A Motorcycle museum and bar in the heart of Bologna
Rino’s Garage, a collection of Ducati motorcycles owned by the late Rino Caracchi is just a 5 minute walk from the Piazza Maggiore in the centre of Bologna. The best things we find on our travels are those we weren’t expecting and this wonderful collection is one of them!
Rino’s Garage
We found Rino’s Garage by accident whilst walking into the centre of Bologna one morning. It was closed at the time but I was intrigued. Things worked out perfectly as it opened at 3:00PM, it had a bar, and it was next door to an art gallery that my wife wanted to visit later that day. I had an immediate warm welcome, and then marvelled at the immaculately presented machines in an equally as pristine, art gallery feeling environment.
The Rino Caracchi Collection
Rino Carracchi was the ‘C’ behind the Italian race bike builders NCR, that created endurance racing motorcycles bearing the Ducati badge from the 60’s to the 90’s. This collection of machines which goes back to 1950 was the pride of Rino and all so well presented that they look like they were made yesterday.
This collection is now proudly curated by Rino’s son, Stefano Caracchi, himself a rider of an NCR prepared superbike, retiring in 1995.
The motorcycles are presented in this small museum / bar over two floors, including wonderful photographs of the machines racing in their heyday,
Stefano Caracchi, his father Rino Caracchi in the photograph behind
So..having ‘popped in for a ‘quick look’ my wife caught me up after finishing at the art gallery and several hours later we were still there sitting outside on their tables taking full advantage of the bar and enjoying talking with Stefano and his wife.
Stefano’s passion for these machines and his father’s legacy is clear from the outset and he’ll do a much better job than I telling you more about this wonderful collection. These machines are a part of his family – he makes no charge for entry and visitors need to be respectful of these works of art by looking and definitely not touching!
If you’re in Bologna and need an end of day drink to recover from a busy day’s tourism then this is great place to seek out at Via Galliera, 2, 40121 Bologna. More details on their website at https://rinosgarage.it/en/