# Circuito del Montenero

The Montenero Circuit, official name: Circuito del Montenero or sometimes referred to simply as "the Livorno Circuit", was a Grand Prix motor racing road course located at the southern outskirts of Livorno, a city on the mediterranean coast of the Tuscany region in Italy. The venue was best known as the home for the annual Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano and the 1937 Italian Grand Prix.

## History

The circuit was created in 1921 at the initiative of Paolo Fabbrini, owner of the newspaper Corriere di Livorno to host local sports car races. On September 25 the same year, the first "Coppa Montenero" was held on an 18.5 km long public roads circuit with 164 corners, starting at the seafront "Rotonda" (Parco Bartolini) in the Ardenza district of Livorno, stretching up into the hills of Montenero, climbing to about 300 meters above sea level before returning down to the start/finish line. The circuit was long, with dangerous sections and extremely hard on both man and machine but considered a huge success, attracting interest from regional motoring clubs and the automobile industry alike.
In 1927, Livorno-born politician Costanzo Ciano donated the first "Coppa Ciano" trophy, starting one of the most prestigious Grand Prix racing series to endure for the next 12 years. Like many other circuits of the era, Montenero had to change its layout several times over the years to accommodate the growing demands of racing technology. The last major Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano Grand Prix in 1939 also marks the end of the great road course era. Safety concerns, increasingly unmanageable circuit demands, faster cars among other factors left shorter, purpose-built race tracks as the only viable alternative for future Grand Prix venues. One last "Coppa Montenero" was held in 1947 in an attempt to revive the circuit but proved to be financially unsuccessful. A minor sports car race in 1953 was the last event before the track was closed down for good.

## List of events

| 1921: 1922-1924: 1925-1930: 1931-1932: 1933-1935: 1936: 1937: 1938: 1939: 1947: | I Circuito Montenero (Coppa Montenero) Circuito Montenero Circuito Montenero (I Coppa Ciano 1937) Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano (*) XV Gran Premio d'Italia (XVII Coppa Ciano) Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano, (Voiturette) Circuito Montenero - Coppa Ciano Coppa Montenero | 110 km 180 km 225 km 200 km 240 km 216.5 km 360 km 145.0 km 232.0 km 125.0 km | (6 laps  - 18.5 km road course) (8 laps  - 22.5 km road course) (10 laps - 22.5 km road course) (10 laps - 20 km road course) (12 laps - 20 km road course) (30 laps - 7.218 km street circuit) (50 laps - 7.218 km street circuit) (25 laps - 5.8 km street circuit) (40 laps - 5.8 km street circuit) (25 laps - 5.01 km street circuit) |
(*) The mountain section of the circuit was dropped from 1936 to 1947

## Circuito Montenero by year

| Year | Race Name | Dist. | Circuit | Formula | Driver | Manufacturer | Time | Report |
| 1921 | I Circuito del Montenero | 109.2 km | 18.5 km | 2000cc | Corrado Lotti | Ansaldo 2000 | 2:44:26 | Report |
| 1922 | II Circuito Montenero | 180 km | 22.5 km | Formula Libre | Carlo Masetti | Bugatti 37 1500 | 2:52:42 | Report |
| 1923 | III Circuito Montenero | 180 km | 22.5 km | Formula Libre | Mario Razzauti | Ansaldo 2000 | 2:52:42 | Report |
| 1924 | IV Circuito Montenero | 180 km | 22.5 km | Formula Libre | Renato Balestrero | OM 665 | 2:34:58 | Report |
| 1925 | V Circuito Montenero | 225 km | 22.5 km | Formula Libre | Emilio Materassi | Itala Special | 3:16:40 | Report |
| 1926 | VI Circuito Montenero | 225 km | 22.5 km | Formula Libre | Emilio Materassi | Itala Special | 2:55:10 | Report |
| 1927 | VII Circuito Montenero | 225 km | 22.5 km | Formula Libre | Emilio Materassi | Bugatti T35C | 2:45:18 | Report |
| 1927 | I Coppa Ciano (Sport) | 225 km | 22.5 km | Sports car | Attilio Marinoni | Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 | 2:52:42 | Report |
| 1928 | VIII Circuito Montenero | 225 km | 22.5 km | Grand Prix | Emilio Materassi | Talbot 700 | 2:38:57 | Report |
| 1928 | II Coppa Ciano (Sport) | 225 km | 22.5 km | Sports car | Mario Razzauti | Alfa Romeo 6C-1500 | 2:52:42 | Report |
| 1929 | IX (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 225 km | 22.5 km | Grand Prix | Achille Varzi | Alfa Romeo P2 | 2:38:51 | Report |
| 1930 | X (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 225 km | 22.5 km | Grand Prix | Luigi Fagioli | Maserati 26M | 2:33:50 | Report |
| 1931 | XI (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 200 km | 20.0 km | Grand Prix | Tazio Nuvolari | Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza | 2:23:40 | Report |
| 1932 | XII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 200 km | 20.0 km | Grand Prix | Tazio Nuvolari | Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' | 2:18:19 | Report |
| 1933 | XIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 240 km | 20.0 km | Grand Prix | Tazio Nuvolari | Maserati 8CM | 2:45:08 | Report |
| 1934 | XIV (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 240 km | 20.0 km | Grand Prix | Achille Varzi | Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' | 2:49:52 | Report |
| 1935 | XV (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 240 km | 20.0 km | Grand Prix | Tazio Nuvolari | Alfa Romeo Tipo-B 'P3' | 2:42:08 | Report |
| 1936 | XVI (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 216.5 km | 7.218 km | Grand Prix | Nuvolari / Pintacuda | Alfa Romeo 8C-35 | 1:44:54.4 | Report |
| 1937 | XVII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano * | 360.0 km | 7.218 km | Grand Prix | Rudolf Caracciola | Mercedes-Benz W125 | 2:44:54.4 | Report |
| 1938 | XVIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 232.0 km | 5.80 km | Grand Prix | Hermann Lang | Mercedes-Benz W154 | 1:00:35.2 | Report |
| 1938 | XVIII (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 145.0 km | 5.80 km | Voiturette | Emilio Villoresi | Maserati 6CM | 1:05:21.6 | Report |
| 1939 | XIX (Circuito Montenero) Coppa Ciano | 348.0 km | 5.80 km | Grand Prix | Giuseppe Farina | Alfa Romeo 158 | 2:30:10.4 | Report |
| 1940-1946 (Not held) |||||||||
| 1947 | XX Coppa Montenero | 125.0 km | 5.01 km | Voiturette | Franco Venturi | Cisitalia D46 - Fiat | 1:13:51.2 | Report |
| * (AIACR European Driver Championship round) - Sources: |||||||||

## Montenero circuit maps

| Circuito Montenero 1922 | Circuito Montenero 1936 | Circuito Montenero 1937 | Circuito Montenero 1938-1939 | Street Map - Montenero Circuit 1947 |