From March 7 to 15, 2026, Mercanteinfiera returns to Fiere di Parma, the international exhibition of modern antiques, antiques and collectibles. In this Spring edition, the event invites the public to immerse themselves in the 20th century, among symbolic objects and shared imagery. The short century is recounted here through elements that built its collective identity: from the music of the Sanremo Festival to the television pop culture of Happy Days; from the symbols of sports and Olympic victories to writing as an everyday gesture and material memory of the time, to the myth of speed.
In addition to the exhibitors’ booths, the program of collateral exhibitions is designed as a narrative that crosses television and entertainment, sports and the celebration of victory, writing and memory, music and collective identity, without forgetting the mechanical and visionary imagery related to the world of motors. Among them, The Accessories of Victory: Prizes, Ornaments and Sports, curated by Mara Cappelletti, aims to explore the symbolic value of objects related to sports competitions, bringing into dialogue athletic gesture, recognition and historical memory.
Inside Happy Days, created in collaboration with Giuseppe Ganelli and Emilio Targia, leads instead into the heart of one of the most famous television universes of the 20th century. The exhibition ideally reconstructs the set of the famous series through the largest collection of memorabilia in the world, tracing the stages of filming and the daily work of actors and crew, and revealing hitherto little-known behind-the-scenes aspects. On display is a selection of original pieces that testify to how Happy Days became more than just a television product, transforming into a shared language, lifestyle and pop myth. Among the objects on display are scripts, clapperboards, Fonzie’s mechanic’s suit, jackets linked to the symbolic places of the narrative (from Arnold’s to Jefferson High), as well as a wristwatch dedicated to the character of Fonzie, emblem of rebellion and generational charisma. Completing the tour are action figures of the main characters, comic books, editorial materials and photographs, which restore the domestic and serial dimensions of a story that entered the homes of millions of viewers. A set of cult objects that reactivates the memory of the 255 episodes of the series and confirms its role as a great pop myth of the 20th century.
The exhibition A punta d’inchiostro: the inkwell in the Mariani collection, created in collaboration with Mario and Marco Mariani, then brings attention back to writing as a material practice. More than seventy inkwells, selected from Osanda and Mario Mariani’s private collection of more than a thousand examples, tell centuries of the history of the written word. Objects created to accompany the daily act of writing and over time become custodians of memory, form and imagination. Prominent among the exhibits are elegant French inkwells from the late 19th century, such as a porcelain inkwell decorated with a pump system for leveling ink and brass trays, or a chiseled bronze specimen with a female figure and engraved floral motifs, alongside Italian inkwells in hand-painted ceramics, which restore a more intimate and artisanal dimension. There is no shortage of objects in which function and narrative are intertwined, such as an inkwell in the shape of a French drummer soldier from the early 19th century: small inventions that testify to the deep connection between writing and everyday life.
The look then extends to recent Italian history with Sanremo 76: the soundtrack of a country, built on materials from theIntesa SanpaoloHistorical Archives and theSIAE Historical Archives. The exhibition aims to return the Festival as one of the great collective stories of republican Italy: famous images cross its editions, transforming music into visual memory and the stage into a mirror of social changes. A path that invites us to consider Sanremo not only as a musical event, but as a cultural phenomenon capable of uniting generations and territories.
In collaboration with Automotoretrò takes shape Wings and Steel: the metal legends of Abraham Miglioli, curated by Cesare Ponchiroli. The protagonists are scale models of Italian aircraft from World War II, made with precision craftsmanship by Abramo Miglioli, owner of a large workshop that produced molds in Sassuolo, who devoted years to reproducing those craft. Within Automotoretrò, which is also open in this edition to other historical vehicles besides cars and motorcycles, space is given to airplanes and their historical value in the transformation of the idea of travel and the conquest of the skies.
The event also hosts the presentation of the book Lucio c’è by Marcello Balestra (Mondadori Electa), edited and moderated by Miriam De Nicolò, founder and managing editor of SNOB Magazine. A meeting that aims to retrace the memory and legacy of a singer-songwriter-poet capable of spanning generations. Balestra, a central figure in the Italian music industry, for thirteen years Artistic Director of Warner Music, and editorial and legal manager of the Dalla label since 1989, offers a never-before-seen portrait of Lucio Dalla, told through the personal and professional experience he shared for years.
The talk program is also confirmed, enriched thanks to the collaboration with GU.PHO.- International Vernacular Photography Festival, the first European festival entirely dedicated to anonymous photography. Completing the cultural calendar is a panel dedicated to the revalorization of Made in Italy, curated and moderated by Miriam De Nicolò, the second chapter of a project already successfully launched in the previous edition. A high-profile discussion between institutional and business representatives to reflect on Made in Italy not only as an economic value, but as an intangible heritage to be protected and transmitted.
“With Mercanteinfiera Primavera,” says Brand manager Ilaria Dazzi, “we wanted to build a narrative of the 20th century through objects and its imagery. The collateral exhibitions are not simply thematic insights, but chapters of a broader narrative that crosses television, sports, music, writing and design. Different objects, different eras that, together, become keys to a rediscovered and shared memory.”
Mercanteinfiera is open to the public March 7 to 15, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Tickets: online €12 + presale fees; At the box office €16. Free for children under 12 (accompanied by paying adult). Free admission for persons with disabilities and accompanying person by presenting the European Disability Card.
For all information: https://www.mercanteinfiera.it/
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| Mercanteinfiera returns to the Parma Fairs. A journey through the 20th century among writing, sports, San Remo and Happy Days |
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