Monza, a city rich in history and an Italian symbol of the Formula 1 Grand Prix 

The 2023 Monza Grand Prix, scheduled for September 1 to 3, is the fifteenth act of the Formula 1 World Championship that began on March 5 in Bahrain. The circuit is that of the historic Autodromo Nazionale, inaugurated in 1922, the third-largest facility in the world after the British Brooklands track (disused, however, since 1939) and the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the United States, active since 1909. 

In this century full of history, the Autodromo di Monza has been the scene of the successes of iconic drivers such as Ascari, Tazio Nuvolari and Fangio, but it has also seen the stars of the two golden rivals, Senna and Prost, shine in more recent times, and celebrated the five successes apiece of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Winning the Monza Grand Prix in 2022 was two-time world champion Max Verstappen, on Red Bull, fresh from winning the last Dutch GP and first in the drivers’ standings with 339 points (he is followed by teammate Perez with 201).  

Will he be the one to triumph in the 94th edition of the Pirelli Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix? Or will the Ferraris know how to make their fans rejoice? It will be seen between Friday, Sept. 1 and Sunday, Sept. 3, 2023, in the packed schedule of practice, qualifying and races that, as usual, also involves Formula 2 and Formula 3. To find out more details, you can consult the full schedule of the weekend dedicated to the 2023 Monza Grand Prix. 

Instead, to learn more about the history of this event, and the host city, we invite you to continue reading this article. 

Monza and the Italian Grand Prix, a century-long history.

Built in just one hundred and ten days, and in advance of the French circuit of Montlhéry, the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza opened its doors in 1922, at a time when in our country there was an estimated 1 car per 1,000 inhabitants, and the conditions of industrial economic development were certainly lower than in countries such as France and the United Kingdom. But giving a big boost to the dream of speed was the tailwind blown by the Futurist movement, and the excellent workmanship of Italian cars produced by such esteemed brands as FIAT and Alfa Romeo. 

Today’s Monza race track measures just under 6 km, and the Grand Prix is completed in 53 laps, for a total that exceeds 307 km covered in all.  

Capable of attracting so many spectators each year, mostly of the Ferrari faith, the Autodromo di Monza is ready to host the ten racing teams taking part in the 2023 Formula 1 season, each fielding two single-seaters for a total of 20 drivers in the race, all in search of the world title: Red Bull, Mercedes, Ferrari, McLaren, Alpine, Aston Martin, Alfa Romeo, AlphaTauri, Haas, and Williams.  

Beyond Fomula 1: brief history of Monza and what to see in the city

While the Monza Autodrome attracts the attention of motorsports fans from around the world, the city offers an experience rich in history, art, and unique attractions. Monza’s roots go back into the distant past; the very origin of the name is disputed between history and legend. The latter would have it that Modetia, was the meeting of two words spoken in a dream by the Lombard queen Teodolinda (as depicted in the frescoes dedicated to her by the Zavattari brothers, in Monza Cathedral).  

Instead, history links the name of Monza to the Roman establishment of the settlement of Modicia as a vicus (urban and rural aggregate of small size and without administration as the Municipium had), and hence a stable presence in Italic toponymy.  

Currently, Monza offers a number of cultural attractions that invite a journey through time. The Cathedral of Monza is a Gothic and Renaissance masterpiece that houses the legendary Iron Crown, an important symbol of power, as well as-again, legend comes to our rescue- believed to be a real relic due to the presence in its forging of a nail from the crucifixion of Jesus. 

The Royal Palace of Monza is a majestic royal residence surrounded by an enchanting park. The history of the Royal Villa of Monza begins with Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg, who in 1771 was the new governor of Lombardy. Having chosen Milan as his capital, he wanted to develop a system of summer villas, of which the Royal Palace of Monza was also a part. Then changing hands several times over time between the French and the Austrians, its royal history was interrupted in 1900 with the murder in Monza of King Umberto I, whose heir, Victor Emmanuel III, decided to abandon the Villa. Today, managed by a consortium of public entities, together with the Gardens it is one of the most visited monumental complexes in the entire region. 

Not to be missed are the Musei Civici di Monza, with its collection of works of art, archaeology and local history, offering an immersion in the city’s culture; Santa Maria delle Grazie, a sanctuary built in the 15th century on the site of an earlier chapel dedicated to the worship of the Virgin, currently a church of great historical and architectural importance. Finally, the Cappella Espiatoria (in memory of the regicide of Umberto I) and the Arengario di Monza, a historic building in Piazza Roma, from which all the main streets of the city center branch off.  

Monza is easily accessible from Milan, from which it is only a 23-minute train ride away, which is why, for all those who will be spending a vacation in Milan, it can be a very desirable destination. Hotel VIU Milan is the perfect place for a stay in Milan given its privileged location in the Paolo Sarpi area, from which it is possible to reach by subway the Milano Centrale station, or Milano Cadorna, and arrive in a few minutes in historic Monza.