Some places linger on the edge of memory, suspended between history and myth, waiting to be rediscovered. Campione d’Italia is one such place. Nestled between the mountains and Lake Lugano, this Italian enclave in Swiss territory is poised to turn back the clock and let the sound of vintage engines echo once more through its winding streets.
From 4 to 7 September 2025, the first-ever Rievocazione Storica del Circuito di Campione d’Italia (Historic Revival of the Circuit of Campione d’Italia) will celebrate a forgotten jewel of European motor racing. A dynamic Concours of Elegance, this non-competitive event will welcome 150 extraordinary vehicles, cars, motorcycles, karts, and even watercraft, dating from the 1920s onward. Together, they will pay homage to the dramatic legacy of a circuit once hailed as “the smallest circuit in the world.” The original “Circuito di Campione”, inaugurated in 1937, measured just over one kilometre, yet its brevity belied its technical rigour. With two hairpins, four fast corners, two brief straights, a tunnel, and the dramatic proximity of the town’s Casino, municipal building and lakeside promenade, it recalled Monte Carlo in both atmosphere and complexity. That year, 15,000 spectators arrived to witness the spectacle. Among the drivers were the indomitable Carlo Felice Trossi, Franco Cortese, Piero Dusio (future founder of Cisitalia), Giovanni Lurani and Giovanni Rocco, who triumphed in a Maserati 6CM.
After a long hiatus imposed by the war, the event returned with renewed energy in 1946 with races in the 750cc and 1100cc classes. Cortese and Sesto Leonardi battled in the former, with Leonardi emerging victorious.
In the 1100cc category, the legendary Tazio Nuvolari himself took part in the race, though victory went to Alberto Comirato in a Fiat. Though the race would not return in subsequent years, its memory fuelled further motoring events through the 1950s and 60s, each whispering the name “Campione” down the years. Now, nearly ninety years after its birth, that whisper becomes a full-throated celebration, thanks to organisers Ermanno De Angelis and Nunzia Del Gaudio, the minds behind the brands Brains Hub and Victorious.
Ermanno De Angelis – Nunzia Del Gaudio
With the patronage and support of the Comune di Campione d’Italia, the revived circuit will be transformed into a living, breathing museum. But this is no simple pageant of polished chrome. The event’s soul lies in motion. The First “Concorso di Eleganza Dinamico del Circuito di Campione” (Dynamic Concours d’Elegance of the Circuit of Campione ) introduces a radical approach. Rather than merely assessing vehicles as static objects, the jury will evaluate them in movement, in function, and in the context of the people who accompany them. Style, presence, historical fidelity and mechanical operation will all play a part. Participants will drive the historic route, reviving the historical cars and the era that gave them life.
Set beneath the monumental Casino di Campione, whose “Grand Salone delle Feste” will host the Friday gala dinner, the paddock area will transform into a vibrant open-air theatre. There, visitors will find the extraordinary cars, an exceptional driving simulator and a street food zone. A tour and static display in Lugano will bring an added cross-border dimension, as Campione continues to straddle identities with elegant confidence.
The cultural depth of the event is no less striking. Twelve prestigious partnerships confirm the project’s ambition: Museo Tazio Nuvolari, Mantova / Museo Mille Miglia, Brescia / Museo M.A.X., Chiasso / Museo Fangio, Argentina / Regio Insubrica / ACI Novara / ACI Como / TCS Svizzera / Comune di Campione d’Italia / Automobile Club Lugano / Automobile Cercle di Campione d’Italia / Yacht Club di Campione d’Italia/ Federitaly. These institutions, from Italy to South America, unite in a shared vision: to honour the past while advancing its resonance into the present.
And there is one final, resonant detail. For the first time in Europe, a historic motoring event will be awarded ESG Sustainability Certification, an ambitious milestone achieved with the support of GSD Group and Brains Hub. In addition to a broader focus on environmental awareness, the organisers will plant trees within the Campione area, creating a “living monument”.
The event also holds the FIVA (Fédération Internationale des Véhicules Anciens) certification number FCSE 58/2025, making it one of only two Italian events to reach this esteemed standard. Thus, the Historic Revival of the Circuit of Campione d’Italia is a full-bodied aria, composed of history, movement, passion and responsibility. It tells a story of automotive, but of people and place, of a town reclaiming its spirit, a circuit regaining its voice, and a legacy finally returning to the road.
Mark your calendars: from 4 September, the spirit of Campione returns to the road. An unmissable rendezvous where history, elegance, and motion converge, be there to witness the revival.
Discover more: https://circuitocampione.com
For Info: info@circuitocampione.com
Article edited by Massimo Basile
Editor & Founder
By mb@admin
