Motors in Bassa Romagna

Francesco Baracca (Lugo 1888 – 1918) was an important aviator and thanks to his many victories he is considered as the Italian Ace of Aces of the First World War. In Lugo it is possible to deepen your knowledge of this leading personality of our history by visiting:

 the Museo Baracca, the Monument in the square dedicated to him and the Grave Chapel decorated by the Lugo-born artist Roberto Sella.

• The Museum Baracca - located in a Liberty-style building that was his birthplace and it keeps relics, some of the hero’s objects and historical documents as well as the SPAD VII, the aircraft dated 1917 that he piloted during one of his 34 victories. 
• The Monument - the bronze statue of Francesco Baracca, the work of the Faenza-born sculptor Domenico Rambelli, erected in the town’s main square in 1936, stands on a pedestal inscribed with the dates and locations of the victories achieved by the pilot, alongside the enormous 27-metre-high wing. 
• The burial chapel inside the Baracca family’s burial chapel in the cemetery of Lugo, stands the monumental sarcophagus where the pilot’s remains rest. Crafted from the molten bronze of Austrian cannons captured during the war, it features various symbols of heroism associated with the aviator: the hippogriff and the prancing horse stand out against the relief base; a majestic bronze eagle, poised to take flight, clutching the Italian flag in its talons, towers imposingly over the urn. 

Must-do
For those who prefer to take action, at the small Aeroporto F. Baracca it is possible to fly with the instructors and see Bassa Romagna from above admiring all the aspects that cannot be seen from the ground. The airport hosts the National helicopter school (Scuola Nazionale Elicotteri).
For those who prefer to “keep the wheels down on earth” there are the Crossodromo in Lugo and the Kartodromo in the nearby town of Conselice. 

Curiosity
Francesco Baracca's personal badge, a black horse with its fore feet raised, in 1923, a few years after the end of the war, was donated by his mother to Enzo Ferrari: the symbol, with a couple of modifications (the tail position and the background colour), appeared on the sport cars driven by Ferrari for Alfa Romeo and later the cars produced by Ferrari with the business he established after World War II. Today the emblem is still the symbol of the red cars.

To know

The museum also houses a permanent installation of a special flight simulator open to the public on demand that recreates the historical landscape of 1915-1918 and the present one perceiving its historical values and transformations and, at a glance, you will discover the deep transformations that occurred over a century.

The Romagna Air Finders Museum comprises two exhibition venues, located in Fusignano and the hamlet of Maiano. It displays finds and relics recovered by the association’s volunteers engaged in research and excavations at sites where some aircrafts of the Second World War were buried, sometimes with some missing aviators. 

The finds are recovered, cleaned, organised and partially released and certified by the military authorities. Some of these create the collection in the two exhibition centres that includes personal possessions, clothing, uniforms, inert weapons, equipment, documents and various curiosities, thoroughly organised. The exhibition is completed by explanatory scenic panels and a specific catalogue.

In Fusignano the passion for history and vehicles finds its expression in the Museo Mauricette Primo Contoli that displays an interesting collection of historical cars and motorcycles donated to the community by the Contoli. It is possible to admire the Gilera, the Triumph Junior, the Fabrique Nationale M50, The Fiat 521 and the Citroën 5cv Bateaux.

To know
The museums are only open on certain days of the month: we recommend booking in advance to ensure your visit goes smoothly.