Tazio Nuvolari, undoubtedly one of the five top race car drivers of all time, died of tuberculosis in his own bed in the early hours of August 11, 1953, almost half a century ago. Later this year, the driver’s hometown of Mantua in the humid Italian north will hold a series of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of their local hero’s death. Cesare De Agostini, one of Italy’s most stylish authors, has written a new book on the great Tazio. A TV documentary is being shot on his life, and an exhibition will even be held in Tokyo on the life of the Flying Mantuan.
So why did the temple of Italian motorsport, the Monza circuit, where Nuvolari scored so many of his famous victories, steadfastly refuse to honor Tazio by naming a corner, a road or even a stand after the country’s greatest motor racing hero? Many irate Italians have demanded the answer to that question.
