Staying at Downtown Blue Apartment in March, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself for three days in the largest fair in the city and one of the largest nationally, encompassing faith, folklore, and tradition. This event has been taking place for more than three and a half centuries and has always been close to the hearts of the people of La Spezia.

It all began in 1653 when the city chose Saint Joseph (San Giuseppe) as the city’s patron saint and asked the Senate of Genoa, which at the time ruled over the Ligurian Levant, for permission to organize a fair in his honor. For a city to host a fair was considered a highly coveted privilege due to all the advantages it entailed, such as the freedom of movement for merchants, tax immunities, or exemptions from entry and exit duties.

This occurred during a particularly troubled historical period marked by wars, economic crisis, and epidemics, notably the plague. It was in this context that the San Giuseppe Fair was born. The city of La Spezia miraculously escaped the plague epidemic, and according to popular belief, this was thanks to the Patron Saint.

Since then, the Fair has evolved, continuing to celebrate the city’s Patron Saint, with its countless stalls full of typical products and goods of every kind. In more modern times, the San Giuseppe Fair coincided with the public opening of the Military Navy Arsenal, which during this period promoted a series of initiatives to showcase the technological level of its nautical sector, with visits to warships, including submarines and support vessels.

This year, 2024, the Fair will take place from March 17th to 19th with about 600 stalls and will mainly unfold in the area along the La Spezia seafront but also in the historical part of the city. A big novelty of this year are the two White Nights of San Giuseppe. Two evenings, from March 16th to 18th, dedicated to music and fun that will make the city atmosphere even more festive.