Millenary Fair of the Assumption

A tradition spanning the centuries

The Millenary Fair of the Assumption is one of the most iconic events in the summer calendar of Ausonia, a small stone village in the province of Frosinone, in the heart of the Ciociaria region and the Lazio region. As the name suggests, this is a fair with ancient roots, linked to the feast of the Assumption of Mary and the cult of the Madonna del Piano, which draws residents, returning emigrants, and visitors every August 14th and 15th to the picturesque lowland area at the foot of the village.

The sanctuary of Santa Maria del Piano

The spiritual heart of the fair is the sanctuary of Santa Maria del Piano, whose origins date back to 1100, when the building was allegedly erected on the site of an ancient pagan temple to house a polychrome wooden statue of the Madonna and Child. According to a handwritten chronicle from 1709, the Virgin appeared to a shepherdess named Remingarda in 1100, healing her physical deformity. It is around this devotion, deeply rooted in the community, that the fair has consolidated over the centuries—a moment where the sacred and the profane, prayer and commerce, have always intertwined.

What to find at the fair

The Assumption Fair preserves the authentic atmosphere of old village fairs. Among the streets and spaces of the Madonna del Piano area, you will find:

• stalls and market stands of all kinds, from clothing to handicrafts, reflecting the commercial vocation that has characterized the event for centuries;
• food stands featuring specialties from the Ciociaria region, an opportunity to taste local dishes and typical products;
• exhibitions of paintings and historical photographs of Ausonia, which recount the face of the village and its traditions through time.

Ferragosto in Ausonia

The fair is part of the broader summer program in Ausonia and coincides with the Ferragosto celebrations, when the village experiences its busiest and most popular days. For many local families and emigrants returning to their home village during this period, the Millenary Fair of the Assumption represents an unmissable ritual, a thread that binds generations to the memory of their territory.

Ausonia, the city of stone

The charm of the event is amplified by its setting. Ausonia, whose name derives from the ancient Ausones, the Italic people who first inhabited these places, is known as the "city of stone" for its paved alleys, ancient squares, and heritage linked to stonemasonry. Visiting the village during the fair means combining the festivities with the discovery of an authentic corner of the Ciociaria region, amidst history, popular faith, and landscape.