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Autodromo di Modena

Defunct motorsport venues in ItalyModena
Aerautodromo di Modena
Aerautodromo di Modena

Autodromo di Modena (or Aerautodromo di Modena) was a race track on the edge of Modena in Italy. The track had a length of 2.366 km (1.470 mi). It was opened in 1950 and the circuit was crossed by an airstrip of about 1.600 km (0.994 mi) in length which was used by the local flying club. The track hosted nine editions of the Modena Grand Prix for Formula One and Formula Two racing cars, the last one in 1961. The circuit continued to host other racing events (sportcars, grand touring, Formula Junior, motorcycles) until 1975. In the 1960s and 1970s the track also served as a test track for Ferrari and Maserati during the morning or afternoon (but not both) on week days. At other times of day it was used by residents of the adjacent military camp for driver training while maintaining its original function of airport for private flights. Ferrari driver Mike Parkes, an accomplished pilot, used to fly in regularly from England on his own craft. Despite the expansion of nearby Modena, which involved a proliferation of apartment blocks and electricity pylons, the airstrip continued to be a favoured venue for a number of local aerobatics enthusiasts until 1974.In the early 1970s, Enzo Ferrari, aided and abetted by Maserati and Automobili Stanguellini, demanded an upgrade from the Modena Town Council and Automobile Club d'Italia, the reasoning being that the race track lacked basic safety requirements and was inadequate to test modern racing cars. The proposal was initially discussed with interest, but eventually stalled due to lack of political will. Frustrated by the lack of progress in the negotiations, Ferrari then proceeded to buy the land adjacent to his factory and build the Fiorano Circuit, a 2.997 km (1.862 mi) long track still in use these days to test Ferrari racing and road cars. In 1972 Automobile Club d'Italia decided to invest in the nearby semi-permanent Imola circuit, effectively ending Modena's prospects of holding a modern Formula One race. The circuit was subsequently demolished, and the site redeveloped as a public park to honour Enzo Ferrari in 1991. In 2011 a new Modena Autodrome opened in the Marzaglia area close to Via Aemilia. The track is 2.007 km (1.247 mi) long and is mostly used for local competitions.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Autodromo di Modena (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Autodromo di Modena
Passeggiata Luigi Villoresi, Modena Villaggio Artigiano

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Latitude Longitude
N 44.650277777778 ° E 10.905833333333 °
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Passeggiata Luigi Villoresi

Passeggiata Luigi Villoresi
41124 Modena, Villaggio Artigiano
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
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Aerautodromo di Modena
Aerautodromo di Modena
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Modena
Modena

Modena (UK: , US: , Italian: [ˈmɔːdena] ; Modenese: Mòdna [ˈmɔdnɐ]; Etruscan: Mutna; Latin: Mutina) is a city and comune (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. A town, and seat of an archbishop, it is known for its car industry since the factories of the famous Italian upper-class sports car makers Ferrari, De Tomaso, Lamborghini, Pagani and Maserati are, or were, located there and all, except Lamborghini, have headquarters in the city or nearby. One of Ferrari's cars, the 360 Modena, was named after the town itself. Ferrari's production plant and Formula One team Scuderia Ferrari are based in Maranello south of the city. The University of Modena, founded in 1175 and expanded by Francesco II d'Este in 1686, focuses on economics, medicine and law, and is the second oldest athenaeum in Italy. Italian military officers are trained at the Military Academy of Modena, and partly housed in the Baroque Ducal Palace. The Biblioteca Estense houses historical volumes and 3,000 manuscripts. The Cathedral of Modena, the Torre della Ghirlandina and Piazza Grande are a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Modena is also known in culinary circles for its production of balsamic vinegar.Famous Modenesi include Mary of Modena, the Queen consort of England and Scotland; operatic tenor Luciano Pavarotti and soprano Mirella Freni, born in Modena itself; Enzo Ferrari, eponymous founder of the Ferrari motor company; Catholic priest Gabriele Amorth; chef Massimo Bottura; comics artist Franco Bonvicini; the band Modena City Ramblers and singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini, who lived here for several decades.