Behold Miataland, the Miata-themed hotel in Italy

Any tour of Italy would have to include the Ferrari factory collections in Modena and Maranello, the Lamborghini museum in Bologna, or even the Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Turin. But if you’re looking for a small slice of JNC worship, then head to Miataland. The resort boasts a beautiful hotel, outdoor activities, and what is claimed to be the largest privately owned Miata collection in the world.

Miataland was founded in 2017 by Andrea Mancini, who has devoted his life to Mazda’s renowned roadster. The hotel at the center of it was converted from a 17th century stone farmhouse, and houses rooms and suites based on official factory colors of the car. In fact, rather than numbers the rooms have names like Mariner Blue, Sunburst Yellow, Soul Red, and Crystal White.

Inside, bas relief Miata artwork can be found, along with furniture based on the car’s seats, and guests are treated to Miata-themed soap and shampoo. Room keys resemble car keys rather than traditional hotel room keys, and come with a key ring in the Miataland font — which is also based on the original script of the car’s badge.

On the resort grounds stands a barn housing a good chunk of Mancini’s collection of 40-plus Mazdas. Spanning all four generations of Miata, several are European-spec limited editions like a BBR Turbo NA, Miracle Edition NB, and a OpenRace Italia NC.

Mancini’s obsessive collecting doesn’t stop at the edges of his own continent, either. He also owns desirable North American-market variants like a turbocharged 2004 Mazdaspeed NB turbo, a 1999 10th Anniversary Edition NB 6-speed, and a V8-equipped NA built by Monster Miata.

Naturally, Mancini’s most prized possessions hail from the Miata motherland, with cars like one of 500 Japan-market 1994 Eunos RS-Limited editions and a 1993 Eunos V Special Type II. His collection extends to important aftermarket iterations of Miata pantheon as well, including a white 1993 Mazdaspeed B-Spec with a Nopro wide-body kit.

Ironically, there’s also a red NA with a Ferrari 250 GTO replica body and a Soul Red MX-5 NA with a full Pit Crew body kit — cars whose inspirations have come full circle back to Italy.

The crown jewels of Mancini’s collection are a trio of M2 cars, from Mazda Japan’s now-defunct experiment with high-end branding in the 1990s. Included are a one of 300 M2 1001 roadsters, a luxury-oriented 1002, and “street-competition” 1028.

Some of the cars are available for guests to use, in order to explore the Umbria hills, nearby Lakes Corbara and Trasimeno, or the greater Lago di Corbara wine region.

Sadly, the M2 cars are not among the ones Mancini will lend out. Even when Mazda Germany sent a film crew and professional race car driver Cyndie Allemann to borrow one, Mancini said he’d rather chop off his arm.

Mancini also owns non-Miatas, including a Familia GT-R, FC and FD RX-7s, and an RX-8. In any case, to see one man’s singular passion for such a car take shape in such grand form is a sight to behold. Miataland is definitely on our bucket list now.