![Circuito Asmara 1950](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Circuito_Asmara_1950.JPG)
Asmara circuit (in Italian called ''Circuito Asmara'' and in English sometimes "Circuit of Asmara") was a car race done in the main streets of
Asmara
Asmara ( ), or Asmera, is the capital and most populous city of Eritrea, in the country's Central Region. It sits at an elevation of , making it the sixth highest capital in the world by altitude and the second highest capital in Africa. The ...
, when it was a colony of the
Kingdom of Italy
The Kingdom of Italy ( it, Regno d'Italia) was a state that existed from 1861, when Victor Emmanuel II of Kingdom of Sardinia, Sardinia was proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy, proclaimed King of Italy, until 1946, when civil discontent led to ...
. The Circuito was created in
Italian Eritrea
Italian Eritrea ( it, Colonia Eritrea, "Colony of Eritrea") was a colony of the Kingdom of Italy in the territory of present-day Eritrea. The first Italian establishment in the area was the purchase of Assab by the Rubattino Shipping Company in ...
and was later done -with many interruptions- until .
History
The Italian government after
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
gave importance to sport activities in the
Italian colonies. One of the most followed were those related to car races. Indeed, in
Italian Libya
Libya ( it, Libia; ar, ليبيا, Lībyā al-Īṭālīya) was a colony of the Fascist Italy located in North Africa, in what is now modern Libya, between 1934 and 1943. It was formed from the unification of the colonies of Italian Cyrenaica ...
was created the famous "
Gran Premio di Tripoli", one of the most important in the world during the late 1930s, but even minor car races were done in the other Italian colonies, like the one in Asmara (and later even in Somalia's
Mogadiscio
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, مقديشو ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port ...
).
So, in Italian Asmara (capital of Eritrea), was done in 1938 the "Primo Circuito di Asmara". It was won by an "
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...
8C 2300 Monza" driven by Emilio Romano on the Christmas race called ''Coppa di Natale''. Before there has been a race for smaller cars with less the 1500cc, that was won by a 4CS Maserati and was called ''Coppa Governatore''. In the main race there were 14 Alfa Romeo 1750 and was enthusiastically followed by many thousands of Italians and Eritreans
![1938-12-25 Asmara Alfa Romeo 8C 2311206 Romano](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/1938-12-25_Asmara_Alfa_Romeo_8C_2311206_Romano.jpg)
The "Primo Circuito di Asmara" was made of two car races, the first being the most important:
* "Coppa di Natale": 1. Emilio Romano (Alfa Romeo 2.8L) (108,810 km - 67,613 mi); 2. Antonio D'Agata (Maserati 2.6L)
* "Coppa del Governatore": 1. Ferdinando Gay (Maserati 1100) in 51’26"2 (72,540 km - 45,075 mi), at 84,891 km/h - 52,750 mph; 2. Cristoforo Bigi (Fiat 508) in 53’22"4
The race was done on the streets of Italian Asmara, with the start in front of the
Asmara Opera: it was long nearly 2865 meters on each side of the "Viale Milano" and "Viale Roma" (now called "Sematat avenue") and lasted 40 laps (in Italian called "Giri") for a total of 108 km
Other years
The second "Circuito Asmara" was to be done in December 1939, but the beginning of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
blocked it. Only in 1948 was done the second and was won by Ettore Salvatori on Maserati, even if it was done with reduced participation of cars.
After the end of the war the circuit was also done in 1950, 1951 and 1952, but was only for local people. The fifth done in 1952 was followed by huge crowds. Later it was done with some interruptions until 1969, with the "Coppa SM Haile Selassie". The last that was done in 1972(when was called "Gran Premio Automobilistico Expo'72") with the presence of emperor
Haile Selassie
Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...
With the start of the
Eritrean Civil Wars
The Eritrean Civil Wars were two conflicts that were fought between competing organizations for the liberation of Eritrea.
The First Eritrean Civil War was fought from 1972 to 1974. The Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF) tried to suppress dissid ...
related to the struggle for the independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia all the car races were stopped in Asmara. But in the 2010s the car races are again done in Asmara, even if with "local cars".
Video of 2014 local race cars in Asmara
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See also
* Tripoli Grand Prix
The Tripoli Grand Prix (Italian: ''Gran Premio di Tripoli'') was a motor racing event first held in 1925 on a racing circuit outside Tripoli, the capital of what was then Italian Tripolitania, now Libya. It lasted until 1940.
Background
Motor ...
* Mogadiscio circuit
The Mogadiscio Circuit (Italian: ''Circuito di Mogadiscio'') was formerly a car race through the main streets of Mogadiscio, Italian Somaliland, being first run in 1938.
History
The main Italian newspaper of Italian Somaliland, ''Il Littoriale'', ...
Notes
Bibliography
* Antonicelli, Franco. ''Trent'anni di storia italiana 1915 - 1945''. Mondadori Editore. Torinop, 1961
* Di Meglio, Rita. ''Gli Italiani in Eritrea''. Italian Embassy in Eritrea. Asmara, 2004.
* Pool, David. (2001-12-01). ''From Guerrillas to Government: The Eritrean People's Liberation Front''. Ohio University Press.
{{Eritrea italiana (Colonia Primigenia)
Italian Eritrea
Asmara