Elogio della Bionda di Villanova d'Asti
Villanova d'Asti's early-October fair in honour of the Gallina Bionda Piemontese, the golden-feathered local hen: a weekend of concerts, a fashion show and food, ending on Sunday with the Mostra del Pollo Biondo, a market of local produce, vintage tractors and the Pro Loco's lunch.
Why it's special
The Bionda Piemontese is the breed that made Villanova's name: its hens and cockerels were once bought at the town's market by poultry dealers and sold in the cities, and finanziera and gallina salami are still made from it. The Sunday show, where breeders' birds are judged and awarded, is the heart of a fair the town traces back to the two yearly fairs granted to Villanova in 1531.
Programme · 2026
24th Elogio della Bionda and 67th Mostra del Pollo Biondo Piemontese. The 20th anniversary of Villanova's twinning with Santa Clara de Saguier (Argentina) was celebrated during the fair.
- Sunday is the day to come: the bird show, the market and the vintage tractors are on all morning, the 'Elogio' talk is at 11:00 and the Pro Loco serves lunch at the PalaBionda.
- In the afternoon there are readings and workshops for children.
- Information from the Comune's events office, +39 0141 946085.
Villanova d'Asti stands on the Pianalto, the plateau north-west of Asti, at the gateway to the Monferrato from the Turin side, and its name has long been tied to a hen: the Bionda Piemontese, a local breed with golden-blond feathers. In the Comune's own account of the fair, the town's right to hold two fairs a year was granted in 1531 by Beatrice, Duchess of Savoy and Countess of Asti, and the Bionda was already talked about in the 1700s. Until the 1960s poultry dealers, the pulaie, bought hens and cockerels from the farmers at Villanova's market under the old market hall, where a market is still held on Thursday mornings, and sold them in the cities. Some wealthy Turin families even had large grassy runs built at farms around Villanova to be sure of a supply. Finanziera and gallina salami are still made from the Bionda.
The Elogio della Bionda ('In praise of the Bionda') celebrates the breed over the first weekend of October. Friday and Saturday bring a choir concert, an exhibition at the Confraternita dei Batù, a food evening and a light-hearted fashion show. Sunday is the fair proper, the Mostra del Pollo Biondo Piemontese: breeders show their birds, which are judged and awarded, there's a market of local produce and a line-up of vintage tractors, and at 11:00 the nutritionists Giorgio Calabrese and Caterina Carpanzano Calabrese, the fair's patron for many years, give the 'Elogio' itself. The Pro Loco serves lunch at the PalaBionda, and the afternoon is for families, with readings, workshops and a show.
See also San Damiano d'Asti's Fiera Storica del Cappone in December, where the capons are of the same Bionda Piemontese breed.
Past editions
| Year | Dates | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2–4 October 2026 | 24th Elogio della Bionda and 67th Mostra del Pollo Biondo Piemontese. The 20th anniversary of Villanova's twinning with Santa Clara de Saguier (Argentina) was celebrated during the fair. Fri 2 Oct, 18:00 – Confraternita dei Batù: opening of the exhibition 'Donne di piume' by Gabriella Piccatto (open until Sunday 18 October) Fri 2 Oct, 20:30 – Chiesa di San Martino: choir concert with La Bissòca and La Rupe di Quincinetto Sat 3 Oct – food and wine evening run by local businesses Sat 3 Oct, 21:15 – 'Bionda Fashion Street', the 4th fashion show for adults and children, presented by Sonia De Castelli with Mara Gilli, and the election of Monsù Gal, Madama Galin-a, Matot Galuciu and Matota Galin-etta Sun 4 Oct, morning – Mostra del Pollo Biondo Piemontese, market of local produce, entertainment, vintage tractors (Associazione GATE) Sun 4 Oct, 11:00 – 'Tradizione e qualità: il valore della Bionda Piemontese', the Elogio given by Caterina and Giorgio Calabrese, with Eleonora Cappone of the University of Turin's Department of Veterinary Sciences Sun 4 Oct – lunch by the Pro Loco at the PalaBionda Sun 4 Oct, 14:30 – ride-out of the Vespa Club Villanova Sun 4 Oct, 15:00 – readings for children and a creative workshop outside the Confraternita dei Batù Sun 4 Oct, 16:30 – market hall: comedy 'La smana di tre giobia' by young actors |
| 2025 | 3–5 October 2025 | 23rd Elogio della Bionda and 66th Mostra del Pollo Biondo Piemontese. Fri 3 Oct, 20:30 – choir concert with Full of Life, Ora è Tempodigioia and La Bissòca Sat 4 Oct, 17:30 – Confraternita dei Batù: exhibition opening and presentation of a monograph on the painter Aiassa Sat 4 Oct, evening – the third fashion show and an evening food event with the Pro Loco Sun 5 Oct, morning – market of local produce and vintage tractors (Associazione GATE) Sun 5 Oct, 11:00 – the Elogio by Caterina and Giorgio Calabrese, with researcher Marta Gariglio on the quality of Bionda Piemontese meat and eggs; then the Filarmonica Comunale and the Silver Girls majorettes Sun 5 Oct – Pro Loco lunch at the PalaBionda Sun 5 Oct, afternoon – stands of the library, AVIS, the Red Cross youth and an educational farm; readings for children; Vespa rides Sun 5 Oct, 17:00 – market hall: judo show |
| 2024 | 4–6 October 2024 | Fri 4 Oct, 21:00 – concert of the Coro Alpino La Bissoca Sat 5 Oct, 19:00 – comic show 'Cocche di Vita' by the Associazione V.i.t.a. Sun 6 Oct, Piazza del Mercato – market of Piedmontese produce, bird show, old-fashioned games for children with the Red Cross, the Filarmonica Comunale, the folk group and the Silver Girls majorettes Sun 6 Oct, 10:30 – 'Viaggio intorno alla Bionda', a talk on sustainable eating and food waste, with Giorgio Calabrese and Caterina Carpanzano Calabrese, the fair's patron for many years |