Since the very first edition of the Senigallia Biennale in 2019, we made the decision to include a modest fair — a space where a few dealers and collectors could meet, exchange ideas, and trade works. Because trade is life. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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BIENNALE DI SENIGALLIA

Photographers soon joined in to share their latest creations, and each edition has preserved this convivial moment.

This year, the fair took place on Friday evening and especially on Saturday morning, in one of the city’s most beautiful settings: the Foro Annonario, a neoclassical construction inaugurated in 1836.

The Fiera di Senigallia (also known as the Fiera della Maddalena) traces its origins to the final days of the Middle Ages. Indirect records confirm its existence as early as 1408, during the rule of the Malatesta family, while tradition and legend reach further back — sometimes as far as the thirteenth century. The first official mention appears in 1458, when Senigallia was granted a franchigia, or tax exemption, for the fair by the Malatesta.

In 1474, Senigallia passed from Malatesta control to the independent Duchy of Urbino, ruled by the rising della Rovere dynasty, after Pope Sixtus IV assigned the city to his nephew, Giovanni della Rovere. Under Urbino’s sovereignty, Senigallia flourished, enjoying autonomy and favorable conditions for trade.

After the Duchy’s annexation by the Papal States in 1631, Senigallia suffered a succession of epidemics.

Fortunately, Pope Benedict XIV (1740–1758) elevated the city’s status by designating it the sole free port (porto franco) within the Papal States, aiming to rival the commercial power of Ancona and Venice. This privileged status included sweeping tax exemptions and simplified customs procedures, attracting merchants from across Europe and the Mediterranean.

In 1746, Benedict XIV also commissioned the construction of the Portici Ercolani — a grand colonnade of 126 arches along the Misa River — to host foreign merchants and consular representatives from countries including England, Denmark, Sweden, the Ottoman Empire, Austria, and Belgium. The fair’s summer timing, which avoided the disease-prone season in Ancona, and its fifteen-day duration further enhanced its appeal. In case of epidemic alert, the fair would still proceed, with local residents confined within the city walls and separated from the port zone.

At its eighteenth-century height, the Fiera di Senigallia was a major commercial event, drawing up to 50,000 foreign visitors and 500 ships annually. Merchants from at least eight nations — among them the Ottoman Empire, Scandinavia, Britain, and Central Europe — took part, trading in grain, spices, textiles, and luxury goods.

This vibrant era came to an end after Italian unification. In 1869, the new Italian government abolished Senigallia’s franchigia, stripping the city of its free-port status and bringing the historic fair to a close.

In the same spirit, this year’s Biennale fair continues virtually — on a platform created by several participants from the Fauve collective. You can explore available works at: