showcases classic bikes – but no – it’s not expensive to enter.

So the amateurs say it’s much more fun – even if they come from the other end of the world to take part.

On the day I visited San Marino – it was like motorcycle city – beautiful bikes everywhere, and the enthusiasm of the owners and the spectators is infectious.

Something like all the rest but less noisy (if you exclude the wild cheers of the spectators) was the Giro d’Italia . Naturally this massive cycling event  comes down the via Emilia in force so that all the Romagnolican crowd the streets to watch.

While first the advance guard of smart cars zooms down, then the police and ambulances, then the dozen or so lorries selling pink souvenirs. And finally the competitors – a massive colourful bunch. Cheers.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, the same week there is a MASSIVE metal sale. Mostrascambio Gambettola   (again just 20km from Rimini) Over 800 stallholders take over the pretty little town of Gambettola selling scrap, antiques and items related to cars and vintage bikes and motorcycles.

It takes hours to pick through the maze of streets and the amazing exhibits and offers for sale.

Time to pick up a bargain to enter in the Mille Miglia or the Motogiro d’Italia or the Giro d’Italia or for Mutoidi to cart it away and make it into art.

Valere Tjolle

Find out more about Romagna and download the free travel and lifestyle magazine at www.BestofRomagna.com & www.Facebook.com/BestofRomagna

Latest news on tourism that benefits communities and visitors HERE