| FAIRS AND OPEN-AIR MARKETS IN THE HISTORY OF TREVISO |
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The history of Treviso is characteristic of presence of fairs having an annual
cadence and of open-air markets having a monthly or weekly cadence from Middle Ages.
The most important fair for Treviso is the Fiera di San Michele di Melma (Fair of St. Michael); we have some
written evidences of this event from year 905. It happened near the port of the river Sile and thus this area
was called "Porto di Fiera" (Port of fair) in time. |
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The Trevisan Pope Benedetto XI put off the date of Fiera
di San Michele (Fair of St. Michael) after some centuries; the date of October 22, 1303 was appointed for this event
because the Pope wanted it coincided with the day of construction of the Chiesa di San Nicoḷ (Church of St. Nicoḷ).
Thus the Fiere di San Michele (Fairs of St. Michael) changed their name into Fiere di San Luca (Fairs of St. Luke)
because they took place when this saint was celebrated. |
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Their period might go on either few days or fortnight
always with the day of St. Luke in the middle.
This event attracted many persons' attention, there were visitors
coming from whole Veneto and from neighbouring regions.
The fair was a place where the agricultural products,
markets of horses and of other domestic animals were sold, but the Fiere di San Luca (Fairs of St. Luke) had
maintained only their play features at the half of nineteenth century and a noteworthy market took place only
on Tuesday. |
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According to the history the weekly markets happened on Thursdays and on Saturdays in
Treviso, but their cadence changed with the arrival of the French army: the market taking place on Thursdays
was moved on Mondays and then on Tuesdays, this resolution had become effective from November 1797 and it remained
till today. The open-air market was placed in some squares in the centre of Treviso as Piazza San Leonardo,
Piazza Duomo and Piazza dei Signori. |
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The open-air market began taking place also near
Porta San Tomaso (St. Thomas Gate), within the Walls of Treviso from the half of seventeen century, the
stalls of the street traders coming from other areas of the town got together here in time.
Then there was
the cattle market which might be made also by three thousand heads, while the sheep and the pigs had to be
out Porta di San Tomaso (Gate of St. Thomas). |
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There were other not less important fairs in the
neighbourhood of Treviso as the Fiera di Santa Lucia (Fair of St. Lucy) which took place in the country
having the same name, near Conegliano, from 1313.
Before 1313 another fair happened in Vidor, but it
was suppressed that year and it was ordered citizens to refer to open-air market in Treviso then this
fair was revived in Vidor on the first Tuesday of every month. |
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| Other markets and fairs took place in Ponte di Piave,
Oderzo, Vazzola, Chiarano, Castelfranco Veneto, Asolo, Tombolo, Montebelluna, Mestre and Marghera. |
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