Museo Storico della Bicicletta is a glorious collection of bicycles celebrating the ingenuity, history and pure joy of cycling.
Words and images by Sam Clark
The young children at the Cesiomaggiore primary school enjoy an education that has, what must be, a unique connection to cycling. Their school, in the north of Italy, is home to the wonderful museum: Museo Storico della Bicicletta, Toni Bevilaqua. Tucked under the rafters of the roof above their school building is a treasure trove of bicycle engineering and design.
Amore per la Bicicletta, Love for Cycling
Museo Storico della Bicicletta founder, Sergio Sanvido enjoyed a brief career racing bikes in the late 1940s, but didn’t gain the results he dreamed of so focused his attention from the podium to the machine. His bike shop quickly became a highly respected workshop and loyal customers travelled from the local Triveneto area of northern Italy and surrounding countries, Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia. His shop, Cicil Sanvido, opened in 1946 and still serves customers from the premises in Cesiomaggiore.
When does your garage full of bikes become a museum?
Sergio’s love of bicycles filled his life and overflowed from his garage. While working in his shop he amassed an extraordinary collection of two-wheeled history from all over the world. In the 1970’s his first museum was opened on the ground floor of his house. Sergio donated his collection to the Municipality of Cesiomaggiore in 2007 and the museum was moved down the road to the top floor of the town’s primary school.
Right Q. What essentials did military officers in the 1950s carry before multitools were invented?
A. A trumpet and a sword!
The Cycle of Life
Around 170 bicycles are on display charting the development from two-wheeled wooden contraptions from the late eighteenth century to sleek designs, beautifully engineered for pure speed.
Sergio was particularly interested in the versatility of bicycle design and collected examples of working bikes. Adaptions on display include Italian essentials like a coffee roasting and an ice cream-making bike. There is also a section dedicated to children’s bicycles and tricycles.
The Evolution of Function
Moving through the rooms you can see the ingenious development of bicycle engineering. There are bikes grouped to show advances in gearing and breaks. We were told a couple of German visitors spent a couple of days meticulously studying just two bikes. Before leaving they offered a substantial amount in exchange for a derailour and a light. The offer was turned down by the museum.
Pirate Treasure
For me, the diamond in this hoard of oily treasure is a bike ridden by the infamous Italian racer, Marco Pantarni. Sergio travelled to Pantarni’s home town, Cesena, to find his mother, Tonina Pantani. He explained the story of his museum and she was so impressed she donated a Yellow Juresys worn by Pantarni. Sergio later acquired an actual bike ridden by, arguably, the sport’s greatest climbers. It’s hard to begin to imagine the sweat and pain (and possibly other substances) that have been forced through the pedals to propel this bike up and over historic mountain stages.
Museo Storico della Bicicletta, Toni Bevilaqua
Museo Storico della Bicicletta is named in honour of Toni Bevilaqua, a local cycling legend who was the world champion on track and in the individual pursuit in 1950 and 1951. Affectionately known as Labròn, for his characteristic protruding lip, Toni was born in Santa Maria di Sala, just inland from Venice, 22 October 1918. He was a professional cyclist from 1940 to 1955 and achieved around thirty victories. Among his many successes on the bike was the 1951 Paris-Roubaix and eleven stages of the Giro d’Italia, won in consecutive years from 1946 to 1952. Toni sadly died on March 29, 1972, at just 53 years old following a tragically trivial accident during a training session in Martellago. A plaque commemorates his life by the roadside.
Where to stop on your Giro
Museo Storico della Bicicletta is about an hour and a half drive north of Venice in the foothills of the mountains that have been the setting for many historic cycling battles. Sanvido had a seemingly unstoppable energy. Alongside his sporting and charitable work, he cared for the local political and social life. He was the deputy mayor of Cesiomaggiore and a municipal councillor. But cycling was never far from his heart and he persuaded the council to give all the streets and squares in Cesiomaggiore a second name after cycling heroes and revered manufacturers. As you ride around stop for a coffee in the main square, Contrada Bottecchia, then take a Giro of Cesiomaggiore along Via Coppi, Anquetil, Bartali, Olmo, Casartelli, Bevilacqua, Bobet…
For opening times and more information about Museo Storico della Bicicletta, Toni Bevilaqua check out their website here.
What should you wear when you take your bike for a coffee? Here is our chic test of Café du Cycliste with founder, Rémi Clermont.
