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From 1953 to 1972, the Piacenza Automobile Club organised 17 editions of the Castell'Arquato–Vernasca hill climb.
For its 30th edition, the Vernasca Silver Flag will take place from 19 to 21 June 2026.
The event was initially conceived as a minor, provincial race. The 8.9-kilometre uphill route featured different characteristics: the first 5 kilometres were a straight road, while the final section consisted of 34 bends, most of them hairpin turns.
In the first edition, which had 40 starters, Alfa Romeo took part, represented by the driver Consalvo at the wheel of a stunning 3000CM.
Since 1994, the CPAE has been organising the re-enactment as a regularity rally, the main event for enthusiasts from Piacenza and the surrounding area who want to test themselves against the clock. Since 1996, the CPAE has also been organising the Vernasca Silver Flag, which follows the same closed-road route as in the past but takes the form of a dynamic conservation and restoration competition for racing cars.
Over the years, this event has brought the most prominent racing car collectors to the Val d’Arda, enabling the public in attendance to bring cars of all types to Vernasca, including Formula 1 cars, and allowing our club to raise its profile by winning ASI awards from 2004 to the present day, winning the International Historic Motorsport Award Speed Event of the Year in 2005, and receiving a nomination from the British magazine Octane for Motorsport Event of the Year in 2011, ultimately losing out to the Goodwood Festival.
A new feature of the 2026 edition is the provision of biofuel in an effort to reduce CO₂ emissions. Through this initiative, Vernasca Silver Flag is participating in the 'ASI Net-Zero Classic' project.
The programme is available on the website visitpiacenza.it.
Piacenza PC, Italia
