1926: the idea takes shape

Canestrini, Mazzotti, Maggi, Castagneto: the Four Musketeers and the 1000 Miglia

Just like every myth, an air of mystery surrounds the origin of the 1000 Miglia.
Among the many reconstructions as to how the extraordinary epic adventure of “the most beautiful race in the world” began, the best known and most reliable version comes from the testimony of one of this founders: Giovanni Canestrini.

The origin of the Mille Miglia Cup

On December 2, 1926, Giovanni Canestrini received a visit from a group of people from Brescia at his home in Milan in Via Bonaventura Cavalieri. They were Franco Mazzotti, Aymo Maggi and Renzo Castagneto who, accompanied by their friend Flaminio Monti, explained to him the idea of what would later become the 1000 Miglia.

It was on this occasion that for the first time Mazzotti had the intuition to called it “Coppa della Mille Miglia”, introducing the unit of measurement of miles instead of kilometers.

Between reality and legend

Many sources tell of the event that ignited the spark of the 1000 Miglia. Canestrini wrote about it in the book “Mille Miglia” of 1967, later taken up by Giovannino Lurani in his book “La Storia delle Mille Miglia” of 1979.

However, an article published in 1930 in the “single issue” of the 1000 Miglia, offered a more complex vision. The author was the same Canestrini who, free from conditioning, gave a narrative adherent to the reality of that late autumn of 1926.