Fiera di Santa Caterina a Besana in Brianza
The centuries-old end-of-November fair with stalls, a livestock exhibition, and Brianza street food
About Fiera di Santa Caterina
A fair over a century old
The Fiera di Santa Caterina is the event that has marked the autumn calendar of Besana in Brianza, in the Province of Monza and Brianza, for over a hundred years. The fair pays homage to Saint Catherine of Alexandria and the church of the same name in the village, built around the year 1000. With over 130 editions held, it is one of the longest-standing and most deeply rooted traditional fairs in Brianza.
Stalls, animals, and agricultural machinery
On the day of the fair, the main streets (Via Roma, Vittorio Emanuele II, Dante, and Verdi) are filled with hundreds of stalls and street performers. The connection with the farming world remains strong: in Piazza Cuzzi, there is an exhibition of agricultural machinery, while the park of Villa Filippini hosts a farm with sheep, cattle, and donkeys. In Via Viarana, a medieval market with a spinning top workshop and a swap and barter market add colour to the day.
Brianza street food and Christmas Village
The gastronomic area in Piazza Cuzzi celebrates local flavours with typical Brianza dishes — busèca (tripe), cassoeula, risotto with luganega sausage — as well as Valtellina specialities. The fair also inaugurates the ice skating rink and the Christmas Village, which remain open until Epiphany, effectively launching the festive season in Besana.
Fiera di Santa Caterina — edition 2026
The 2026 edition, scheduled for November 25th as per tradition, will reprise the established formula: hundreds of stalls in the town centre streets, the agricultural machinery exhibition in Piazza Cuzzi, the farm at Villa Filippini, the medieval market, and the barter market in Via Viarana. The street food area with Brianza dishes and the opening of the ice rink and Christmas Village complete the day. The detailed program with Mass times and appointments will be published by the Municipality in the weeks preceding the event.
Programme Fiera di Santa Caterina 2026
Typical Day's Programme (based on previous edition)
- Morning — Lauds and Holy Mass at the Church of Santa Caterina; followed by Solemn Mass in the Basilica
- 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM — Market fair in Via Roma, Vittorio Emanuele II, Dante, and Verdi with hundreds of stalls and street performers
- Morning — Inauguration of the ice skating rink and Christmas Village
- All day — Agricultural machinery exhibition in Piazza Cuzzi; farm with sheep, cattle, and donkeys at Villa Filippini; medieval market with spinning top workshop and barter market in Via Viarana
- Street food area in Piazza Cuzzi with busèca, cassoeula, risotto with luganega, and Valtellina specialities
- Evening — Awarding of civic merits
The definitive 2026 programme will be released by the Municipality closer to the event.
Highlights Fiera di Santa Caterina 2026
Prices Fiera di Santa Caterina 2026
Practical information — Fiera di Santa Caterina
When
Tuesday, November 25, 2026. Market fair from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; street food area in Piazza Cuzzi on the preceding days.
Where
Historic centre of Besana in Brianza (MB): Via Roma, Vittorio Emanuele II, Dante, and Verdi; Piazza Cuzzi; Villa Filippini park.
How to get there
By car from the SS36 or Valassina, take the Besana exit. By train to Besana in Brianza station on the Milan-Molteno-Lecco line.
Contacts
Municipal Culture Office: +39 0362 922011.
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Where does it take place — Fiera di Santa Caterina
Centro storico di Besana in Brianza
Vie Roma, Vittorio Emanuele II, Dante, Verdi, 20842 Besana in Brianza