I had fond memories of the Avezzano Circuit, but I also remembered that two days in Abruzzo had not been enough to “sample” its many beauties; so I took the opportunity to bring my trip to L’Aquila forward by taking part in the Abruzzo Gran Tour, the prelude to the Circuit, though dedicated exclusively to pre-war barchette.

It was the perfect occasion to test the 1934 MG PA, an elegant little car born for short trips through the English countryside but boasting an important history in trial racing.

The trusty little English car was already waiting for me in Avezzano, ready for the first leg of the tour: Wednesday the 29th, destination Sulmona, famous for its confectionery tradition.

The following day brought a visit to the Piccolomini Castle in Capestrano and the climb up the Gran Sasso d’Italia, through deeply evocative scenery, ending with a guided tour of L’Aquila.

On Friday, we toured the Velino Sirente Regional Park and visited the village of Fontecchio, a destination for international artists; in the afternoon came the reunion with the participants of the Avezzano Circuit only, at the Celano Castle, followed by the gala evening generously hosted by the Di Lorenzo family at the Villa Seritti house-museum in Avezzano.

The next morning, we departed from the monumental Fucino drainage structure bound for Scanno, a village with a solid goldsmithing tradition, and Pescasseroli, a lively tourist spot. In the evening, more than one hundred historic barchette (including extremely rare and perfectly preserved examples) raced through the streets of central Avezzano, fenced off for the occasion, between two cheering crowds.

On Sunday morning, before goodbyes, the exhibition preview of the Lopresto Collection took place at the Orsini Colonna Castle in Avezzano, featuring a talk by Corrado Lopresto, a collector of international renown.

That evening I returned to Brescia, a bit worn out by the heat but thoroughly satisfied: the extraordinary courtesy of our host, Felice Graziani, the dedication of his staff and the Promotor mechanics, the expertise of Savina Confaloni and Giovanni Tesauro, the Circuit’s speakers, and the refinement of Alberto Scuro, ASI president and guest at the gala evening—along with the congeniality of the participants and the hospitality of the region—made this edition of the Gran Tour and the Circuit an event to remember for a very long time.