Housed inside a monastic complex on the outskirts of Brescia, this automobile-themed museum chronicles the story of the historic Mille Miglia road race.
Set inside a converted medieval monastery, the Mille Miglia Museum is dedicated to telling the story of the legendary Mille Miglia road race. Follow the self-guided trail through the museum’s exhibits while learning about the evolution of the race itself, the route, the participants and, of course, the classic cars that took part in the storied sporting event.
The museum is set inside the Sant’Eufemia della Fonte monastery. Originally built to serve as a monastery in the 11th century, the building was later used as a hospital. In 1997, the city allowed the Museo Mille Miglia to establish itself here and the museum opened in 2004.
Find out all about the Mille Miglia race, which took place from 1927 to 1957, by reading the museum’s informational displays. The endurance race, whose name translates to mean “thousand miles,” followed a round-trip route between Brescia and Rome but was cancelled in 1957 following an accident that saw 11 people lose their lives. In recent years, the race has been revived as a rally, with classic cars following the route.
Make your way through the museum complex, which is divided up into different time periods. The biggest portion of space is given over to the period between 1927 and 1957 when the original race took place.
Learn about the topography of the race route and about the provinces and towns through which the race passes. See photographs from the early race events and read about the social, political and technological factors and context that surrounded the race. Use audio-visual stations to listen to and watch footage from the era.
Examine the collection of rare classic cars. Many of these cars belong to private collectors, and some are taken out of the exhibits to be used in the Mille Miglia rally, which takes place in mid-May.
Find the Mille Miglia museum southeast of the historic center of Brescia, about a 15-minute drive away. Local buses stop at the museum, which is open daily. Purchase tickets at the door to enter.
