Well, I thought of posting a few small villages that may be less known but where there are festivals going on in honour of that little "smelly" stone-like thing that is so much loved by many: the white truffle!
Here are some places (in Piedmont), but I am sure that others will follow:
21st/28th October- Moncalvo: 47a Fiera del tartufo bianco del Piemonte
3rd-4th November - Cella Monte: XV Sagra del tartufo bianco in Valle Ghenza
4th November - Serralunga di Crea: Mostra Mercato del Tartufo del Monferrato
11th November - Murisengo: XXXX edizione della Trifola d'Or.
I'll post more info as I gather them but add your favourites in the meantime!
23 September in Palaia 7 October in Corazzano 14 October in Balconevisi 28 October in Montaione 4 November in Volterra 11, 18, 25 November in San Miniato
Hi Ale, Yes, you're right that San Giovanni d'Asso has a great festival/mostra Here are the dates: 10 to 18 November in San Giovanni d’Asso, Siena (there is also a truffle museum open on week-ends all year). Anyone know of other ones?
This is a link to Google maps for the Piedmont area around Casale Monferrato (Top right hand corner). The pointer indicates Cella Monte, but you can see how close Serralunga di Crea and Moncalvo are.
To add the Asti province Tartufo Feste to the list, the ones marked with asterisk are billed as Tartufo days which include a bigger local fsetival as well as the trufflefest:
Oct 7; Montigliole Monferrato & Scurzolungo Oct 14; Montigliole Monferrato & Castagnole Monferrato Oct 21; Mombercelli & Moncalvo Oct 28; Moncalvo & Incisa Scapaccino Nov 4; Canelli & Montechiaro & Nizza Monferrato* & San Damiano d'Asti Nov 11; Canelli* & Castelnouvo Don Bosco & Costigiole d'Asti Nov 18; Asti* (+ Cucina e Cantina) Nov 25; Villafranca d'Asti & Castelnouvo Don Bosco Dec 2; Cortazzone
And of course the grandaddy of them all the 77th Truffle Fair in Alba, every weekend from 29 Sept to 11th November (this year it has been extended beyond October).
If no one else posts the other Cuneo province truffle fairs I will come back later with these. (I should mention the World Truffle Fair at Grinzane Cavour Castle on Nov 11th)
{spelling corrected for searches}
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Jonathan,
Northern Le Marche Sant'Angelo in Vado: Mostra nazionale del tartufo bianco pregiato delle Marche October 13th, 14th, 20th, 21st, 27th, 28th and November 3rd and 4th (detailed program here it includes guided tours to the Domus del Mito Roman villa with gorgeous mosaics) Acqualagna: 42ª fiera Nazionale del Tartufo October 28th, November 1st, 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th ( some info here).
Great info, thanks! I'd love to see someone write up some Travel Notes on truffles for the main SlowTrav site, especially with detailed local information. If anyone is interested, send me a PM or e-mail!
A truffled theme Golf Tourney! Now that is right up our alley! Don't think We're up to schlepping clubs to Italy though. That is usually our vacation FROM golf!
For all of you who live up North, what kind of weather can one expect during this time frame? Are you past the rainy season at that point in November?
Unfortunately, weather is on the list of things you can't control on your vacation! I hate it when it's a pouring down day and you wanted to be out hiking or bike riding.
Pat
Posts: 1112 | Location: Rochester, NY and Bonita Springs, Fl | Registered: 18 September 2002
Well, it can be really c"9ppy, to be honest. Last year it was wonderful...but we have had years where we thought we would be in water to our eyeballs in November....not easy to predict!!
The answer is to take the risk and plan to visit enough wineries to forget the weather if it turns bad.
October and November are the best months for the colours of the woodlands and the sunsets over the Alps (when it's clear enough, i.e no mist and fog, to see them off course).
I've heard that the rains can be bad that time of year, but, in general, we have been very lucky. This year, our trip is from October 19th till the 4th, but we will be in Lazio and Abruzzo. Last year the weather was glorious, but serious rain nipped at our heels the entire time. We lucked out.
AS physically active people, bad weather really puts a damper on our fun.
Pat
Posts: 1112 | Location: Rochester, NY and Bonita Springs, Fl | Registered: 18 September 2002
Last year we went tot he festival at Castelnuovo Don Bosco. It was one of the highlights of our trip.
To be clear, this was a small, small, small truffle festival, but it was so full of character at all the other levels. It seemed a completely local event in which we werelucky enough to partake. Great day.
Posts: 624 | Location: Logan, Utah, USA | Registered: 02 June 2006
We are going to stay in a house outside of Bologna, to the west and I am looking for truffle festivals in that area. We are there the 3rd week of October.
I have been to the Alba festival and the Moncalvo festival. I loved them both, but Moncalvo won my heart as non touristy, warm and friendly with awesome food!
Jeanne Also interested if anyone has any info, as we're in the area at the same time (we're off to Ferrara, then in the southern outskirts of Bologna on 18th-22nd, finishing in Reggio).
Should also be plenty of Porcini around, so will have to keep our eyes peeled when we're walking in the local wood!
regards
Ian
Drink coffee, do stupid things faster
Posts: 300 | Location: UK | Registered: 20 September 2008
From November 6th to the 9th there is a Truffle festival in Città di Castello as well.
By the way, if you want to go to the festival in San Giovanni d'Asso which is great, a nice way is to go by train with Treno Natura. It is an old train that takes you from Siena or Grosseto to San Giovanni on the old Val d'Orcia train line. It's amazing.
This year the steam train leaves from Siena on the 9th and from Grosseto on the 16th.
Yep, we checked the San Giovani d'Asso's Website and it looks like their truffle festival is Nov 8-9 and Nov 15 and 16th 2008. We're heading over there on the 9th.
If anyone is heading down south ;-) there's a Black Truffle festival in the Avellino Province of Campania from the 24-26 of Oct.:
"MOSTRA MERCATO del tartufo nero di Bagnoli e dei prodotti tipici - 31^ Sagra della Castagna e del Tartufo. Il 24-25-26 Ottobre-Centro Storico Bagnoli Irpino" http://www.bagnoli-laceno.it/
(although, pretty much off the tourist radar, the area produces a good portion of Italy's truffles and chestnuts!)
Our guests just got back in from the Alba festival -- said it was really kickin' over there!
Prices are varying from 3-5 euros per gram of the white stuff (truffles, that is) depending on the size of the truffle. Our guests picked up a 23 gram beauty which we will be turning into a fabulous primi of Tagliatelle Tartufi tomorrow evening.
Got slightly confused by this post until I saw the original date was last year! For those who don't like scrolling this years Piedmont truffle festival dates are posted at Autumn Truffle Festivals Piedmont.
The prices of truffles are creeping up in Asti market (now E2.50 a gram)and not so many big truffles as there has been no rain for a while and the early promise of good truffles is drying up. But it will rain sooner or later (now that this years Barolo and Barbaresco harvest is almost finished) and I stand by my forecast of a good truffle year later in the season
Don't think We're up to schlepping clubs to Italy though. That is usually our vacation FROM golf!
