San Bartolomeo Fair

The fair that closes the Mondragone summer

The San Bartolomeo Fair is the most anticipated trade event of the year in Mondragone, a city in the province of Caserta awarded the Gold Medal for Civil Merit, located in the heart of the coastal Campania region. It is neither a food festival nor a patronal feast in the strict sense: it is a genuine public market fair, organized by the Municipality and regulated by the Area VI Urban Planning, SUAP, Urban Hygiene, Environment and Cemetery department. For three consecutive days at the end of August, the large space that usually hosts the weekly market transforms into a long corridor of stalls, voices, colors, and bargaining.

Where it takes place: the Via Fiumara market area

The fair is held in the Via Fiumara market area, a large, flat space in the city's market district, easily accessible on foot from the center and served by parking in the surrounding streets. It is the same space used for the city's weekly market, but during the fair, the scene changes: rows of gazebos and tarps, goods displayed on racks, and vendors arriving from outside the province.

The dates and the link to August 24th

The fair is traditionally anchored to the feast of St. Bartholomew the Apostle, which the liturgical calendar celebrates on August 24th. The official pages of the Municipality of Mondragone indicate it as taking place "from August 22nd to 24th" in the market area, but the actual dates shift slightly depending on the year: in 2024 it took place on August 22, 23, and 24; in 2025 from Thursday, August 21 to Saturday, August 23; while for 2026, the official communication from Area VI, published on June 19, sets the event for August 24, 25, and 26. It is therefore always advisable to check the municipal notice before traveling.

What to find among the stalls

The fair maintains the generalist character of the great popular fairs of Southern Italy. Among the stalls, you will mainly find:

• clothing and footwear, from seasonal items to end-of-summer deals;
• household linens, homeware, and personal care items;
• handicrafts and small locally-made objects;
• local products and gastronomic specialties from the Caserta area;
• sweets, dried fruit, and the classic treats that accompany every traditional fair.

It is an occasion for both shopping and strolling: many Mondragone families experience the fair as an evening to spend together, between a walk among the stalls and a stop at local bars.

A piece of the Mondragone festival calendar

The San Bartolomeo Fair is part of a particularly rich city calendar. The Municipality lists among the main recurrences the feast of the Madonna Incaldana on Easter Tuesday, the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary on August 15th, and the feast of St. Michael the Archangel on September 29th in the Sant'Angelo district, in addition to the feasts of St. Anthony, St. Joseph the Artisan, and St. Justin in various localities. The fair also falls close to August 25th, the day on which St. Rufinus the Bishop is venerated in Mondragone, a figure linked to the ancient diocese of Sinuessa and today the patron of one of the most populous parishes in the diocese of Sessa Aurunca: the end of August is therefore a moment of great collective vitality for the city.

Mondragone and the Domitian coast

Those arriving for the fair will find a city overlooking the Domitian coast, crossed by the Via Domitiana and stretched between the Tyrrhenian coast and the hills that protect it from behind. The area preserves the memory of ancient Sinuessa, a Roman colony famous in antiquity for its thermal waters, and is today one of the most popular seaside destinations in the province of Caserta. August is the month of peak tourist influx: the fair therefore falls at the time when the city is most vibrant, with both residents and vacationers.

Tips for your visit

• Arriving in the late afternoon is the most comfortable choice: the midday hours in late August are hot and the market area is largely devoid of shade.
• Bring cash: many street vendors do not have payment terminals.
• Allow time for parking, which is more difficult than usual in the streets around Via Fiumara during the fair.
• Check the Municipality's website for any traffic ordinances and parking changes during the event.