Fiera di Messina
The Fiera di Messina is an international fair that takes place annually in the Sicilian city of Messina .
In 1296 Frederick II of Swabia decided to set up a mass in Messina. It was held outside the city walls, north of the Porta Reale and the Church of San Francesco di Paola .
The fair reached the height of its success in the 15th century. After the unsuccessful uprising of Messina's trade and finance aristocracy , the "Merli", in 1678, the fair experienced an economic decline. Even the Bourbon government could not stop this decline with the concession of a Porto Franco , the tax exemption of the port .
With the unification of Italy in 1861 and the opening of the Suez Canal , the port of Messinas became a popular transport hub. The consequence of this was an industrial, economic and artistic boom in the city and therefore also in the trade fair. After the earthquake of 1908 , the city was completely rebuilt between 1910 and 1939 according to the plans of Luigi Borzì . The fair could already be held provisionally in 1934 near the Maurolico grammar school near the Piazza Duomo. On August 10, 1937, during his visit to Messina , Mussolini gave the order to build a new and larger exhibition building on the Messina riverside. The trade fair and exhibition grounds were inaugurated on August 10, 1938 after a short construction period (start: April 8, 1938). On August 10, 1946, the fair was reopened after an interruption due to the war (since 1941).
On the site there are numerous pavilions that were modern at the time and were designed by Filippo Rovigo and Vincenzo Pantano . The total exhibition area is 49,160 m², of which 15,058 m² are covered and 34,102 m² are in the open air.