Monday of the Angel Fair

A fair that smells of spring and the countryside

The Monday of the Angel Fair is one of the most deeply rooted events in the tradition of Santa Sofia, a municipality in the upper Bidente valley in the province of Forlì-Cesena, at the foot of the Romagnol Apennines. It is held every year on the Monday of the Angel, the day after Easter which everyone in Romagna simply calls Pasquetta, and transforms the entire historic center into a large outdoor meeting place.

From peasant roots to the present day

The origins of the fair date back to a time when Santa Sofia hosted an important fair mainly dedicated to the livestock market: it was the time when families from the town and surrounding countryside met to trade animals, tools, and land products. The tradition also included the ancient custom of the "Easter Ox", with livestock adorned for the festival. Since 2018, the event has strongly rediscovered this agricultural soul: the core identity remains the livestock exhibition, held in Piazza Mortani in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Regional Breeders Association, with cattle, sheep, horses, and farm animals on display.

The squares and streets of the celebration

The fair is spread across several areas of the town, each with its own character:

• Piazza Matteotti, Via Martiri della Libertà, and Via Marconi: the large street market, with stalls of all kinds.
• Piazza Mortani and Via Pisacane: the livestock exhibition, the area for typical products and crafts, exhibitors of creatives and artisans, and the space dedicated to vintage and antiques.
• Piazza Garibaldi: food trucks and gastronomic specialties, with musical entertainment.

Between flavors, crafts, and workshops

Alongside the market, the day offers an exhibition of typical local products and crafts, often with the presence of entities like Coldiretti – Campagna Amica, stands of local creatives and artisans, and tastings of Romagnol flavors. For children, play areas with the characteristic wooden toys of Nonno Banter 57 and art workshops are set up. The soundtrack to the celebration is provided by the "C. Roveroni" band from Santa Sofia, which performs itinerantly through the town center in the afternoon.

Why it's worth coming

The Monday of the Angel Fair is the perfect opportunity to spend Easter Monday outdoors, amidst the hills of upper Romagna, rediscovering the rhythms and flavors of the peasant world. It is an authentic popular festival, where the bond with the land and the traditions of the Bidente valley remains alive and tangible, just a stone's throw from the National Park of the Casentinesi Forests.