An antique is collectable or desirable because of its age, rarity, condition, utility or other characteristics that make it unique. It is an object that represents an earlier era and denotes a somewhat artisanal character or a certain attention to aesthetic appearance. Antiques can range from cabinets to the earliest cars, from furniture to glass and ceramics, not to mention paintings, just for example.

Yes, they are items to be purchased, but they are also physical manifestations of heritage, handed down through time; an investment but also tradition. In Italy, an object can be described as an antique when it dates back to over 70 years.

But collecting it is another story: it is a matter of taste, awareness, experience and curiosity.

Here we are talking about furniture and objets d’art produced during the 20th century but not older than 70 years ago. They are snapshots from the evolution of design, industrial products, the children of cultural and social change, in which we recognize more recent stories: furniture, furnishings and accessories that reflect styles from a distant past but are made with modern materials and techniques.

The word “vintage” is simply the French term for what we Italians refer to as modernariato, or “modern antiques” in English. A small specification is, however, necessary. This word has a more general meaning than its Italian counterpart: in addition to 20th-century furniture or furnishings, it also includes clothing and accessories from the same era, such as bags, clothes, shoes and costume jewellery.

If it’s true that diamonds are forever, the jewellery pieces found in this exhibition are timeless masterpieces.

Necklaces, rings, brooches and watches are just some of the items that goldsmiths and jewellers are displaying in our pavilions: each one of them has a history, each one of them shines of its own light.

These wonders, enclosed in boxes like caskets, are real treasures to be shown off and safeguarded as witnesses of past eras.

Being a collector means seeking out and acquiring items of a particular type. The assembled objects become a collection. There is no limit to the variety that may exist within a collection. Above all, there is no limit to the fascination that the thrill of the hunt inspires in potential new collectors

Collecting means reopening drawers full of memories and filling them with more stories and new memories; like stringing the past, present and future together on one continuous thread.

The collateral exhibitions are the common thread that connects part of the event content to the visitors. They are tools designed to reopen the trunk of memories and bring even the simply curious to the world of collecting.

They are an opportunity to investigate the countless versions with which history on the one hand and beauty on the other allow us to experiment. Padlocks, photographs, shoes, posters, toys: everything is a collectible, everything is a discovery of the powerful storytelling that characterizes Mercanteinfiera.

Whether ancient or modern, works of art need to be taken care of and restored in order to preserve them from the passage of time.

This is why the Exhibition always provides a space dedicated to their conservation and maintenance, a service available to operators, visitors and collectors.

The restorers preserve artefacts of the past through works of restoration that employ the latest techniques and instruments.

Another service available to Mercanteinfiera visitors is a free consultation with a qualified Expert in the sector who, thanks to their skills, will determine the authenticity, origin, epoch and execution technique of each single object.

The aim of this evaluation is to facilitate informed, safe purchases.