DESTINATION:
Imola
WHAT TO EAT, SEE AND DO WHEN VISITING THE FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2025
The foothills of the Apennine Mountains have reverberated with the roar of engines since 1953 when racing first began at this historic Italian track, with Imola – or the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari as it has been known since 1988 – hosting the Italian Grand Prix for the first time in 1980.
Thereafter it hosted races under the San Marino Grand Prix title and would go on to host a total of 27 Formula 1 events until 2006. Imola returned to F1 as a venue for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in 2020.
Stefano Domenicali, President and CEO of Formula 1, grew up in the city and the track has played an important role in his life.
“My memories of the Imola circuit are incredible because I lived in Imola as a kid and was going to see the race and would watch it from Tosa," he says.
“During my high school time, my school was behind the track on the other side of the river and I would go to the track to help the organisation to park trucks, control passes and so on.
“I remember sitting with the mechanics of Ferrari. I remember every single moment. Imola has always been a part of my life, it’s incredible in a way.”
"My memories of the Imola circuit are incredible because I lived in Imola as a kid and was going to see the race and would watch it from Tosa"
Stefano Domenicali
A restaurant since 1950, Ristorante Cavallino has hosted engineers, drivers and even royalty over the years.
Considered to be one of the richest gastronomic areas of Italy, Imola is situated in the Emilia-Romagna region of the country, with the Tuscan hills to the south, Adriatic coast to the east, and the culinary hotspots of Bologna, Parma and Modena to the west making it an excellent destination for food-loving race fans.
Chances are, if you’ve travelled to the area in search of fast cars and gastronomic delights, you’ll probably want to take the short detour to nearby Maranello, home of Ferrari, and sample the delights of equally legendary chef Massimo Bottura’s menu at Ristorante Cavallino in the heart of the town.
Located opposite the main entrance to the Ferrari factory, this old farmhouse served as the company canteen when Enzo Ferrari bought the area for his car manufacturing complex.
Enzo himself ate here twice a day until his death in 1988 – and it was here that F1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone and Jean-Marie Balestre, then President of the FIA, signed the foundations of the Formula 1 Concorde Agreement.
The perfect way to round off an evening of delicious eating is to stroll the historic centre of Imola with a scoop or two of gelato in hand – and luckily for the sweet-toothed there are many gelaterias in the city to tempt you with their tasty seasonal flavours.
Imola is steeped in history, with plenty of attractions besides the racing itself. Dating back to the 13th century, Rocca Sforzesca – Imola’s fortress – is a beautiful example of fortified architecture bridging the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and was the home to one of the most important and powerful female figures of this time. Known as the Lady of Imola, Caterina Sforza ruled fairly by eliminating some taxes and reducing others to ensure that her towns remained orderly and peaceful.
She was not, however, above avenging her enemies, and it is said that she would throw her detractors into the fortress’ well which was reinforced with sharp blades. Local residents claim that if visitors get too close to her treasure hidden in the dungeons, her ghost appears to frighten them away.
FUN FACT
The traditional pasta shape garganelli, with its distinctive grooves, is made and eaten throughout the Emilia-Romagna region and allegedly first came into being on New Year’s Eve 1775 at the home of Cardinal Bentivoglio, papal legate to Romagna. The Cardinal’s chef had run out of filling for the cappelletti pasta he was about to serve, so quickly invented a new shape with the leftover pasta squares by rolling them around a stick and then over a weaver’s comb.
While Imola has undoubtedly seen some of the greatest racing moments in F1 history, it has also witnessed great tragedy, and it would be remiss not to acknowledge the loss of both Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna on the fateful San Marino Grand Prix weekend in May 1994, which changed the sport forever.
In 1997, a small statue of Senna was erected in front of the Tamburello curve where he lost his life, and the corner has since become a place of pilgrimage for F1 fans from all over the world, with letters, flowers and flags left in remembrance.
The memorial is accessible on foot or by bike and located in the Acque Minerali Park.
