People who became famous all over the world due to their determination, irresistible desire to fulfill their dreams and talents were admirable at all times. They acted against obstacles and achieved what they wanted. As a rule, the names of such people outlived themselves.
So it happened with Enzo Ferrari, whose last name today is a symbol of speed, wealth and style. The Ferrari Museum in Maranello is proof of this.
A dream come true
The future creator of the most famous car concern in the world was born in Modena. His parents had their own metalworking workshop, over which the Ferrari family lived on the second floor. Together with his older brother, Enzo dreamed that when he grew up, he would make his surname famous, and the occupation did not have much significance for the boy. He believed that he would make an opera singer (which Italian does not know how to sing arias), at worst, a sports journalist.
Everything changed at one moment when a ten-year-old boy first got into a car race. This predetermined the fate of Enzo. Hard times when his father died, his beloved brother died in the First World War, and after a severe form of pneumonia he himself could not find a job for a long time, he did not break the guy.
Having settled down as a test pilot in the Alfa Romeo car company, he began the path to his dream of a race car of his own invention. For as many as 20 years, which included work in a car repair shop, and World War II, and a ban on giving inventions their name for 4 years, Enzo was separated from the realization of a dream. But when his first Ferrari entered the race track, the success was so triumphant that it continues to this day.
Today Enzo's history can be found by visiting his museum in Modena, but the development of his car business is devoted to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello. Here you can see not only the Ferrari 125 F1 - the first car that made his name famous, but also get acquainted with all the newspaper clippings, from the time when the young genius was a test pilot to the present day.
Two museums - one fate
The village of Maranello, located just 17 km from Modena, was not famous and did not differ much, except that its size was so small that the Allied aviation during World War II ignored its existence, so planes with bombs flew to more significant goals.
But Enzo Ferrari was comfortable with this situation, who was afraid that some random bomb would fall into his car repair shop in Modena. And so it moved, while still a small production in Maranello, making it subsequently famous throughout the world.
Therefore, there are two Ferrari museums - in Maranello, where the automobile concern is located, and in the homeland of its founder. They are closely interconnected, and it would be strange, as many museum visitors write, to visit one and not see the second.
Even tickets can be bought at a discount if they are purchased immediately in both places. Moreover, there is nothing easier than getting from Bologna to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello or from Modena. At the Guillermo Marconi Airport, planes are accepted from all over the world, but there are only three options from it (if the car was not rented):
- A train ride from Bologna Central Station. Transport runs every 20 minutes, and the journey will take about the same, depending on the class of train. Ticket price from 4 to 14 euros.
- From Bologna (you can immediately from the airport) a bus travels. A shuttle ride that runs every 2 hours takes 40 minutes (44 km to Modena), and a ticket costs 18 euros (luggage is free).
- Taxis can be ordered as a transfer even when buying a ticket to Italy.
A shuttle bus runs between the two museums all day.
By the way, how to get from Milan to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello is not a secret either. The fastest way is by plane to Bologna, and then by the methods listed above. Those who have enough time can travel by train, admiring the views along the way.
Museum opening
The idea to create pavilions where fans of racing cars, and just fans of a ride with a breeze, could see the whole history of the car concern, came true in 1990, but only in the 94th the management of the company took control of them.
The Ferrari Museum in Maranello (photos show this) acquired its final features only in 2004, when a new wing was added, and its area increased to 2, 500 m 2.
Famous trademark
The first thing that meets customers and leaves an unforgettable impression, as they write in their reviews, is the Ferrari emblem, which has its own story. Enzo was not the creator of this image, but when he did not even have his own car repair shop, he already knew that a prancing horse would be shown on his cars. As the background, he chose the color of the coat of arms of Modena - yellow.
This emblem was given to a novice talented racer by one of the members of the count family of Barakka. In their family there was a pilot ace of the First World War, on the wing of his plane, this horse was just “prancing”.
What else amazes visitors to the Ferrari Museum in Maranello (according to recent reviews) is that the famous concern itself is only three hundred meters from it. That is, all the new items produced from its conveyors immediately go to the museum pavilions.
Via Dino Ferrari, 43
Yes, the address of the Ferrari Museum in Maranello sounds so beautiful. Both the concern and the museum are the only attraction of the town, which is visited by those who have not yet fulfilled their dream of becoming the owner of their own Ferrari.
According to visitors, the area in front of the museum is impressive. Everything is done in red colors, with the symbols of the company, and the path drawn on the asphalt in the same bright red color leads to the entrance.
At the entrance, guests are greeted by a souvenir shop. Visitors counting on budget trinkets can only get key rings, because real souvenirs “bite” in price. So, a car key for a Ferrari will cost almost 200 euros.
What else guests of the museum say is a small room in which there are simulators driving a race car. It is located in front of the entrance to the main pavilions, so you can try yourself as a racer even before they visit.
Museum Pavilions: Ferrari Car History
It is good that the opening hours of the Ferrari Museum in Maranello are from 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer and from 9.30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in winter, otherwise there would not be enough time to view all the expositions.
What pavilions await guests at the museum:
- Firstly, the exposition dedicated to the history of the famous automobile concern. Here you can see how cars changed from year to year, not only outside but also inside.
- Secondly, the hall, which presents the cars that participated in the races, and received the grand prix. With them are wax copies of the riders who drove them. Almost all visitors note that they considered it their duty to take pictures with legendary personalities, even in the form of copies of them.
- Thirdly, you should admire the office of the founder of the concern, whose wax figure sits at the exact copy of his table. True, the cabinet itself is separated from the public by glass, but you can see and photograph the famous Italian, as always with black glasses on his face.
- Fourth, as guests of the museum note, the Hall of Fame, in which cups and photos of the winners are displayed, leaves a lasting impression. There are so many of them that you inevitably realize how powerful the company has.
In addition, everyone can be photographed in a special booth installed in one of the halls.
Modern Ferrari Cars
Of course, the largest number of excursions at the Ferrari Museum in Maranello is in the halls with modern cars. The only negative that visitors mention in their reviews is that around the cars there are yellow stripes that cannot be crossed. Therefore, sitting inside the modern incredibly expensive Ferrari will not work, although many such a ban does not stop, and they try to at least photograph the interior and stroke the body of the car, violating the yellow border.
You should immediately be prepared that there are a lot of exhibits in the hall of modern cars and the latest innovations, so the first impression of it is simply stunning. In addition, there is a broadcast on large screens, how these same cars behave on the highway. By the way, for those who want to relax, there is a cafe and a cinema hall where they broadcast a film about the founder of the concern and its cars.
A dark horse
The Ferrari Museum has an amazing room. When you get into it for the first time, at first it does not make much impression. In the center of a small hall on a pedestal is a car, as always, in bright red color. Somewhat dim lighting is surprising, but no more. Strange another, why only one car? It becomes clear when after a few seconds the light goes out in the room.
It turns out that along the contour of the car there are neon stripes glowing in the dark. The spectacle is indescribable, as museum visitors say in their reviews. Immediately the night city appears, an empty highway and the neon contour of Ferrari rushing along it.
Rental point
Those who hoped for a nominal fee to ride one of the most expensive cars in the world with a breeze cause a deep breath. As it turned out, the company knows its worth, and therefore set the fare for their cars in the range from 130 to 300 euros. This is logical. It is unlikely that a cheap car trip of this level would remain in my memory for a long time. From those who want to ride (always with an instructor) there is no end, despite the cost of a walk. Why so?
- Firstly, this is a small but a step towards a dream. If a person cannot afford to buy such a car yet, then he can feel what it is like to drive it.
- Secondly, everyone who goes to the museum or leaves it turns around at the sound of the engine and even try to photograph the car rushing along the highway.
- Thirdly, you can take pictures near and inside the paid car. In addition, a rental camera is installed in the rental cars, which takes a trip back. The video is given to the client for free, so when you return home, you can show your friends how fast the magnificent Ferrari rushes along the highway with you driving.
The only drawback noted in the visitor’s reviews is the lack of a high-quality track or at least a fairly long section of the track with a special coating.
