Forza Alfa Romeo: Italian car school

A sleepy little town famous for its risotto rice, Balocco, Italy, is also home to the Balocco Proving Ground where some of the most famous Alfa Romeo sports cars were conceived.

Conveniently situated half way between Milan and Turin, La Pista Sperimentale di Balocco, as it's also known, is a remarkable place to visit. Steeped in history and imbued with passion, It's pretty special to drive on the hallowed asphalt that bore delicious fruit such as the original - and now contemporary - Alfa Romeo Giulia.

Constructed in 1962, the first car to take full advantage of the proving ground's new "Misto Alfa" course was the original Alfa Romeo Giulia from that same year. To this day it's considered one of the Italian brand's greatest cars of all time.

Lightweight and attractive, the Giulia was a success in showrooms and on the race track, with models like the sporty Giulia Sprint GTA (Gran Turismo Alleggerita) winning the European Touring Car Championship from 1966-68.

Despite being the spiritual home of some Italy's most respected sports cars, there's a profound sense of serenity at automotive test centre. Surrounded by mountains, the Balocco Proving Ground features a number of old stables built in the early 1900s, each of which has been lovingly restored to accommodate cars, engineers, and sometimes the odd journalist.

That sense of tradition and tranquillity is juxtaposed with innovation and uproar as we blast along one of the many the circuits (this one the 5.6km F1-sactioned track) in a 375kW Alfa Romeo Giulia QV.

We also had the good fortune to speed along the twisting, winding circuit in an Alfa Romeo 4C, its carbon-fibre body and ultra-direct steering making the Balocco experience frank and unpretentious. Some of the corners replicate those of famous race tracks, such as the Prima Curva di Lesmo from Monza.

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Forza Alfa Romeo: Guilia QV and 4C Review

When Alfa Romeo was taken over by Fiat in 1987, the Italian company realised the potential of the Balocco Proving Ground, the large 1200 acre property just begging for an upgrade. In 1992 a 7.7km high-speed loop with 30-degree banked corners was added, which allows speed in excess of 300km/h.

A replacement for the high-speed Nardo loop, it was followed a year later by a 24km ride and handling track with 135 corners. The Italian Nurburgring perhaps?

More has been added over the decades and today there is almost 80km of roadways at the Balocco facility. This includes low grip, ABS, ride comfort and acoustic testing areas, plus a skid pan, truck and even off-road tracks.

Today, the enormous facilities are used by FCA's range of brands; we even saw a unit of Jeep Trackhawks being unloaded for testing. The huge facility also hosts various club racing days, so it's not impossible for mere mortals to score a drive there.

The Balocco Proving Ground has played an essential role in shaping the Alfa Romeo brand over the decades and, as the company undergoes a product-led renaissance today, the spectacular proving ground will continue to help shape current and future classics.

Lunga vita la Balocco!