Festa del Tartufo Bianco del Monferrato — Casale Monferrato
Casale's own white-truffle festival, held by the comune in late November to close the Monferrato truffle season: truffle hunters' stalls, wine tastings and truffle dishes, first in the Castello del Monferrato and in 2024 in Piazza Mazzini.
Why it's special
It comes at the very end of the season, after the village truffle fairs of the Casalese hills, and puts the trifolao of the Valle Ghenza in the middle of the city. The castle editions added tastings at the Enoteca Regionale del Monferrato, sensory-analysis sessions with truffle judges and truffle-dog demonstrations.
Programme · 2024
Moved from the castle to Piazza Mazzini, the arcaded square at the heart of the old town, in the year Casale, Alto Piemonte and the Gran Monferrato were European Wine Capital.
- The sensory-analysis session with the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo judges (€10 in 2022 and 2023, 30 places) needed booking.
- In 2024 the festival fell on the same day as the first of the centre's Christmas markets along Via Saffi and Via Roma, so it is easy to combine the two.
In 2021 Casale Monferrato started its own white-truffle festival, the Festa del Tartufo Bianco, on the last weekend of November. In 2024 the mayor billed it as the close of the season, after the truffle fairs of the surrounding villages.
The first three editions filled the Castello del Monferrato, the Paleologi castle that also houses the Enoteca Regionale del Monferrato. Truffle hunters sold their finds in the long gallery, a mock truffle wood was built in the tower, the Enoteca poured the region's wines and spirits, and judges from the national truffle-study centre ran paid sensory-analysis sessions while trained dogs showed how the search works.
In 2024 the festival moved out into Piazza Mazzini, the arcaded square at the centre of the old town, and shrank to a single Sunday of stalls selling truffles, truffle products and wine, with truffle dishes to eat in the square. We found no edition in 2025, so check the comune's festival page each November. For the other truffle fairs nearby, see Valle Ghenza at Cella Monte.
Past editions
| Year | Dates | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sunday 24 November 2024 | Moved from the castle to Piazza Mazzini, the arcaded square at the heart of the old town, in the year Casale, Alto Piemonte and the Gran Monferrato were European Wine Capital. All day – stands of truffles, truffle products, wines and local produce, with truffle dishes to eat on the spot All day – photo exhibition by Mattia Bodo in the former newspaper kiosk between Piazza Mazzini and Via Roma Same day – the first of the centre's Christmas markets, from Via Saffi along Via Roma |
| 2023 | 25–26 November 2023 | Third edition at the Castello del Monferrato, organised by the comune with the Enoteca Regionale del Monferrato, the truffle hunters of the Valle Ghenza, Confcommercio Casale and Gran Monferrato. Sat 25, 11:00–19:00 – truffle hunters, wine producers, food and craft stands; "L'emozione della cerca del tartufo", a recreated truffle wood in the Torrione Sat 25, 17:00 – truffle sensory analysis with judges of the Centro Nazionale Studi Tartufo (€10, booking) Sat 25, 11:00–22:00 – street food and truffle dishes in the main courtyard; tastings of the Torchio d'Oro wines in the Salone Marescalchi; music from 19:00 Sun 26, 10:00 – talk on Tuber magnatum with Prof. Alessandra Zambonelli (University of Bologna) Sun 26, 11:00 – truffle-dog demonstration in the courtyard |
| 2022 | 26–27 November 2022 | Second edition at the Castello del Monferrato. Sat 26 and Sun 27 – truffle hunters, food and craft stands and wine producers; a recreated truffle wood in the Manica Lunga; Enoteca Regionale tastings Sat 26, 17:00 – truffle sensory analysis (€10, booking) Sun 27 – talk on white-truffle nurseries; "Il Tartufaio gentile" truffle-dog sessions in the courtyard |
| 2021 | 27–28 November 2021 | First edition at the Castello del Monferrato: truffle hunters' stands, tasting menus, wine and local-produce areas, documentary screenings and themed aperitifs. |