Good Friday Fair
The ancient annual fair of the village of Mercatino Conca, in the heart of Montefeltro
About Good Friday Fair
A fair dating back to the 16th century
The Good Friday Fair is one of the most deeply rooted events in the history of Mercatino Conca, a small village in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the Marche region, located in the Conca river valley on the border with Montefeltro and Romagna. Its origins date back to 1508, when the Duke of Urbino Guidubaldo I da Montefeltro issued a decree authorizing the Community of Monte Grimano to hold a weekly Friday market and several annual livestock fairs in the square of the then-nascent settlement, called "Genga del Mercato".
The three fairs granted by the duke fell on Good Friday, the feast day of Sant'Ubaldo, and that of Saint Peter. It is precisely from this mercantile vocation that the town took the name "il Mercatino" (the little market), and much of its growth is due to those ancient fairs: by the end of the 16th century, the village already had two inns and was a place of constant passage for breeders, merchants, and butchers from nearby cities.
The fair today
The Good Friday Fair continues to be one of the events that mark the town's calendar, alongside the weekly Friday morning market that is still held today, exactly as it was five centuries ago. The event is included in the Regional Calendar of Fair Events of the Marche as an annual fair of the municipal capital.
For one morning, the historic center comes alive with stalls: agricultural and typical local products, household items, clothing, equipment, and everything that has always characterized Marche village fairs. It is an opportunity to rediscover a small inland village, made up of hilly views and a landscape that, as local chronicles state, "combines the sweet with the rugged hills".
The village and its territory
Mercatino Conca is a scattered municipality comprising the hamlets of Piandicastello, Montealtavelio, and Ripalta. It became autonomous from Monte Grimano during the 20th century, taking its current name in 1940. Its position along the Conca valley makes it a natural transit point between the Marche, Montefeltro, and nearby Romagna, in a territory rich in historic villages and still-vibrant folk traditions.
- Municipality: Mercatino Conca
- Province: Pesaro and Urbino (PU)
- Region: Marche
- Origin of the fair: ducal decree of 1508
- Occasion: annual, on Good Friday
Good Friday Fair — edition 2026
Good Friday Fair 2026
The 2026 edition took place on Friday, April 3rd, on Good Friday, in the historic center of Mercatino Conca. The fair is listed in the 2026 Regional Calendar of Fair Events of the Marche (approved by decree DAPIC no. 1 of January 13, 2026) among the annual fairs of the municipality, with indicative hours from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
As per tradition, for the morning, the streets and the village square hosted stalls with typical products, various items, and local goods, reviving the mercantile spirit that has characterized this corner of Montefeltro in the Province of Pesaro and Urbino since 1508.
Programme Good Friday Fair 2026
The Good Friday Fair is a traditional commercial fair: its "program" consists of the setup of stalls in the historic center for the morning of April 3, 2026, with the exhibition and sale of typical products, agricultural goods, and various merchandise. Indicative hours from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Highlights Good Friday Fair 2026
The charm of an annual fair that has been held for over five centuries, in the heart of a Montefeltro village overlooking the Conca river valley.
Prices Good Friday Fair 2026
Practical information — Good Friday Fair
When
The fair takes place on Good Friday (a movable date, linked to Easter), traditionally in the morning. In 2026, it falls on Friday, April 3rd, with indicative hours from 7:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
Where
Historic center of Mercatino Conca (PU), in the Conca river valley, between the Marche and Montefeltro.
How to get there
By car: Mercatino Conca is reachable from the Adriatic coast (Cattolica) by going up the Conca valley, or from the Montefeltro hinterland. The nearest train station is Cattolica-San Giovanni-Gabicce on the Adriatic line, from which you continue inland by car.
Information
Municipality of Mercatino Conca, tel. +39 0541 970145.
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Where does it take place — Good Friday Fair
Centro storico di Mercatino Conca
Piazza del Mercato, 61013 Mercatino Conca