The Road of the Heart – Chianti 1944
Historical event commemorating the Liberation in Tuscany
with historic vehicles and uniformed figures on the 63rd Anniversary of the Liberation
20/22 April 2007
Greve in Chianti, Monteriggioni, Siena, Strada in Chianti,
Florence American Military Cemetery,
San Casciano
Index
With the collaboration of the
With the patronage of the
ASSICOOP SIENA SPA
CITIS Soc. Coop. Siena
The Road of the Heart – Chianti 2007
Editorial
Scarperia, 16 May 2007
Three weeks have passed since our meeting and we finally managed to reorganize some of the material (photos, impressions, ideas); you will find the result, still partial, in this section of the site. We have tried to give the right emphasis to all phases of the event to allow you to see and review what we have done in recent days. Each of the participants experienced "his" event and I believe that an overall vision, such as the one we propose, will allow the evaluation of the size and quality of the event. The numbers, 88 vehicles and over 300 participants, are only part of the result. After the parade through the streets of Siena you will understand the reason for the absence of vehicles with a tonnage greater than the GMC or the TM40, the owners of these vehicles don't mind. The result achieved was possible thanks to the active collaboration of the municipal administrations of Greve in Chianti, Monteriggioni, Siena, San Casciano and Strada in Chianti who helped us with logistics (stocks, roads, canteen space, etc.) and the support of the club IMVCC, interested as a partner for the first time: “La Strada del Cuore – Chianti '44 was the club's event for 2007. Special thanks go to the 186th Folgore Parachute Regiment who welcomed us warmly and offered us hospitality of the Bandini Barracks.
Thanks go to all the participants for the excellent quality level of the vehicles and equipment and above all the excellent behavior maintained for the entire duration of the event, a factor that certainly contributed to consolidating relationships with the institutions and citizens of the areas involved .
To conclude, thanks to the Gotica Toscana team (Filippo, Michele, Davide, Stefano, Corso, Roberto, Luca. Sandro, Marco, Emiliano, Luciano) who worked hard in the months preceding and during the event to ensure its smooth running.
Andrea Gatti
President of Gotica Toscana onlus
Article by Filippo Spadi
The photographs are by Andrea Gatti, Stefano Giannini, Riccardo Mannaioni, Davide Bandini, Dale Phillips, Alessio Cheloni, Fabio Dovesi, Mario Reano, Nicola Nicotera, Fabio Miniati, Maurizio Beretta, Mirco Mugnai
L’amico Roberto Garzarelli disse una saggia frase; “dopo Firenze (i ragazzi della GoticaToscana) avrebbero potuto sonnecchiare sugli allori per un po’…..lo spadi group no, si e’ messo nuovamente in discussione e ha vinto” ed effettivamente ci siamo messi all’opera nuovamente per regalarci un’altra occasione per stare insieme e divertirsi. Forse non abbiamo vinto niente, abbiamo solamente radunato un grande numero di appassionati, vecchi e nuovi, per un’altra avventura denominata “La Strada del Cuore – Greve/Siena 2007”.
This new event featured the IMVCC club for the first time interested as a partner as the event was the club's Event for 2007. An interesting article on Army Motors, our continued presence at trade shows and attendance assiduous on the web, they have contributed to creating real word of mouth. Many pre-registrations arrived right away and a couple of times we were forced to increase the maximum number of participants in order to welcome as many friends as possible but in the end we can be more than proud; During the 3 days of the event, a total of 93 vehicles attended with a maximum peak of 88 on Saturdays and 335 participants with a maximum peak of 310 at lunch at the Folgore, M38 and service Munga excluded.
For those who participated in the parade through the streets of Siena, it will be easy to understand the reason for the absence of vehicles with a tonnage greater than the GMC or TM40; even the routes outside the
Historic center were not suitable for tracked vehicles or vehicles that were too bulky. We therefore greet all our friends who were unable to attend due to this limitation. But… what did we do in the end? Who attended? Who are those elderly gentlemen that I see in so many photos? Let's go in order......
Friday 20th April starts with some participants already in the area and early in the morning others reach the base camp located in Greve in Chianti at the sports field; the day is cool because it is still early but the sun is already shining high. In small groups, little by little the long pre-registration list is filled with signs and little signs; by lunchtime nearly 200 people had arrived. This year's gadget included our GoticaToscana fanny pack or a bottle of Chianti to honor the gathering area; needless to say, the fanny packs are advanced, the bottles are not. The training football field was at our complete disposal and we could see tents and awnings being created while the majority preferred to sleep in truly delightful hotels or farmhouses usually frequented by tourists from all over the world. The parking lot of the sports field, made dusty by the sun, showed the first signs of flooding; civilian cars mixed with vintage vehicles and a continuous coming and going of participants, some busy changing clothes, some talking with friends not seen for months.
After a small and campy snack organized by the local sports structure, with a short delay on the schedule, we gathered a small column that officially began the event. Fewer than 40 vehicles were ready to go; Friday was used for many to reach Greve, for others to rest after the journey. Upon departure towards Strada in Chianti it immediately became clear that the sun would be a pressing travel companion but for the moment the only thing that mattered was leaving and feeling the air on your face, a clear sign that the three days had begun.
Perhaps it also happens to you that you start a gathering with the idea of having an invisible film on your body which, as the wind and sun capture you, goes away leaving room for improbable tans and pasty fingers soaked in oily substances, dust and "old scent". At least for me, they are the elements that in the days after the rally you seem to have never lost and perhaps you don't even want the unmistakable noise of the vehicles to leave your ears because it means that it's really over.
The “Strada del Cuore” or the Chiantigiana road that connects Florence and Siena, renamed “Route of heart” by the English during the advance towards the Tuscan capital, flowed quickly; a couple of technical stops to compact the column and then off towards the hamlet of Panca, the last noteworthy step before reaching Florence at the time. All around green hills and fantastic renovated farmhouses immersed in the bush; Chianti has become an important destination for international tourism, making the area too exclusive in many ways. This year's slopes were certainly less aggressive than last year; we encountered numerous differences in level, especially in Lucolena sul San Michele, but other than a few routine inconveniences, there were no significant failures to note. The friends from Highway Six in Rome, who arrived with a legendary Bedford, unfortunately noted the inefficiency of the cooling system, so much so that they had to prudently return with the breakdown truck so as not to compromise their Saturday day.
The state road that leads to Panca runs on a gentle hill, outlines its side, skirting the Mugnana Castle and hides under the foliage of sturdy trees which have dampened the sun's rays for a while. In 1944 the British troops with their allies followed this path in the opposite direction with many more problems; the roads in the area were made impassable by breakages and destruction by the expert German engineers and every stretch suitable for the purpose became an obstacle. Everything was dusty, everything was hot in that distant July; the elderly people with whom we were lucky enough to speak remember the days of the Allied artillery bombings aimed at dislodging the Germans from this weak line located before Florence. They remember the long columns of vehicles that slowly advanced and slowly everyone returned to their fields and woods, the only source of sustenance as the livestock had now been devoured or raided.
Once we reached the Panca, we continued to Dudda and Lucolena, the latter located at the foot of Monte San Michele which became sadly famous for the numerous battles that took place on it; someone remembers that a German armored vehicle remained on the summit for a few years, around which the children of the time used to play. At the top of the road that runs alongside the San Michele, at the border with the province of Arezzo, we made a stop where our member Corso Boccia briefly described what happened during the advance.
Upon returning to base camp, passing through Radda and therefore closing the ring road chosen for the first day, the column underwent an excessive lengthening, forcing the heavy vehicles at the end of the column to remain isolated. After a few wasted kilometers and a few curses, the column reunited but not without realizing that the different speeds of the vehicles present forced us to take measures so as not to "lose" part of the column.
The need to organize a first reconnaissance tour at every rally to bring together vehicles and participants now seems to be a constant; due to the long period spent using the vehicle independently, we meet every year with a heavy foot forgetting that the column is made up of many different types of vehicles, and that's the beauty of it!
The return to the camp and the subsequent preparation for dinner in the Greve in Chianti canteen took place without problems; in the meantime the participants continued to arrive until late at night, preparing to get up early on Saturday in view of the city of Siena. The small technical notes from the organization at the Saturday dinner included the usual recommendations regarding behavior and punctuality; Siena and its province had never hosted a similar event and so we were intrigued but also a little worried about how the city would respond to the event.
“Departure at 08:00 sharp” was the recommendation that was most frightening, especially for ladies who were hoping for a late awakening but the destination did not allow for delays and so it was (or almost!!). In fact, at 8 am, despite the megaphone calls from the undersigned, I noticed a certain sluggishness in gathering; thanks to the great fragmentation in farmhouses in the area but also a few too many glasses of wine and perhaps a little rust in the joints of those who did not take part in the Friday tour. In fact, on Saturday morning, many new participants had joined for a total of 88 vehicles once they reached Castellina and gathered their friends from Cortona. The first stage included Greve in Chianti – Monteriggioni for a total of approximately 30 km. Since this stage is considered "approach" by us, we divided the column into 3 groups, namely motorbikes, vehicles and heavy vehicles, arranging for the translation into 3 distinct groups, each accompanied by our vehicles. With a delay of about 15 minutes on the schedule, the whole group left Greve for Monteriggioni, arriving there at 09:45. The state road was a stupendous gray carpet in the greenery of Chianti; at every bend, postcard landscapes opened up, illuminated by an already warm morning sun which however was unable to penetrate the fresh wind that hit the vehicles; I, who was at the rear of the column, had plenty of time to admire all this.
In the meantime, the fortified citadel had been "invaded" by the first 30 light vehicles to arrive on site while the rest of the column stopped at the base; Monteriggioni stands on a hill and fills the view just as you approach. A visit inside the walls, a couple of photographs, a coffee, something to drink and the satisfaction of showing the fruit of our years of passion to the public present is mandatory. While trying to immortalize those moments, two nice old men in American uniforms with shirts full of ribbons and medals appear among the participants... they were our friends Carl Dutch Snyder, veteran sergeant of the 34th US Div. and Melvin Buschman, then lieutenant of the 91st ^ USA Division both accompanied by their families and present at our Barberino 2005 event.
Their presence is a great source of joy for us because it is yet another chance to hear the voices of the protagonists again; and the protagonist was also Enrico Bosi, also present at the demonstration and also a veteran of the fighting in Anzio with the Axis forces.
At half past nine, the column is formed on the dirt square of Monteriggioni; we therefore recover punctuality with the timetable by starting to line up behind the Carabinieri car first the English, then the Americans, the Germans and finally the Italians. This order may seem random, but it has a very specific meaning.
88 vehicles leave the medieval citadel in columns to cover the approximately 10 km that separate us from Piazza Amedola in Siena, which is the collection point before entering Siena.
The long snake proceeds at a speed of 15/20 miles per hour, to the amazement of the Sienese encountered on the street. Soon we arrive in Siena where a short stop allows the distribution of bottles of water; Piazza Amendola is the square in front of the "Bandini" barracks, home of the glorious Folgore which, at the end of the tour in the historic centre, will host us for lunch. At 11am the tour begins in the historic centre, always escorted by the Municipal Police who have taken the place of the Carabinieri from the city limits. We must congratulate the Siena Municipal Police staff who carried out the service with great efficiency, promptly closing roundabouts, streets and alleys and keeping the public at a safe distance.
The tour inside Siena with a small modification to the original route; in the background the Cathedral which dominates the city and soon disappears behind the medieval houses. Despite our press releases forwarded to all media outlets, the event was underestimated; also thanks to the considerable number of tourists who generally flock to Siena, who are not inclined to read newspapers. As we enter, the English team at the head of the procession deploys the foot troops, led by a piper with powerful lungs! The sound of the bagpipes echoes in the narrow streets and drowns out the noise of the engines almost idling.
People are incredulous, amazed! Some nuns rush to take photographs, many stop doubtful... who are you? What do you do? These are the questions we are most frequently asked and we answer without hesitation that we are keeping the Memory of the Liberation and the History of our country alive. Soon people crack smiles at our smiles, some shyly crack a round of applause and once encouraged, the clapping of hands is undoubtedly gratifying. Foreigners understand little…. They see the insignia of their armies but cannot understand! Many people photograph and immortalize with everything they have. The route is a gentle up and down between the alleys and the streets and while our cars proceed slowly, people come out of the houses, the shops: sales assistants with clothes in their hands, cooks at the restaurant door, a lady with a towel on her head leaves the hairdresser's door. Some believe we are real Englishmen, perhaps deceived by our friend Peter Davies in the Willys with me, that is, a real Englishman in an officer's uniform who greets the public with typical phlegm.
When the fatigue of those on foot seems to have reached critical levels, the Piazza del Campo, the square where the Palio is run, appears as if by magic. At the end of Via del Casato or at Bocca del Casato, you enter the famous square from the highest part with the impression of being able to embrace it with your gaze; on the right the Casato with the “Mangia” tower. Upon our noisy entrance, the crowd begins to move to the edges of the road creating a curious migratory effect. When they see the square, vehicles stop to take photos and the crowd, initially sparse, begins to gather on the sides of the road. The first ten, twenty, thirty, forty vehicles pass and people begin to gain confidence; when the American trucks arrive, overloaded with infantry, the people seem to go crazy! Some climb on top, others stand in front, some elderly ladies throw their hands and arms at the "liberators" and end up stopping the column.
In many cases it was necessary to get out of the vehicles to clear the road; a warm welcome beyond all expectations especially for those who were from the middle of the column onwards. The Axis column has also been the subject of enthusiasm both for its charm and its grandeur; the Italian soldier, then, is still in the hearts of Italians, however events happened. I would like to say a few words in favor of the ladies who for the occasion showed off more or less sophisticated period clothes but overall important to help women recover femininity in the uniformity of the column and to give greater ideas for work within the reconstruction .
From the legendary square we then returned to Via Banchi si Sopra and then exited from Porta Camollìa; during the transit through the aforementioned street, we passed in front of the headquarters of Monte dei Paschi di Siena or in the exact point of the photo on our poster. At around 12.30 we returned to the starting point, this time however entering the Bandini Barracks, home of the 186th Parachute Regiment which sponsored the event together with the Folgore Brigade. After having lined up the vehicles on the enormous parade ground and completed the registration process for those who had not registered despite the recommendations, we headed to the refectory for lunch. Obviously those who were not registered had to wait quite a long time but these are the procedures we adopt for certain environments where nothing can be left to chance.
The hospitality of the barracks was very important; Folgore is a name that evokes important battles where Italy's honor was paid dearly and therefore an honor for us to be hosted by the glorious regiment. At the end of the lunch, the Barracks Commander was honored with an IMVCC crest and a souvenir plaque and greeted those present in the best of military traditions.
The return to Greve was a pleasant return; the experience we had in Siena had relaxed us and the return, although divided by type of vehicle, was still peaceful. Greve was waiting for us: regardless of how tired we were, people were waiting in Piazza Matteotti and no one was disappointed because the piper, after taking a breath, picked up his bagpipe again and filled the square with his melody.
The day ends with a square full of vehicles and the public, with exhausted participants, with greetings from the Administration of Greve in Chianti and with a sun that little by little bids us farewell. Everyone to change and then to dinner where the IMVCC President Brezza greets those present and confirms the success of the event.
Sunday looks peaceful! What was done the day before makes everything more magical. The veterans, worn out by the Saturday tour, show up at base camp at 8 am ready for a new day. We set off slowly towards Strada in Chianti; the column flows rather quickly up to the hamlet of Strada in Chianti where the town's pro-loco has arranged a small refreshment; with the sun warming, a small refreshment stop is really welcome.
The group sets off again in the direction of the American Military Cemetery in Florence where the entire column enters; the entrance is breathtaking! Slowly the vehicles enter and no one can take their eyes off those thousands of white crosses that seem to glitter in the sun. After stopping right in front of the staircase overlooking the crosses, the memorial staff welcomes us; with them the American Consul.
After a short interview with us and the veterans by the US broadcaster AFN, all the participants in uniform are placed on the steps while the Consul thanks those present for what we have done; a special greeting is addressed to veterans. GoticaToscana presents a commemorative plaque and the exchange of speeches makes the atmosphere quite touching.
For those who experienced the moments at the Memorial you can imagine; for the others we can only say that the emotional charge that pushed us to organize, many of us to participate, the veterans and their families to travel so far was as if in an instant we had grasped the enormous emotional weight that this tragic event has inflicted on humanity.
With a terrible delay on the schedule we then moved towards San Casciano where a small crowd of villagers was waiting for us in the gardens and under the walls; a short stop and then marching again towards San Polo, the final destination of the event
Already on Saturday evening we had some departures but not many; others broke away after the Memorial stage while the rest of the column, however made up of over 230 people and around 60 vehicles, arrived in the town of San Polo where, unfortunately, the outdoor lunch turned out to be a boomerang. Trusting in the good weather that would allow for a nice stop in the open air, it was not considered that the sun was decidedly unbearable; after a stampede in search of a bit of shade which obviously wasn't enough for everyone, lunch closed the event but didn't allow it to continue any further. We apologize to those who suffered from the heat due to an underestimation error on the part of the catering.
We have on several occasions thanked the Administrations, the club, Folgore, the American Florence Cemetery, the participants and all those who contributed to making the event a success; perhaps we will never get around to mentioning everyone but this does not mean that we do not have gratitude towards them. As with Florence 2006 and now Siena 2007, friendship and the desire to achieve something important together have triumphed, almost as if to reiterate that "unity is strength" is more necessary than ever in our world.
United to have fun and work together to achieve an important goal that we would like to reach in 2008! A different event that at the same time entertains and can bring a little joy to those who find it difficult to smile.
Thank you guys! We are a great team!
