○ 1592 AD: THE GREAT FAIR OF ST. MICHAEL
§ The birth of St. Michael's Fair in Monghidoro §
On August 1, 1592 the Papal Curia granted the abbot Lodovico da Bologna permission to hold a public market every Thursday in the town square of Scaricalasino, "where, to assure fair deals to buyers or sellers, as well as villagers and neighbors, the arms of the Olivetan congregation would remain at the public disposal and disputes over bought goods will be heard at the convent of S. Michele ad Alpes."
The same document established an annual fair to be held for a period of seven days beginning on September 29: the feast of St. Michael the Archangel.
Over the centuries Thursday's Markets and St. Michael Fairs became increasingly important thanks to the location of Scaricalasino/Monghidoro.
Situated along one of the most important roads on the Italian peninsula, the road connecting Bologna with Florence and the closeness to the border between two States, the Papal States and the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, allowed great business for the smugglers in the mountains around Monghidoro; their prosperity lasted until the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy.
Even today the Thursday market and the Fiera di San Michele, to which in 1861 was added the Fiera dei Santi Pietro e Paolo, attract thousands of people from all the towns and villages across the mountains between Bologna and Florence.
- September 2012: the Great St. Michael Fair in Monghidoro -
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