Marcello Bonini & Massimo Gianangeli: Bike Across Italy

Marcello Bonini here with Massimo Gianangeli, writing to you from beautiful Italy. Today the skies are a bit rainy but it looks like next week should be fantastic weather for biking. We hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the first hints of Spring. Massimo has already been on his bike this year for over 250 kms and Marcello has been in the swimming pool all winter.

And we are ready to go! Where? Ciclismo Classico’s  Bike Across Italy!

We are running over eight departures of this epic and legendary bicycle vacation, one of Ciclismo Classico’s oldest departures. It is a sensorial experience through the center of the peninsula – from sea to sea – crossing four different Italian regions. This vacation gives you the best cross-section of the country regarding food, wine, cultural nuances, and varied topography. There is so much to do, but let us try to pick out our top four:

This is by far one of our most favorite events in Italy. Every year in May, the small town of Gubbio hold the “running of the Ceri” which are three monstrous statues of Gubbio’s three guild saints: Saint Ubaldo – the patron Saint of the city; Saint Anthony and Saint George. It is one of the oldest traditions in Italy – and not a reenactment – considering the festival has been held without interruption since 1160. These saints are held high on the shoulders of the young men in the town, raced around the square and then rushed up to the Church of Sant’Ubaldo, high atop a hill overlooking the city. It is a momentous occasion and not to be missed. The entire town gets involved in the festivities, giving you a real sensation of community only the Italians know how to do.

One of the most impressive underground caves in the world and the largest in Italy. The cavern is so large it could easily fit Milan’s Duomo in it. When you consider the time needed to create every stalactite and stalagmite, our brief moment of human existence on this planet appears. There is so much to see: all the ‘rooms’ containing various stalactites (the “pipe organs” for example or the “candlestick room” just to give you an idea); over 63 animal species living underground; and natural wells deeper than 25m. It’s an amazing place to visit.

One of our special secrets in Spello. Roberto Angelini and his family do one thing extremely well: wine. At his little enoteca, you’ll find all the major labels from Gaja to Antinori. At this moment he is in VinItaly looking for the new up-and-coming crus to fill his shelves. So it’s no surprise that we have a lot of great wine to drink when his chefs are showing us the ropes of traditional Umbrian cooking. Have you ever made strangozzi with acqualanga truffle? We have. And we eat it with a delicious Montefalco red. But if you want to know how to make the pasta and what label we are drinking, you’ll have to sign up and join us (can’t give everything away!).

One of our special visits along the trip is rolling into the unassuming village of Bevagna. La Malchiera, as they call it, involves pulverizing linens and cotton and putting them into a water bath. When you have a mash made of this mix, you filter it out onto screens and make paper. It’s a process dating back to 1600, and it makes great quality paper. We love this demonstration because the guides are unique and the structure is authentic. It is all run by locals. So after a good 35 km and a coffee, you learn something new that you never would have thought to find in Bevagna.

Thanks for taking the time to read us here. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Italy. Sign up now and we’ll show you what else makes the Bike Across Italy special. But we’ll do it in person!