The Places Behind the Races: Imola Edition
Take a stroll through the 2025 Italian life as we head into the race weekend...
Welcome or welcome back to ‘Places Behind the Races’ :) Throughout the 2025 season, Formula 1 will be visiting 24 different locations across 21 different countries. The global expanse of the sport is one of its best features, but I find that we don’t often talk about the places behind the races. With that in mind, I thought I would delve into everything fun and trending in the many locations that Formula 1 visits. From events and national holidays to movies and food trends, I have you covered. So, let’s get to it!
Events & Holidays (Emilia-Romagna Specific)
Gnoccata (16 – 18 May) - The event aims to commemorate the uprising by a group of millers and intellectuals, who were joined by the people in a satirical procession praising the arrival of a new king, fairer and more benevolent, capable of bringing a different social order to these lands. What they then did was organise a popular and convivial festival, in which they distributed dumplings made with the flour produced by the milling. In the context in which this celebration was born, the coronation of the king thus indicated the hope of the arrival of a new golden age, which would relieve the people of the Lower Po Valley from their misery. The celebration includes gastronomic tastings, performances and historical parades.
Festival della Malvasia (17 – 18 May) - Sala Baganza is preparing to welcome all wine and food enthusiasts in an event that celebrates the food and wine tradition of the area. Two days of tastings of the best Malvasia wines, accompanied by local gastronomic specialities, an unforgettable experience under the banner of entertainment and conviviality. Local products, tastings, shows and masterclasses in the shadow of the beautiful Rocca di Sala Baganza, a few kilometres from Parma.
Balconies in Bloom (17 – 18 May) - Piazza Ganganelli, in the historic centre, will be at the centre of attention with the market exhibition of flowers and plants, set up by one hundred exhibitors and a craft market with antiques and natural and herbal products as well. There will also be stands, food stands, sweets and shows, exhibitions, cultural events, competitions and entertainment.
Supercars – The evolution of uniqueness (18 Feb 2025 – 17 Feb 2026) - The exhibition offers an exclusive look at Ferrari's evolution, highlighting its Supercars, true works of art that represent excellence in technology and design. Each model tells stories of passion and innovation through documents, drawings, and prototypes. An interactive journey that traces the brand's history, from its origins to the creation of the brand-new F80, symbolising continuous innovation. An unmissable experience to discover Ferrari's extraordinary evolution, a brand that will always remain in the hearts of enthusiasts.
Top 10 Songs This Week (Billboard Hot 100)
Neon – Sfera Ebbasta & Shiva
Balorda Nostalgia – Olly
Incoscienti Giovani – Chille Lauro
La Plena (W Sound 05) – W Sound, Beele & Ovy On The Drums
Amor – Achille Lauro
La Cura Per Me – Giorgia
Ordinary – Alex Warren
Bottiglie Vuote – Pinguini Tattici Nucleari
Sogno Americano – Artie 5lve
Non Metterci Becco – Sfera Ebbasta & Shiva
Top 10 Shows This Week (Netflix):
The Eternaut – After a toxic snowfall kills millions, Juan Salvo and a group of survivors in Buenos Aires must resist an invisible threat from another world.
The Four Seasons – The decades-long friendship between three married couples is tested when one divorces, complicating their tradition of quarterly weekend getaways.
You: Season 5 - Joe's story comes full circle to New York, as a family conflict threatens his glamorous marriage and an alluring new crush revives his darkest impulses.
Asterix & Obelix - When their druid forgets how to prepare the magic potion, Asterix and Obelix must defend the village as Caesar plots to use a Gallic law against them.
Bad Boy - A comedian recounts how his wit kept him alive inside a brutal juvenile detention center in this raw, coming-of-age drama inspired by true events.
FOREVER - Reunited as teens, two childhood friends fall deeply in love, experiencing the joy and heartache of a first romance that will change their lives forever.
The Gardener - Elmer's mother used his lack of feelings to turn him into a hitman. But when he falls for his next victim, their cover as calm local gardeners wavers.
Ransom Canyon - Secrets, love and lies intertwine as rancher Staten Kirkland follows his heart, fights to protect his land and investigates a painful personal loss.
Adolescence - When a 13-year-old is accused of the murder of a classmate, his family, therapist and the detective in charge are all left asking: what really happened?
The Glass Dome - When her friend's daughter goes missing, criminologist Lejla joins the search — and must confront the haunting trauma of her own childhood abduction.
Top 5 Movies This Week (Netflix)
Bad Influence – An ex-con gets a fresh start when hired to protect a wealthy heiress from a stalker, but their chemistry is hard to resist as they grow closer.
Exterritorial – When her son vanishes inside a US consulate, ex-special forces soldier Sara does everything in her power to find him — and uncovers a dark conspiracy.
Inside Man: Most Wanted – A hotshot NYPD negotiator butts heads with the FBI and meets his match in a meticulous criminal mastermind who attempts to rob the Federal Reserve.
Nonnas – After losing his beloved mother, a man risks everything to honour her by opening an Italian restaurant with actual nonnas — grandmothers — as the chefs.
Last Bullet – Car genius Lino returns to conclude his vendetta against Areski and the corrupt commander who ruined their lives in this turbo-charged trilogy finale.
Top 5 Movies This Week (Box Office)
Thunderbolts – Ensnared in a death trap, an unconventional team of antiheroes -- Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker -- embarks on a dangerous mission that forces them to confront the darkest corners of their pasts.
Black Bag – When his beloved wife, Kathryn, is suspected of betraying the nation, intelligence agent George Woodhouse faces the ultimate test -- loyalty to his marriage or his country.
Until Dawn – One year after her sister disappeared, Clover and her friends head to the remote valley where she vanished to search for answers. Exploring an abandoned visitor centre, they soon encounter a masked killer who murders them one by one. However, when they mysteriously wake up at the beginning of the same night, they're forced to relive the terror over and over again.
Flight Risk – A U.S. marshal boards a small plane to transfer a government witness to New York. As they cross the Alaskan wilderness, tensions start to rise as not everyone on the flight is who they appear to be.
The Legend of Ochi - A young girl learns to never go outside after dark because of reclusive forest creatures known as the Ochi. However, when a baby oochi is left behind by its pack, she embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to reunite it with its family.
Food trends (Emilia Romagna Specific)
Prosciutto di Parma – A popular meat product made in a very specific way. The pigs of the Large White, Landrace and Duroc breed used in the production of this ham must meet high quality standards, be bred in one of 10 northern and central Italian regions and fed a diet of grains, cereals and whey of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, which contributes to the complex taste of the meat. The expert Maestro Salatore (salt master) measures the minimum amount of sea salt required to preserve the meat.
Culatello di Zibello - Culatello is tender, rich in flavor and has a refined, winey taste. It is one of the leaner forms of cured pork, cut from the best part of the whole fresh ham, and cured with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic and dry white wine. Since it is stuffed in a natural casing, most often a pig's bladder, and tied with twine, Culatello is sometimes classified as a type of salami.
Tagliatelle al ragu alla Bolognese - Tagliatelle al ragù alla Bolognese is a traditional dish originating from Bologna, consisting of tagliatelle pasta and a rich ragù made with a mixture of minced beef, pork, and tomatoes as key ingredients. Not to be confused with the widely popular spaghetti Bolognese…
Lasagne alla Bolognese - This rich and filling piatto unico (lit. single plate; one-dish meal) is traditionally made from layers of homemade, typically spinach-flavoured fresh egg lasagna pasta that is topped with béchamel sauce and a rich meat sauce called ragù alla Bolognese. Lastly, lasagne alla Bolognese is generously sprinkled with the Emilian king of cheeses, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and baked until tender on the inside with a perfectly crisp, browned top. This oven-baked classic is a typical dish of the Emilia-Romagna region, and of the city of Bologna specifically.
Piadina Romagnola - Even though today this griddled Italian flatbread is typically enjoyed as a sandwich (one of the most popular fillings includes prosciutto, creamy soft cheeses like squacquerone, tomatoes, and a handful of peppery wild arugula), Piada or piadina Romagnola was once merely a staple of the poor, often made with maize flour and called la pjida ad furmantoun in Romagnolan dialect. Le piadine, in plural, can take virtually any ingredients as their filling, and they can be easily found freshly prepared at numerous street kiosks called piadinerie, as it is best to eat a piadina only minutes after it comes off the cast-iron griddle while it's still pliable and warm
All food info and photos from https://www.tasteatlas.com/best-rated-dishes-in-emilia-romagna
You didn’t think I would leave you hanging without a ‘Places Behind the Races’ this week, did you? Of course, I’m back, and this time I am extremely jealous. What I wouldn’t do to be spending my weekend in Italy for a race instead of being stuck in a currently dreary England.
Can I start by talking about the food? Wowieeeee, we all knew the Italians don’t mess around when it comes to food, but even just this one region alone has better cuisine than the whole of England (sorry fellow English people, but we can’t deny the facts here). I think I would be happy having that tagliatelle or lasagne for all three meals a day!
I also found the music really interesting for this one. Out of all of the posts in this series that I have done so far, the Italian music chart seems to be the least influenced by the global music industry. I guess their next level patriotism extends into other aspects of pop culture outside of Ferrari, too.
Speaking of Ferrari, the audacity of them bringing Lewis Hamilton home for the first time and then giving both him and Charles more car issues! Buck up your ideas, please, Ferrari, there is no better place for a podium, and especially a win, than at home. What makes this even worse is the fact that Kimi Antonelli has rocked up to the track with every single one of his Italian classmates in Mercedes merch. It’s a win for him and Merc, but a hilarious turn of events for Ferrari.
I’m also astounded by the longevity of Adolescence’s popularity. I personally think it is an incredible series and I am all here for it maintaining global popularity, but wow… this feels like something almost unattainable in recent times based on how much content is churned out now for TV daily between streaming, regular TV and YouTube.
Overall, I am extremely excited for the weekend ahead. It’s the beginning of the European season, we have F2 and F3 in support, and all is to play for in the Championship. Here’s to the first Italian race of the season!
