Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo di Montiglio Monferrato

Why it's special

It is the first truffle fair of the season in Piedmont, held just after the white-truffle hunt opens, so it is the earliest chance each year to see the new season's Tuber magnatum on the judges' table. The village has been celebrating its truffles since the Giornata del Tartufo of 1982. On fair days you can arrive by historic train, eat at the Pro Loco's truffle lunch, watch paratroopers land in the piazza with Montiglio's giant flag, and take a guided visit to the 14th-century frescoes in the castle chapel of Sant'Andrea and the carved Romanesque Pieve di San Lorenzo.

Programme · 2026

6th edition as a national fair, organised by the Comune and the Pro Loco. Stalls open 10:30–18:00 both Sundays.

• The stalls are open 10:30–18:00 and the fair opens with the truffle hunters' gathering at 9:30.
• For the Pro Loco's set truffle lunch in the Salone Polifunzionale Bruno Mellone (12:30; €38, children 4–12 €22 in 2026) book on 0141 232304, and pay for your voucher by 11:30 on the day or the place isn't guaranteed.
• Without booking, the Pro Loco's covered food stand in the Via alla Stazione fair area serves single truffle dishes from 12:00.
• Several restaurants and agriturismi in the comune also cook truffle menus on fair days.
• The historic trains from Turin (Porta Nuova and Lingotto), Moncalieri and Asti are booked on railbook.it and reach Montiglio-Murisengo station at 11:15; a free shuttle runs up to the village.
• Guided visits to the Sant'Andrea chapel cost €10.
• Info point: 391 727 7165.

The fair grew out of the Giornata del Tartufo, a truffle day the old comune of Montiglio held every year from 1982, traditionally on the second Sunday of October. After Montiglio, Colcavagno and Scandeluzza merged in 1998, the new comune spread it over the first two Sundays of the month. The Regione Piemonte made it a regional fair in 2008 and a national one in 2021. It is now the first date of the Asti Monferrato's autumn truffle-fair circuit. In 2026 the nine-fair 'Terre del bianco' circuit went on from Montiglio to Mombercelli, Moncalvo, Nizza, Montechiaro, Canelli, Murisengo, San Damiano and Asti.

Each Sunday starts at 9:30 with the trifolao, the truffle hunters, bringing in their finds. The best plates of white truffles compete for the Comune's prizes: the Cane d'Argento (silver dog) on the first Sunday and the Cucciolo d'Argento (silver puppy) on the second, with separate awards for the best single truffle. The jury is made up of experts from the Asti truffle hunters' association and the Centro Nazionale Studi del Tartufo. Around them the village fills with stalls of hazelnut sweets, salumi, cheeses, wines and crafts. The Pro Loco serves a full truffle lunch in the Salone Polifunzionale and single dishes under the covered stand by the station. At the PalaTartufi, catering students from the Istituto Penna cook truffle dishes on stage.

What sets Montiglio apart is the trains. Under the LocoMonferrato project, the Fondazione FS runs a historic Littorina railcar or a 1930s 'Centoporte' train from Turin and Asti to the old Montiglio-Murisengo station on the Asti–Chivasso line, where a shuttle takes passengers up to the fair. The station itself becomes part of the show, with railway exhibitions and model dioramas. Other fair-day traditions include paratroopers dropping into Piazza Regina Margherita with the village flag, vintage-car rallies and music.

The fair is also the best time to see Montiglio's monuments. The Romanesque Pieve di San Lorenzo, with its carved capitals, stays open all day, and guided groups go up to the castle chapel of Sant'Andrea for its 14th-century fresco cycle by the Maestro di Montiglio. About fifty painted sundials line the streets on the way. See what else there is in Montiglio Monferrato.