Montiglio Monferrato for the truffle fair
How to do the first white-truffle fair of the Piedmont autumn properly. On the first two Sundays of October, Montiglio fills with truffle hunters, stalls and a Pro Loco lunch, and a historic train runs out from Turin. What to see at what time, where to eat, how to get into the frescoed chapel and the Romanesque pieve, and where the truffle trail goes next.
Every autumn the first of Piedmont's white-truffle fairs is Montiglio Monferrato's. The Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo takes over the village on the first two Sundays of October. The trifolao bring in the first truffles of the season, the best plates are judged for the Comune's silver prizes, stalls of local produce fill the streets, the Pro Loco cooks truffle dishes for hundreds, and historic trains run out from Turin. The village held its first Giornata del Tartufo in 1982. The fair became a regional one in 2008 and a national one in 2021, and 2026 was its 6th national edition, on 4 and 11 October.
The times and prices below come from the 2026 programme. The Comune posts each year's programme and poster on its fair page in September, so check it before you go.
Getting there: the train, if you can
The best way to arrive is the historic train. Under the LocoMonferrato project, Fondazione FS runs a vintage Littorina railcar or a 1930s 'Centoporte' train from Turin (Porta Nuova and Lingotto) and Asti along the old Asti–Chivasso line. In 2026 it reached Montiglio-Murisengo station at 11:15, and a free shuttle took passengers up to the village. Seats are booked on railbook.it; in 2026 about 300 people came by train on the second Sunday alone, so book as soon as the trains are announced. The restored 1912 station is part of the show, with exhibitions about the railway and model dioramas on display.
If you're driving, come early. In past years shuttle buses have run from the car parks up to the fair.
The morning: truffles on the table
The fair opens at 9:30 with the truffle hunters' gathering, and the stalls stay open from 10:30 to 18:00. Around 10:15 on the first Sunday the truffles go on show for the Cane d'Argento, the prize for the best plate, and the Premio Lorenzo Testa for the best single white truffle. On the second Sunday the prizes are the Cucciolo d'Argento and the Pro Loco's prize, judged at 10:30. Experts from the Asti truffle hunters' association and the Centro Nazionale Studi del Tartufo sit on the jury. It's the earliest chance each year to see the new season's Tuber magnatum lined up side by side.
Then walk the market. Stalls of hazelnut sweets, salumi, cheeses, wine and crafts fill the village. At the PalaTartufi, catering students from the Istituto Penna of San Damiano cook truffle dishes on stage. At 11:30 paratroopers drop into Piazza Regina Margherita with Montiglio's giant flag, and on the first Sunday vintage cars line up in the square.
Lunch: book the Pro Loco, or queue at the stand
Plan lunch before you arrive. The Pro Loco's set truffle lunch is served at 12:30 in the Salone Polifunzionale Bruno Mellone. In 2026 it cost €38, or €22 for children aged 4 to 12. The menu ran from salame and tomino with truffle, carne cruda and a vol-au-vent with mushrooms to agnolotti with butter, sage and truffle and veal braised in Barbera with polenta, then hazelnut cake. Book by phone (0141 232304 in 2026) and pay for your voucher by 11:30 on the day, or your seat isn't guaranteed. On the second Sunday of 2026 both the hall and the food stand sold out.
Without a booking, the Pro Loco's covered 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, and all of them need booking that weekend. La Meridiana only takes reservations at the best of times, and the Parco del Bric is on the hill above Carboneri, a short drive away.
The afternoon: frescoes, the pieve and the sundials
Fair days are the easiest days of the year to get inside Montiglio's monuments. Guided groups go up to the Cappella di Sant'Andrea in the private park of the castle, to see the largest 14th-century fresco cycle in Piedmont, the Life of Christ by the Maestro di Montiglio. In 2026 the walking tours left at 10:30, 11:45, 14:00, 15:15 and 16:30 and cost €10. The afternoon slots are the ones to aim for once lunch is over, and it's worth booking ahead.
The Romanesque Pieve di San Lorenzo, ten minutes' walk below the village by the cemetery, stays open from 10:30 to 18:00 on both Sundays. Don't miss the carved capitals inside, with their two-tailed sirens and monsters. On the way back up, look for the sundials on the façades of the borgo. There are about 50, with mottos in Latin and dialect. The afternoon also brings live music and shows for children.
If you have a car and some daylight left, drive out to the hamlet of Rinco to see its castle and tower in the low autumn sun. They're private, so it's a stop for the outside and the view. Or warm up with a coffee and a slice of cake at Caffè Sant'Anna Ventitre before the drive home.
After the fair: the truffle trail goes on
Montiglio is only the first stop. In 2026 the 'Terre del bianco' circuit carried on through nine fairs in the Asti Monferrato. Among the nearest are Moncalvo's national truffle fair later in October, the Fiera di San Carlo in Nizza at the start of November, and the Trifola d'Or in Murisengo in mid-November. In November, Montiglio's own hamlets take turns serving bagna càuda. To see the village when it's quiet, follow One day in Montiglio Monferrato.