Rigoso Big Fair

An ancient border fair on the Parma Apennines

The Fiera Grossa di Rigoso is a traditional event held in the small village of Rigoso, a hamlet of the Municipality of Monchio delle Corti, in the Province of Parma and Emilia-Romagna. It takes place in the square that bears the event's name, Piazza della Fiera Grossa, testifying to how much this place has been a market and exchange point for mountain communities for centuries.

A middle land with a millenary history

Rigoso is a village in the high Apennines located in a true middle land, on the border between three provinces — Parma, Reggio Emilia, and Massa-Carrara — and two regions, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, near the Passo del Lagastrello. Its history is extraordinarily long: for about nine hundred years, from the 9th century until the Napoleonic era, these places were organized around a court and a dense network of trade. The inhabitants, always accustomed to mountain life, have made trade and exchange with neighboring territories their vocation: the Fiera Grossa is the direct heir of this ancient mercantile tradition.

What to expect

For a day, the square and the village streets fill with stalls, exhibitors, artisans, and hobbyists. There are no shortage of typical products from the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and food stands, where you can taste the specialties of the Parma mountains.

• Market with stalls of local products and crafts
• Local exhibitors and hobbyists
• Food stands with Apennine specialties
• Village festival atmosphere in the heart of the Parco dei Cento Laghi

In the heart of the Parco dei Cento Laghi

The Fiera Grossa is also an excellent opportunity to discover Rigoso and its natural context: the village is located within the Parco dei Cento Laghi and the MAB Reserve of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, an area of great environmental value with woods, pastures, and high-altitude lakes. The event is organized by the Associazione Turistico Culturale IL CRINALE Rigoso - Aneta, a living expression of a community that continues to keep its village and traditions alive.