Sant'Antonio Fair

A traditional fair at the foot of the Apennines

The Sant'Antonio Fair is one of the most cherished events in the calendar of Sillano Giuncugnano, a municipality in the upper Garfagnana area of the Province of Lucca, established in 2015 from the merger of the two ancient villages of Sillano and Giuncugnano. The event takes place in the center of Sillano and combines, as per the centuries-old tradition of Apennine villages, religious observance with a market fair, serving as a meeting point for a community spread across small stone hamlets.

Devotion to Saint Anthony of Padua

The spiritual heart of the day is the celebration of Saint Anthony of Padua, whose liturgical feast falls on June 13th. For this reason, the fair is traditionally held on the Sunday closest to that date. The religious program includes Holy Mass and a procession that winds through the village streets, accompanied by the faithful and the community in a rite renewed year after year, which gives the entire event its name.

The fair and market stalls

Alongside the religious aspects, the streets of central Sillano fill with market stalls offering a variety of goods: from clothing and household items to local products and artisanal crafts. For the occasion, the provincial road is closed to traffic and parking is prohibited in the town center, returning the village to pedestrians and the atmosphere of the fair. It is a festive day that attracts, in addition to residents, visitors from the surrounding hamlets and municipalities of the Garfagnana and Lunigiana regions.

Sillano, a village in the upper Garfagnana

Nestled between the mountains of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, on the border with Lunigiana and the Emilian territory, Sillano preserves the charm of Tuscan mountain villages, with the church of San Bartolomeo and a landscape of chestnut groves and pastures. The Sant'Antonio Fair is the ideal opportunity to discover this lesser-known corner of Tuscany, far from the most beaten tourist paths, and to experience a genuine village festival where tradition is still at home.

A festival for everyone, with free admission

The event is organized by the Municipality of Sillano Giuncugnano and is completely free to attend. Suitable for families and those seeking the authenticity of the Apennines, the Sant'Antonio Fair is a great little festival that tells the story of this territory in the Province of Lucca, Tuscany.