Saint Bartholomew's Fair (Pigs' Fair) of Caorsa

A Fair Half a Millennium Old

The Saint Bartholomew's Fair, historically known as the Pigs' Fair, is one of the oldest traditions in the Upper Veronese Garda. It takes place every year on August 24th, the day of Saint Bartholomew, in the small hamlet of Caorsa, a district of the Municipality of Affi (province of Verona), halfway between Affi and Cavaion Veronese, in the shadow of Monte Moscal.

Saint Bartholomew and the Pig

The origins of the fair date back to the 12th-13th centuries, when the event was a pig market, a reference point for farmers in the Garda hinterland who came here to buy piglets. The link with the saint is not accidental: Saint Bartholomew is considered the patron saint of butchers and is traditionally associated with the figure of the pig, hence the popular name "Pigs' Fair".

The Romanesque Church of Caorsa

The heart of the event is the churchyard of the Church of San Bartolomeo della Caorsa, a Romanesque building documented since the 13th century, the period to which the presence of the hamlet also dates back. Although no longer a place for trading animals, the ancient fair continues to be celebrated in the church square and still attracts numerous visitors from all over the territory.

An Identity Tradition

For the community of Affi and the surrounding hamlets, the Saint Bartholomew's Fair of Caorsa represents an event of strong historical and folkloristic value, a living testimony of a centuries-old mercantile and religious tradition of the Garda hinterland.