«Alfredo Mazza» Memorial – Vintage Car Rally

A vintage car rally in the heart of Irpinia

Once a year, as summer draws to a close, Piazza del Sole — the open-air living room of Santo Stefano del Sole, a small town in the province of Avellino, Campania — ceases to be a typical village square and transforms into an open-air exhibition of chrome, polished paint, and engines from a bygone era. This is the «Alfredo Mazza» Memorial, a vintage car rally that draws collectors, clubs, enthusiasts, and families to the Irpinian village. It is not a race or a timed trial: the vehicles arrive in the morning, line up, are admired, and their stories are shared by their owners, with the day concluding with an awards ceremony.

The memorial dedicated to Alfredo Mazza

The event is named in memory of Alfredo Mazza, remembered by the organizers as «a great enthusiast and expert on engines, who frequently participated in motor races». This gives the event its dual nature: on one hand, it promotes automotive heritage and the technical culture that historic vehicles embody; on the other, it is an affectionate tribute to a person who shared that passion with the entire territory. This is why the atmosphere remains familiar and non-competitive: those who arrive in Santo Stefano del Sole with their vintage car know they are participating in a shared memory, rather than a contest.

Who organizes the event

The rally is organized by Scuderia Avellino Racing together with the Pro Loco of Santo Stefano del Sole, with the patronage of the Municipality and under the aegis of ACI Storico Avellino and ACI Sport. The event is part of the Irpinian calendar dedicated to historic four-wheelers, which visits various towns in the province throughout the year, from Cesinali to San Potito Ultra.

How the day unfolds

The well-established format is that of a static rally concentrated in the morning. In previous editions, the program has been structured as follows:

• arrival and lineup of vehicles in Piazza del Sole in the early morning, with the exhibition open to the public;
• guided tour of the historic center of the village, allowing participants to discover the town and its hidden corners;
• aperitif offered by the organizing committee;
• final awards ceremony at noon, marking the end of the event.

The true value of the morning, however, lies in the stories: owners open their hoods, explain restorations that took years, and show off original manuals and impossible-to-find spare parts. The fleet of cars changes with every edition, depending on the entries collected by the Scuderia in the days prior.

Santo Stefano del Sole, a village with a thousand years of history

With just over two thousand inhabitants and an altitude of 547 meters, Santo Stefano del Sole rises a few kilometers from Avellino, in the hilly area that slopes down toward the Sabato Valley, in the territory of great Irpinian wines. The origins of the town date back to around the year 1000, when the inhabitants of nearby Castel Serpico moved down to build their homes closer to the cultivated lands; the first official document attesting to the existence of the Municipality is dated 1045. A vintage car rally in such a place is not just an event for collectors: it is an opportunity to fill the streets of the center with people, connecting the Pro Loco, local merchants, and visitors arriving from neighboring towns and the provincial capital.

The grand finale of «Vivi Santo Stefano»

The «Alfredo Mazza» Memorial is included in the «Vivi Santo Stefano» summer schedule, the program of events promoted by the Municipal Administration together with the Pro Loco and local associations, which alternates music, religious traditions, gastronomy, and family activities from June to September. The vintage car rally usually has the task of closing the season in September, once the patronal feasts of Saint Stephen the Protomartyr and Saint Vitus the Martyr have concluded.

An event suitable for everyone

As it is an open-air morning event with free admission and a flat route in the heart of the town, the «Alfredo Mazza» Memorial is particularly suitable for families with children, who can see models up close that are usually relegated to museums. Those who wish to participate with their own historic vehicle must register in advance with the organizers by the deadline set in the days preceding the event.