Motorcycling — a powerful passion whose roots run far deeper than the invention of the combustion engine.
A passion born from the love of horses, from the emotional thrill of mastering a moving machine, from that sense of absolute freedom that reflects the excitement of speed — the illusion of flight.
Perhaps it was this spirit that, in 1934, inspired Dr. Marco Re, a pharmacist from Castellazzo Bormida, to reorganize the Associazione Motociclistica Castellazzese.
Those were difficult times, and soon war would break out.
Only in 1943 did Dr. Re resume his advocacy among all Motorcycle Associations. In the magazine La Moto of December 15, 1943, director Italo Luraschi wrote — in the rhetorical tone of the time:
“When the war is over and peace once again reigns over the tormented land of our homeland, motorcyclists will be able to resume their circulatory, organizational, and sporting activities.
The Madonnina dei Centauri will inspire their actions, guide their steps, and protect their rise.
And once a year, on the commemorative day of the Holy Patroness, motorcyclists from all over Italy will gather in the welcoming and inviting Castellazzo, at its famous Sanctuary, to give thanks to their Patroness and to implore, with manly strength and conscience befitting those devoted to a sport of battle and greatness, divine grace.
It will be a spectacle worthy of the new times to see the ranks of modern knights of mechanical civilization, mounted on their steel steeds, approach the altar with their banners, repeating the rites of the ancient Crusaders, who, standing proudly on their fiery chargers, invoked divine grace before descending into battle against the barbarians and the unbelievers.”
Thanks to Dr. Re’s perseverance and with the approval of the Italian Motorcycling Federation, on September 8, 1946, the 1st Motorcycle Gathering of the Madonnina dei Centauri was held, attended by about a thousand Italian riders and a hundred foreign ones.
The event made headlines in newspapers and magazines nationwide for its remarkable uniqueness.
On February 11, 1947, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Madonnina di Castellazzo (Madonna della Creta) as the primary patroness of motorcyclists, and from that day she became known as the Madonnina dei Centauri.
Today, the Moto Club Madonnina dei Centauri Internazionali of Alessandria, in close collaboration with the Moto Club Castellazzo, continues this tradition — a truly unique event kept alive through the unwavering dedication of its members.