Ottone Fair

A Mountain Fair in Alta Val Trebbia

There is an Emilia-Romagna that few know: that of the Apennine valleys, of villages clinging to the slopes, and of rivers with crystal-clear waters. Ottone is one of these places. A municipality of just over 460 inhabitants, nestled at 492 meters above sea level along the Trebbia river, it is located in the Province of Piacenza but looks as much towards the Po Valley as towards the Ligurian Sea, halfway (74 km from Piacenza, 69 km from Genoa) along state road 45.

It is in this context that the Ottone Fair returns, an event on the fair calendar of Alta Val Trebbia scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 08:00 to 14:00. A fair-market like those of the past, which brings stalls and stands to the village and makes an early summer morning an opportunity to come up to the mountains, wander among the exhibitors, and breathe the good Apennine air.

Piazza della Vittoria, Always the Market Square

The heart of Ottone is Piazza della Vittoria, created in 1853 by leveling a small hill. It is no coincidence that its original name was Piazza del Montone or, even more eloquently, Piazza del Mercato: the commercial vocation of this village is rooted in an ancient tradition, when fairs were the moment of meeting and exchange for the scattered communities along the valley. The Ottone Fair ideally collects this heritage.

The Four Provinces Apennines

Ottone is located in the culturally homogeneous territory of the Four Provinces Apennines, where the mountains of Piacenza, Genoa, Alessandria, and Pavia meet. It is a land with strong musical traditions, with the piva (the Apennine bagpipe) as its symbolic instrument, and a repertoire of ancient music and dances. Visiting the village also means discovering a surprising heritage: the parish church of San Marziano, the remains of the Malaspina Castle, the Mulino dei Principi, and the Oratory of San Rocco.

What to Expect

• Stalls and stands of a traditional village fair-market
• Typical products and crafts from the Alta Val Trebbia area
• An outdoor morning in the historic center of Ottone
• The opportunity to discover an Apennine village off the beaten track

The Ottone Fair is not a major national event: it is an authentic fair, tailored for a small mountain municipality. And it is precisely in this intimate dimension that its charm lies, for those seeking a genuine experience in the Apennine Emilia-Romagna.