viale Mare, Gabicce Mare, +39 0541 954192
tavullia, home of the doctor.
#landofmotorsthe yellow village of number 46
On the hills behind Gabicce, just 9 minutes’ drive from Hotel Gloria, there is a small village the whole world knows for a number: 46. It’s Tavullia, the village where Valentino Rossi grew up, nine-time world champion and a legend of motorcycle racing.
Yellow is everywhere here: on the flags hanging from balconies, on the murals, in the shop windows. Just walk up to the square and you’ll understand that in Tavullia the Doctor isn’t just a champion: he’s one of the family.
And after a morning in the hills, coming back to the Gloria means finding the sea again, a swim and a home-cooked dinner.
from the hotel to tavullia
From Gabicce Mare, Tavullia is just 9 minutes by car, heading inland through Gradara: a stop well worth combining, with its medieval castle.
Just ask us: we’ll be happy to suggest the route and the places not to miss for a day in the land of 46.
the village
Tavullia sits on a hill between the Foglia and Conca valleys, on the border between the Marche and Romagna. Until 1938 it was called Tomba di Pesaro: today’s name recalls ancient Tabulla, the Roman-era settlement it grew from.
Today it’s a quiet country village, its centre gathered around the church and bell tower, with a view that stretches from the hills all the way to the sea.
the doctor
Born in Urbino in 1979 and raised in Tavullia, son of racer Graziano Rossi, Valentino won nine world titles: 125cc, 250cc, 500cc and seven times in the premier class, where he took 89 Grand Prix wins. He left MotoGP at the end of 2021, after more than twenty years in the championship.
His 46, the number his father raced with, has become a brand known everywhere. Around him grew VR46: the Academy that trains young Italian riders and a team racing in MotoGP. It all started here.
the fan club
In the village centre you’ll find the official Valentino Rossi Fan Club, a destination for fans from all over the world, with the bikes, helmets and trophies of his career, and just nearby the official VR46 store.
On the days of his victories Tavullia would burst into celebration: the church bells rang and the square turned yellow. That atmosphere of passion and village pride can still be felt today, especially on the Grand Prix weekend in Misano.
Photos: Viaggiamocela (1, 2 – CC BY-SA 4.0), Box Repsol (CC BY 2.0), Toni Pecoraro and Mstangel (public domain) – via Wikimedia Commons.
