Solo Escape With My Ferrari And Targa Florio’s Best Roads

3 June 2025 Redazione Experience, News, Stories

By Andrea Albertazzi

I have always been captivated by the indescribable charm of racing. That world made of lap times, but also of challenges on roads that one can drive with their own car on any given day. Mille Miglia, Carrera Panamericana, and above all, the Targa Florio. I say “above all” because, after having had the fortune to drive on some of the most beautiful roads in the world, Sicily is the land that more than any other has been able to deliver intense emotions. At first, it welcomes you like a childhood friend you haven’t seen in years, spoils you with exquisite food and the kind of local hospitality that will be among the things you’ll miss the most once you return home, to the so-called mainland. Then it throws open its doors and immerses you in days of driving blessed by the warm Mediterranean sun. The reflection on the crystal-clear sea water follows you every kilometer, and as you realize you don’t need to fly to the other side of the world to find heaven on Earth, you end up writing the most thrilling pages of your life as a romantic motorist devoted to tradition.

These are just a few of the many reasons that, in 2009, finally convinced me to return to Sicily once again. The difference was that this time I brought along one of my favorite cars: my father’s Ferrari F512 M, the final incarnation of the legendary Testarossa. A modern evolution of an eternal icon, an undisputed queen of the grand touring world—therefore the ideal companion for a week that would be entirely devoted to pure fun. A much-needed escape, especially at a time when some family hardships had deeply drained my physical and emotional well-being. Some say that at certain moments the planets align, that it’s the convergence of specific factors. Sicily and Ferrari are a wild combination—and needless to say, I brought along dozens—no, more than that—of sheets, maps, and notes that would guide me along the legendary roads of the Targa Florio.

After unloading the Ferrari on land, I rushed straight to Cerda, the charming town I had chosen as both the starting point and the finale of my adventure, strictly solo. I didn’t want any distractions—I wasn’t going to be a tourist this time, just a passionate driver in search of curves. And the Madonie Mountains responded exactly as I had imagined. Just minutes later, I was already on the SS120 heading toward Caltavuturo, discovering a side of Sicily that makes it one of Italy’s most diverse regions, combining sea and mountains in just a few kilometers. It’s incredible how every curve seems designed to be taken in a sports car, and how every little village retains a timeless charm—from the stone walls of the houses, to the shop signs, to the people spending the hottest hours of the afternoon in the shade of an umbrella, with a cold beer in hand and a smile on their face.

You feel like you’re in another world, with mountains hiding the sea now lost beyond the horizon, and as the twelve-cylinder engine fills the air, the play between hands and feet working the gearshift and clutch enhances an experience that’s already being etched into my heart. The continuous ups and downs are made even more special by the near-total absence of traffic, though my pace is kept in check because the road isn’t in perfect condition. In some sections I even have to shift into first gear, and just outside Scillato, I’m forced to stop and get out to make sure a huge pothole won’t ruin the party. Sicily has a wild nature, tamed by a prancing horse that carves its way through the curves between Castelbuono and Acquanuova—without a doubt, among the most demanding of my solo tour.

At the end of the week, after burning through an unquantifiable number of liters of fuel and kiwi-flavored soft drinks, I reserved the final day to process everything I had experienced before heading back home. I know I’ll return soon—I need to—the F512 M is ready, though I might even make it more romantic and organize the trip with a vintage spider. Who knows. However it goes, this is magic.