Benaco’s Centomiglia Sailing Race Boosts Tourism and Lottery Funding
Arriving on the shores of Benaco, is Lady Luck, whom almost everyone pictures with the charming blonde features of Nancy Brilli, regardless of which organization dispenses the winnings.
The favor shown to this very welcome guest is attributed to the Centomiglia velica, recognized by the Ministry of Finance as an event of such sporting and tourist interest that it could be associated with one of the national lotteries in 2001.
This is not the first time this has happened: already in 1991 and 1995, at the request of the Garda Community, a special concession was granted with very positive results, despite the collection and event period being in August.
During the first event, 1.2 million tickets were sold, and over 1.5 million during the second.
This benefited not only avid bettors but also the image of the lake, broadcast by TV, and of water sports, which has many enthusiasts among locals and tourists alike.
The sailing event and its tourist significance
The race organized by the Gargnano Sailing Club is one of the most spectacular events on the calendar, with its white flags fluttering in the blue waters and sky, occasionally touched or battered by the winds.
It involves hundreds of Italian and international athletes, including some renowned names, as well as thousands of spectators who love this eco-friendly sport, which finds its most natural environment in the Brescia, Trentino, and Veneto lake basin.
The Community, operating across over seventy municipalities spanning two provinces and regions in an area that attracts 10% of Italy’s tourist flow, has promoted this third gamble with luck, under its new president Giuseppe Mongiello, successfully becoming part of the group of events chosen by the Vincenzo Visco Ministry for the billion-lottery draws.
Other cultural and tourist events in Italy
Other notable gatherings in the country include the tour of Legambiente’s Goletta verde, the two days of the “Perdonanza Celestiniana” festival in L’Aquila, the “Cortei di Federico II di Svevia” in Palermo, Iesi, Oria, and the “Palio dei Normanni” in Piazza Armerina, in the province of Enna.