This is less about the Eroica and more about Brenda and my experience
in the Piemonte region of Italy around the small city of Novi Ligure.
After 3 or 4 days of touring around Tuscany and drinking too much of its
great wine, we took off for the area around where Coppi was born. Aside
from some beautiful country here we find a Museum called Museo del
Campionissimi, located in Novi Ligure and dedicated both to Coppi and to
Girandengo, Coppis birthplace and the mausoleum of both Fausto and
Serse, in Catellania, and a private collection located in the area, of
which I will say a bit more later.
The Museum is slick and interesting. In typical northern Italian high
style it has bikes stylishly arranged and all manner of interactive
video facilities for looking at old films of all the great moments in
cycling history. Here we not only found vintage bikes, memorabilia,
films, trading cards, etc., but bikes of Cippo, Pantani, Moser, etc. The
old bikes are mostly behind class partitions so it is hard to get up
close and personal as is were. It was fun and worth a visit. Nowhere in
Europe, as far as I know, is there such a professionally organized
museum devoted to the sport we love so much. It is interesting to
comment that although they naturally devote a lot of space and video to
the Giro, we saw not one mention of Andy Hamptens heroic win. Maybe we
just missed it...at least I hope so. I have some pics that I will try to
post in the next day or so at my spot on wooljersey.
Although we already knew that the Coppi house was closed for renovation
we figured that since the distance was short we would go have a look
and, at least, see his last resting place. Finding it without too much
trouble (now this is a novelty) we first drove up past the town of
Catellania to the mausoleum. Well worth the trip. Here is a chapel with
busts out front of Fausto and Serse. In the back are the actual graves.
In front of them are seemingly dozens of small monuments, some very
official looking, some makeshift, but all honoring Il Compionissimo and
some of his great moments. Not one myself for graves of any sort, we
soon drove back down the little hill, made the sharp left turn into the
little town, and immediately came upon Coppis house. I thought I would
just get out and wander around a bit, take a few pictures and head back
since it was shut tight. While Brenda and I were standing there a
somewhat elderly gentleman walked out from the back, pushing a
wheelbarrow, wearing a rubber apron. He was covered with the juice and
pieces of grapes that he was obviously just picking. Given my normal
cynicism, my initial reaction was uh oh.....we gotta go now. GOD WAS I
WRONG. This guy literally took me under his arm and led me to the back
area of the house were there was a restaurant and what looked like a
ragged store room. He unlocked the room and BLAM! inside were bikes
pictures, jerseys....all Fausto all Serse. Faustos bike, Serses bike,
pink giro Jerseys, on and on and on. Somehow we communicated and fell
into a brief friendship of sorts connected by a love of bikes and of
Coppi. He walked us around and showed us the highlights. In a real
sense, I think he is part of the group that IS the Keeper of the Flame
of the memory of the Coppi family. He lives in the town and, if I got it
right is part of the committee dedicated to establishing the town as a
mecca for Coppi fans and memorabilia. Unfortunately the house was indeed
closed up and we could not get in but we talked for awhile (turns out
his daughter is at Columbia getting her MA in economics). Before taking
off we bought a book about the house, took some pics of the building and
him, and drove off feeling somehow sad about the whole history that
surrounded Il Compianissimo. I know Ill be back there when the house
opens and.......I recommend you go if you are in the region.
This was a full day and I have still to recount the most amazing
experience of all. Somehow....and if you think this sounds shrouded in a
bit of secrecy it is and, for the moment will remain so. I somehow found
and got access to a private collection housed in a warehouse in the
region. It is hard to find and not generally visited. I found not one
American name in the visitors book. The elitist in me could not help
but smile at that. Anyway, this was a collection like none other I have
ever seen. Perhaps 80 to 100 bikes in an industrial building. All
perfectly unrestored. I read the post this morning by Bret Horton about
the issue of restoration. Well here this is clearly not an issue. The
bikes, and we are talking bikes like those ridden by Coppi, Bartali,
Kubler, etc are totally untouched and unrestored. Some obviously ridden
in latter years had totally inappropriate parts replacing the originals.
A Coppi bike with a Nuovo Record Derailleur......Heresy? No comment.
I thought I had just found the mother of all mother loads. Bikes that
Coppi had ridden in 6-day races with Sheeren (?), a Coppi ridden by him
in pacer races with a solid chainring with his name on it, A Fiorelli
ridden in the Tour de France By Ferdi Kubler with his name hand painted
on the top tube, the bike Coppi purportedly rode when he was a delivery
boy for the butcher......derailleurs I have never seen much less heard
of....this never stops. I was given free reign to wander around, take
pictures (although the lighting was bad), and drool at will.
As I said the lighting was bad but I took perhaps 200 pictures in this
church to bike collecting and, as soon as I get them cleaned up a bit
will post as many as I can on wooljersey. I guarantee you will find them
not only interesting but of use in your own thinking and restorations.
Brenda and I left reluctantly. Not because we had to...we were the only
ones there and no one even thought of asking us to leave, but it was
time and I was, if you can believe it, vintage biked out....on overload.
So, the next day we packed up and made the required pilgrimage (my 3rd
Brendas 1st) to the Madonna Del Ghisallo. The usual medallion salesman
was not in evidence but I saw the Priest in the back and he allowed us
in where he had a drawer of them and was kind enough to sell us some.
Took some pics, had a coffee, and headed to our hotel by Malpensa
airport for the return home the next day. I am glad to be back
but.......Im going back!
Thanks for listening and watch for the collection pics
Edward Albert
Chappaqua, NY