Ancient Fair of Carmignano

A tradition spanning the centuries

The Ancient Fair of Carmignano is one of Tuscany's most deeply rooted historical events. Its origins date back to 1392, when a municipal statute established that a market should be held near the town hall, inside the fortress. For centuries, the fair was held on November 30th, the feast day of Saint Andrew, until 1833, when the date was moved to the first Tuesday of December to avoid overlapping with neighboring town fairs. Its golden age arrived in the 18th century: in 1704, it was decided that the fair should last three days, such was its fame throughout the Prato and Florence regions.

From agricultural market to town festival

Born as a major agricultural and livestock market, the fair was an occasion for the sharecroppers and farmers of Montalbano to purchase not only essentials but also a few small luxuries: an umbrella, a pair of trousers, or a jacket. Today, that popular spirit lives on in a town festival that blends rural memory, gastronomy, and curiosity. Stalls fill Piazza Giacomo Matteotti, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, and the spaces of the former Niccolini cellars in the heart of Carmignano, a small hillside town in the Province of Prato, Tuscany.

The products of Montalbano

The fair is above all a showcase for the typical products of the Carmignano hills. Among the stalls, you will find:

• The famous dried figs of Carmignano, a local traditional specialty
• Carmignano DOCG wine and Vin Santo, among the finest Tuscan oenological treasures
• Extra virgin olive oil from Montalbano, often the star of fettunta (toasted bread) tastings
• Seasonal specialties like necci, fritters, and castagnaccio made with chestnut flour
• Traditional sweets like brigidini and almond brittle

Entertainment and shows

Alongside the food and wine market, the fair offers a rich program of activities for all ages: falconry displays in the squares, an old-fashioned farm with barnyard animals and goat milking, an exhibition of vintage tractors and agricultural tools, live cooking shows with local chefs, art and photography exhibitions, antique and craft markets, guided hikes on the Montalbano hills, and visits to museums and the medieval fortress. A blend of tradition, taste, and culture that attracts visitors from Prato, Florence, and the entire metropolitan area every year.