Fiera della Croce

A millennial fair in the heart of Cilento

The Fiera della Croce is the event that for centuries has defined Stio, a small town in the province of Salerno, Campania, nestled among the chestnut groves of the Cilento hinterland, within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park. It is traditionally held on September 1st and is linked to the devotion to the Exaltation of the Holy Cross: a blend of faith, commerce, and conviviality that has been repeated for generations and still attracts visitors from all the surrounding towns today.

From silk to livestock: a multi-centennial history

Local sources trace the origins of the fair to the medieval period, when the territory of Stio was under the influence of Gioi; however, the most solid documentation dates back to the mid-15th century, with Aragonese chancery acts attesting to the importance reached by the "Fiera di Santa Maria della Croce". For a long time, the absolute protagonist of trade was the silk market, which found one of its most significant hubs here in ancient Lucania and Cilento.

Alongside silk, for generations the fair was also a major market for livestock and pastoral products: goats, sheep, cattle, donkeys, and horses changed hands during the fair, while stalls and the characteristic "baracche" (wooden booths) offered wool, goat cheeses, copper utensils, and tools for the home and countryside. The duration, once spread over several days at the beginning of September, has gradually been reduced to center on September 1st and the evenings immediately preceding it.

The Chapel of Santa Maria della Croce

On the outskirts of the village stands the chapel of Santa Maria della Croce, which, according to local tradition, houses a relic of Christ's Cross. It is around this place of worship, always a destination for pilgrimages, that the square in front has transformed over time into the heart of the market. The bond between devotion and the fair has never been broken: religious moments still accompany the civil and gastronomic aspects of the event today.

What to find at the fair today

• Stalls and "baracche" set up along the village streets, featuring local products, handicrafts, and all kinds of goods;
• Tastings of Cilento cuisine: goat meat, goat cheeses, handmade pasta with ancient grains, legumes, and traditional peasant dishes;
• Religious celebrations dedicated to the Holy Cross, with rites that mark the most important day;
• Cultural and folkloric events, which in recent editions have included historical re-enactments in costume, folk music, and flag-wavers;
• Excursions and walks that reach Stio from neighboring towns, crossing woods, springs, ancient mills, and ridge paths.

Stio, a village of chestnut groves

Stio is a town of a few hundred inhabitants surrounded by chestnut woods, in an area that in the Middle Ages was part of the "Stato di Magliano" along with Magliano Vetere, Capizzo, and Gorga. It is a different Cilento from the one on the beaches: made of stone, silence, and trails, where the historical economy was based on shepherding, the forest, and the fair. It is no coincidence that Stio is often referred to as "the village of the Fiera della Croce", because it is this event, more than any other, that tells its story.

A free-entry event

Participation in the fair is free: you only pay for what you buy at the stalls and food stands. The detailed program of religious and civil events is published every year by the Municipality of Stio in the weeks prior, along with the notice for vendors who wish to set up their stands along the fair route. Those visiting Stio during these days can easily combine the fair with a walk in the chestnut groves or the discovery of the nearby villages of Gioi, Orria, Campora, and Magliano Vetere.