San Giuseppe Fair

St Joseph has been the patron saint of La Spezia since 1653 and the city celebrates the feast day with a large fair on 19 March. In ancient times, the fair of St. Joseph lasted five days.

Merchants arrived in the city to sell all kinds of goods, especially foodstuffs. Today, the fair, which continues to be held on 19 March, attracts hundreds of visitors from all over the province and beyond.

All kinds of merchandise can be found on the stalls set up at the Giardini Pubblici, the adjacent streets and along the seaside promenade.

Speciality food stalls, utensils, toys and clothing colour this eagerly awaited event.

For three days, the city lives for the Fair of its patron saint, and you will hardly meet a La Spezia resident who has not carved out even a small part of his or her time to “wander” among the curiosities of this rich market.

The festival becomes a public meeting place and an event of increasing impact, in fact in recent years side events have been organised at the fair, a way of expanding the range of opportunities available to the visitor.

St Joseph’s Day is still an appointment with folklore and tradition, a vehicle to get to know La Spezia’s culture even better.