Legend has it that Astolfo, king of the Lombards, used to hunt with his faithful falcon through dense forests and humid marshes. One day he released his falcon in pursuit of his prey, but soon the animal disappeared into the thick woods. He searched desperately for it everywhere, but to no avail. He then decided to make a vow: if he found it, he would found a city and a church dedicated to the Madonna. Finally, after much searching, he spotted it perched on the branch of a huge hornbeam tree. It was then that the king decided to name the city Carpi, after the tree, and there he built the parish church of Santa Maria in Arce, known as La Sagra.
