Aosta and the Sant'Orso Fair

some time now my boyfriend mentioned the Sant'Orso Fair which takes place for two days, in January, along the streets main areas of Aosta, via Sant Anselmo and via De Tiller. He had been there a few years ago and he thought it was an event that I would like. So I checked when it was taking place exactly and we went there on Saturday.

For obvious reasons you could not enter the city and you had to leave the car in one of the 7 outdoor parking lots from which the free shuttles took downtown. Everything looked good on the map, the reality was a bit different. We arrived around 10 a.m. So during peak hours, the car parks told us where to park and take the shuttle. At the stop: a nightmare.

There were more than 200 people and the shuttle was not coming (also because the roads were blocked by visitors' cars). When she finally arrived there was a fifth of those waiting for us (the shuttle was definitely small — too small). We were decided to take the next shuttle. In the meantime, part of the visitors decided to go on foot. It seemed like the right idea especially for families who were with small children with prams. It was impossible for them to come up.

Since we didn't know how many kilometers it was (depending on the person we were talking to ranged from 4 to 7) we continued our wait. Finally, after a while, the other shuttle arrived, even this assault, but we stayed outside. It was cold, it was windy, our feet were icy and wet. All this contributed to our despair and at the third test we finally managed to get on the shuttle. Out of curiosity, I read on the plate how many people could get on the shuttle: 75. We were close to each other like canned sardines, and we were at least 120 if not more.

But we were happy, because we would finally get downtown. The shuttle took us to the destination near the train station. The fair was probably combined with some agricultural trade fair because there were many agricultural machines. Then the first stalls appeared and I was a little disappointed. Actually, it was like the Borgomanero market, but bigger: a bit of food products, lots of household products and clothing.

It had nothing to do with what the fair brochure promised: where were they artisans? We went deep into the historic center and here we finally saw what we expected: the stalls with artifacts and typical products. Heaven for my eyes. There were also many, but really many, people and that's why it was sometimes difficult to see the products on display.

We had to adapt to the pace of the people around us because we simply couldn't go any faster or stop. Luckily, only a few points were so crowded. In others we could see many small wooden products: plates, spoons, finely carved wooden crosses, vases and bowls of logs, figures made from roots and toys for children.

There were wrought iron products: I liked the roses that framed the mirror. There was also handmade furniture. All we need is to have a little money and space in the house, but it was unfortunately not our case. After all, I noticed that there were a lot of people who merely watched or bought small souvenirs.

In addition to the manufactured products there were also stalls with food products: cheeses, cheeses and once again cheeses. And then cold cuts, sweets, wine, honey, candy and I don't remember what else was there anymore. Then on the squares there were various artistic events and tasting and sale of Aosta Valley food and wine products. The carefree and cheerful atmosphere. Around it was felt, in addition to Italian, French, German and various dialects. Experience to try!