OHH! Italy Journal
Targa Florio
A Sicilian story of speed, mountain roads and aristocratic memory, where motorsport still feels inseparable from landscape.
The Route
Sicily, Read As A Circuit
A Legend Of Motorsport
Founded In 1906
The Targa Florio is one of the most legendary motor races in history. Founded by Vincenzo Florio in 1906, it was run on public mountain roads in Sicily — one of the oldest and most demanding automobile races ever held.
Why It Was Famous
The race unfolded on narrow, twisting roads through the Madonie Mountains near Palermo. Drivers faced hundreds of corners per lap, stone walls, villages and virtually no run-off areas.
From 1955 to 1973 it counted as a round of the World Sportscar Championship. Many still rank it among the toughest races ever — alongside legends such as the Mille Miglia and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Circuito Piccolo Delle Madonie
The best-known version followed the Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie: a 72 km lap through mountain villages and open countryside. Competitors ran multiple laps, committing every bend to memory.
Legendary Manufacturers And Drivers
The Targa Florio became a proving ground for the greatest names in motorsport.
- Porsche
- Ferrari
- Alfa Romeo
- Maserati
- Mercedes-Benz
Among its notable winners: Tazio Nuvolari, Stirling Moss, Vic Elford and Nino Vaccarella. Porsche grew especially dominant through the 1960s and early 1970s.
Collesano-Targa Florio 1970 Joseph Siffert 1° Assoluto Porsche 908/MK03
This frame captures one of the most iconic visual signatures of the race: prototype speed crossing a lived-in Sicilian village backdrop. Joseph Siffert’s 1970 victory remains a reference point for the era in which precision, memory and courage decided outcomes corner by corner.
Placed inside Collesano, this image expresses exactly why Targa Florio remains distinct from conventional circuits. The event was not separated from territory: it was embedded inside it.
Why The Original Race Ended
As cars grew faster, the public-road circuit became increasingly dangerous. After decades of safety concerns, the sports-car race format ended in 1977.
Today
The Targa Florio survives as the Targa Florio Rally and a calendar of historic and classic-car events that follow much of the original Sicilian route — still read today through rally, classic events and private journeys across Sicily.
A driver needed to memorise every inch of the course — because there was almost no margin for error. The Targa Florio remains one of motorsport’s greatest legends.
Speed, Stone And Sicilian Roads
Targa Florio is not simply a race memory. It belongs to Sicily’s mountain roads, villages, heat, dust and the almost theatrical relationship between machines and landscape.
The story feels powerful because it connects aristocratic ambition, engineering culture and a road network that still carries the atmosphere of another era.
How To Read It Privately
A private journey can follow the spirit of the route without turning it into a museum. The right pacing connects Palermo, the Madonie, historic garages, coastal light and tables where Sicilian hospitality keeps the story grounded.
Private Travel Lens
OHH! ITALY reads this place through atmosphere, access and timing: what to see, when to slow down, and how to make the experience feel personal rather than generic.
Visual Chapter
Targa Florio, Quietly Read
Distinct views of Sicilian speed and heritage — each image appears once, at editorial scale.
Private Concierge
Shape This Into A Private Journey
Share your dates, rhythm and travel wishes. OHH! ITALY can turn this story into a private itinerary with the right access, timing and support.
Unique Experience Book
Sicily
The Targa Florio belongs to Sicily’s roads, coast and islands. Browse the Sicily experience book below — viewable on site, not downloadable — then open the full Unique Experience page.