XX Raduno 28/30 Aprile 2017

The 20^th Rally of our Registro was a tremendous success. Over the three days of the remarkable event, brilliantly organized by Gianni Tesauro, we could admire really lots of 6C 2300 and 2500 cars. On our arrival we were struck by the beauty of Villa Corner della Regina di Cavasagra, in the Treviso province, one of the famous “Venetian Villas” the aristocracy of the Republic of Venice had built by the best architects of that time. Frankly speaking, seeing our 6C cars at the foot of the monumental entrance was, during all the three days, an unforgettable view, a magnificent fusion of different periods of the Italian style. As far as the Italian style is concerned, after arriving at the Villa and enjoying our lunch, the first stop was Venice, which we reached in a private coach and boat. I think it is unnecessary to emphasize the beauty and huge historical and cultural importance of the Lagoon City. Walking through its narrow streets, bridges and squares is always a magic, absolutely unique experience. We enjoyed a delicious local aperitif and dinner, and above all, the excellent company and organization. On Saturday we could admire the land where they make the well-known Italian sparkling wine, Prosecco, which is increasingly becoming popular worldwide, beautiful landscapes which are scrupulously looked after, including the gardens, houses, and the splendid vineyards. In the morning we visited one more beautiful Venetian villa, Villa Sandi, which accommodates the major, solidly structured winery owned by the Moretti Polegato family, who has been devoted to wine culture for many generations. We were received by Giancarlo Moretti Polegato, who currently runs the family company, which has expanded to a significant extent; whereas his brother is the founder of the well-known shoe and clothing manufacturer, Geox. After taking a tour of the cellars where countless bottles are kept, and learning the processing techniques for the different types of sparkling wine, we had the pleasure of sampling them. At lunch we were welcomed by a local farmhouse, where we enjoyed an excellent meal made with locally sourced, fresh ingredients. Driving through the beautiful hills of the Treviso area, we arrived at the Jonathan Foundation in Nervesa della Battaglia, where we admired their aeroplanes, replicas of aircraft used in the First and Second World Wars, and not only statically; we also saw them flying, piloted with great skill and expertise. We then went back to the hotel, and after a well-deserved rest, we had our annual meeting, where the Board was confirmed in office, and we decided that we need a new Internet site, which must be more modern, more interactive and more suitable for increasingly important connection from mobile phones and tablets. The meeting agreed on the small increase in the number of members and highlighted the upward trend of the financial statement, to the extent of the possibilities of our small club, and decided that next year we will meet in Holland in August, during the great Spettacolo Sportivo, in Assen, which draws over 1,000 (!) Alfa Romeo cars every year. This is going to be the case even more next year, in conjunction with the 40^th anniversary of the foundation of the great club of Dutch Alfisti (which can boast no less than 4,000 members!). Later we enjoyed a fine dinner in the really remarkable grand hall of honour of the Villa. On Sunday we set out for the Nicolis Museum, the exemplary story of a major private collection turned into a real museum open to the general public, with lots of cars, motorbikes, bicycles and much more. Although we cannot list everything we saw and admired, stress should be laid on some important pre-war Alfa Romeo cars, which really thrilled us. The lunch we had at a nice restaurant in Borghetto di Valeggio sul Mincio was a worthy conclusion of the rally. There, we enjoyed, again, traditional cuisine and, above all, as usual, we talked to each other in a friendly and pleasant way, saying goodbye to each other and arranging to meet next year in Holland, for an unusual rally.