The Moto Club Madonnina dei Centauri Internazionali is a historic institution in the world of motorcycling — born of passion, tradition and spirituality.
Founded officially on 8 December 1948 by Dr Marco Re, the club has even deeper roots, tied to the “Movimento Madonnina dei Centauri” (1942-1947), which aimed to obtain recognition of the Blessed Virgin of Creta as Patroness of the Centaurs.
By convention, our foundation coincides with the first “International Motorcyclists’ Conference Madonnina dei Centauri” held on 8 September 1946 — a pivotal date that marks the beginning of our story, built on a journey of meetings, events and celebrations that have followed continuously since the early 1940s.
In the 2000s, at the request of the International Motorcycling Federation (FIM), the original name of the club was changed to Moto Club Madonnina dei Centauri Internazionali, while preserving the values that define us: brotherhood among peoples, respect for Olympic principles, passion for motorcycles and devotion to the Blessed Virgin of Creta.
Today, the McMCI – Italy (the main house) coordinates the activities of the international sections, handles relations with local, federal and ecclesiastical authorities. Beyond the Italian headquarters, our club is active in Switzerland, France, Belgium and Spain — thanks to the foreign sections that contribute to spreading our passion and values throughout Europe.
Our most important appointment is the International Madonnina dei Centauri Rally, held every year in Alessandria on the second weekend of July, drawing motorcyclists from across the continent to celebrate together our history, our community spirit and our faith in our Patroness.
We are an extended family of centaurs, united by the passion for two wheels and the values that guide us. Our motto is Mater Dei Memento Mei!
For a more current and playful portrayal of our daily activities beyond the spotlight of the big July rally:
Choose the couch, choose the giant TV, choose the flannel pyjamas and the chamomile tea. Choose quiet evenings, the perfect parking spot and caution. Choose staying home, because it’s safe, because it’s comfortable, because that’s what everyone else does — because you were taught that, told that.
Or not.
Choose the roar, choose the adrenaline, choose the wind slapping your visor and the road opening up ahead of you. Choose the curves ridden with your heart, the traffic light watching you while you rev up. Choose the club of trust where you philosophise about engines and pistons and great food. Choose Tuesday and Friday nights, when the rest of the world is falling asleep and you wake up, hand on the throttle, ready to dance with the asphalt.
Because the road is made of details. Of moments. Every turn, every acceleration, every brake is a battle played in an instant, a fraction of a second. On a centimetre of tarmac that can make the difference between an anonymous life and a legendary ride.
But alone? No, it doesn’t work like that. Because those centimetres are won together, every shared moment is lived twice. With the push of the group, with the trust of someone riding by your side. With the voice of the friend urging you on, the shared laugh, the raised arm in greeting when you meet another rider — united by something those staying at home will never understand.
At the end of life as on the road, those few moments, centimetres of freedom are the only thing you will remember. Those centimetres you seize with courage, with heart, with the desire to always go a little further — to challenge the wind, to feel the engine beating inside your chest.
So then, either you choose to stand still, or you choose to live.
Choose not to think only about bills and weather bulletins. Choose to feel the engine’s heartbeat pulsing in unison with your own. Choose life, choose the escape from the neighbour’s karaoke, choose the beauty of an engine singing its symphony.
Choose the motorcycle. Choose the road. Choose to be free. And do it with the right company!
Mc-MCI 1946