Aosta. Fair Sant'Orso

More than a thousand years the world's oldest trade fair St. Orso (Sant'Orso), which is annually held in late January in Aosta. She was more than a thousand years, in 2010 it will be held in 1010-th time. They say it all started back in the X century. dealt with poor clothing and shoes before church Sant'Orso. Then she began to mark the end of winter (still short in Italy in winter). At the fair, local farmers could sell or buy the instruments made by them during the long winter evenings, and needed to work in the new summer season. In the past, the evening that the family spent together in smaller works, conversations, "scary" stories about devils and witches called "veya". Today "veya" - are any events on old professions. By "veya" refers Fair Sant'Orso - holiday valdostanskih traditional crafts. "Veya" are of great interest to tourists, offering them an opportunity to touch the root page of the past, to see that people in the Valley are trying to preserve self-control tools that are the fault of progress have become useless in everyday life, but are part of a cultural tradition. The fair Sant'Orso come up to a hundred thousand visitors from Italy and abroad. That is, for a few days the population of the Valley is doubled. Folk festival captures the entire city center, inside and outside the city wall, built during the Roman Empire. Exhibited handicrafts made of wrought iron, wood, soapstone, lace, wool fabrics, furniture, household utensils, agricultural implements and the most real sculptures. On the streets of the music, people sing, dance, some drink coffee, other - hot mulled wine. On the main square Piazza Chanoux (Piazza Shan) in the "Atelier de Mete» (Atelier des Mytiers), an exhibition and sale of products of professional craftsmen. Special gastronomic pavilion opens to the neighboring area of ??Piazza Plouves («Piazza Pluv). It organizes exhibitions, tasting local products. The menu is the best and most delicious: cheese, bacon, various cuts, sausages, thousands of different tartinok of black bread with honey, walnuts, chestnuts, fresh cheese flavored with herbs ... Many products are placed on a beautiful cutting boards from a pear tree. Of the main dishes are offered primarily fondue, polenta and local peasant soups. Served valdostansky delicious black bread and bread sticks of different flavors. Glasses are filled with local red and white wines. The culmination of the festival falls on the night of 30 to 31 January, when the streets are lit and filled with people until dawn.