In “The Good ol’ U.S. of A.,” we might refer to Motovun as “Smallville.” And indeed, a Superman of sorts did briefly live in Motovun when it was part of the Kingdom of Italy and still called Montona. His name is Mario Andretti, the famous race car driver.
As Istrian Italians, his family fled to Lucca, Italy, in 1948, and eventually to the U.S. to escape persecution during the ethnic cleansing of Istria after it became part of Yugoslavia.
Considering that Motovun prohibits cars—only town residents, shopkeepers, and hotel guests can drive in the Old Town—this was undoubtedly a good thing for his future career. Mario went on to win Formula One, IndyCar, the World Sportscar Championship, and NASCAR races.
Source link
