Pane al Pane — Elogio del Pane Monferrino
A three-day spring sagra through Montemagno's medieval lanes celebrating Monferrato bread — above all the Grissia Monferrina — with tastings, street food, art, seminars on ancient grains, and a flag-wavers procession.
Why it's special
It builds a whole weekend around the humblest local staple: the Grissia Monferrina, the region's soft bread. Between the baroque squares and numbered lanes you get bread-and-oil sensory tastings, talks on ancient grains and zero-kilometre flours, and a flag-wavers procession — a food festival with a genuine sense of place rather than just stalls.
Programme · 2026
24th edition, through the medieval borgo of Montemagno. Free admission; some tastings by reservation.
- Free admission; the bread-and-oil sensory tasting needs a reservation, so book that ahead.
- A shuttle train runs from the parking to the historic centre.
- Sunday is the family day — 'Pompieropoli' firefighter fun for children (ages 3–12), street magic and the flag-wavers.
- Check the year's programme booklet on the comune site.
For one weekend at the end of May, Montemagno Monferrato turns its medieval borgo into an homage to bread. The star is the Grissia Monferrina, the soft local loaf, and the festival — now in its 24th edition — threads tastings, street food and art through the baroque squares and the twelve numbered lanes that climb toward the castle.
It's more thoughtful than a straight food fair. Alongside the food stands there are bread-and-oil sensory tastings, a seminar on ancient grains and zero-kilometre flours, and exhibitions, before the weekend closes with a flag-wavers procession down the old streets. Saturday leans into eating and music; Sunday is the family day, with children's firefighter games, street magic and bubble shows.
Admission is free — book ahead for the guided oil-and-bread tasting, and take the shuttle train up from the parking. Dates and the full programme booklet are on the comune site (see above). While you're on the hill, walk up the monumental staircase off Piazza San Martino to the church of Santa Maria Assunta and look back over the Ruchè and Barbera vines.