Autumn is prime time for truffle season in Italy. Small towns and big-name food destinations fill their historic centres with licensed truffle sellers, local producers, tastings, cookery demonstrations and seasonal dishes that leave little room for restraint.
The white truffle fairs in Piedmont, Tuscany, Marche, Umbria and Campania are the main draw between October and early December. A few are polished international affairs with ticketed tastings and chef-led events, while others feel more like a proper local sagra, with communal lunches, market stalls and a chance to get chatting with producers.
White vs black truffles in Italy 2026
White and black truffles in Italy: the 2026 season
White truffle
The white truffle, Tuber magnatum Pico, is Italy’s most coveted variety. Its intense aroma can bring garlic, mature cheese, hay and damp woodland to mind. It is usually shaved raw over uncomplicated dishes, such as fresh egg pasta, risotto, fried eggs or tajarin, so nothing gets in the way.
White-truffle season generally falls between autumn and early winter, with the exact legal collection period varying by region and province. October and November are the key months for fairs, particularly across Piedmont, Tuscany, Marche and parts of Umbria.
Black winter truffle
Black winter truffle, often associated with Tuber melanosporum, has a deeper and more savoury character. It copes better with gentle warmth than white truffle, working well in butter, sauces, eggs, poultry, polenta and potato dishes. The main winter season broadly runs from December to March, although regional rules and availability differ.
Black summer and autumn truffle
Summer truffle is milder, nuttier and less forceful than both white and black winter varieties. The autumn form, often sold as tartufo uncinato, can have a more pronounced aroma once the weather cools. Its season generally reaches into early autumn, so it may appear at October events.
Main truffle fairs in Italy in 2026
Alba White Truffle Fair, Piedmont
Alba remains one of the biggest names on Italy’s autumn food calendar. The Alba White Truffle Fair 2026 runs from 10 October to 6 December 2026, bringing the Langhe town’s truffle market, wine culture and restaurant scene into full swing.
The wider programme includes the International Alba White Truffle Fair’s market activities, tastings, food experiences and events around local produce.
Local tip: Visit the official market early in the day and use the event’s quality-control services before buying a whole truffle.
Acqualagna National White Truffle Fair, Marche
Acqualagna, close to the Gola del Furlo nature reserve in Marche, is one of Italy’s major white-truffle towns. The Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco di Acqualagna runs from 25 October to 14 November 2026.
The event mixes its central food market with a sizeable programme of live cooking shows, cookery classes, guided tastings, storytelling and concerts. The 2026 edition also includes a car rally, a Taste Lounge and the National Truffle Cities Competition.
Local tip: Leave time for Gola del Furlo, particularly if visiting early in the season when the surrounding hills are at their most autumnal.
San Miniato White Truffle Market, Tuscany
The Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco di San Miniato takes over the historic centre of San Miniato from 14 to 29 November 2026, across the final three weekends of November.
Market stalls and food counters spread across the town’s squares and surrounding streets, while local restaurants typically put truffle firmly at the centre of their menus.
Organisers estimate that the event attracts between 60,000 and 100,000 visitors, so this is not a quiet country-market sort of weekend.
Smaller truffle festivals worth knowing about in 2026
Sant’Agata Feltria National Fair, Emilia-Romagna
The Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco Pregiato in Sant’Agata Feltria takes place on 4 October 2026. The Montefeltro town sits near the borders of Emilia-Romagna and Marche, so the food culture has a pleasingly cross-regional feel.
Local tip: Check each truffle’s firmness and aroma, then compare several vendors before buying.
Moncalvo Truffle Fair, Piedmont
Moncalvo, in the Monferrato hills of Piedmont, is a quieter alternative to Alba, with a strong local-food focus and easy access to Asti and Casale Monferrato.
The 2026 festival takes place on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th October 2026. It's a good choice for anyone hoping to explore smaller Piedmontese towns without Alba’s crowds.
Local tip: Pair the fair with regional dishes such as agnolotti and a glass of local barbera.
Sant’Angelo in Vado White Truffle Market and Show, Marche
The Mostra Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco Pregiato delle Marche in Sant’Angelo in Vado runs across four weekends, from 10 October to 1 November 2026.
The dates are:
- 10 and 11 October 2026
- 17 and 18 October 2026
- 24 and 25 October 2026
- 31 October and 1 November 2026
The white truffle is the centrepiece, but the event also puts the spotlight on the woodland landscape, the relationship between tartufaio and truffle dog, local cooking and the pleasure of gathering around the table.
Pietralunga Truffle and White Potato Fair, Umbria
Pietralunga brings together two local staples at its truffle and white potato fair, held from 9 to 11 October and from 17 to 18 October 2026. The programme includes a market of local producers, chef and restaurateur showcooking, guided tastings and events that link the area’s food traditions with its broader cultural life.
Local tip: The local white potato is more than a side dish here. It is often paired with truffle in simple seasonal plates.
Bagnoli Irpino Chestnut and Truffle Festival, Campania
The Sagra della Castagna e del Tartufo in Bagnoli Irpino runs over two October weekends: 23 to 25 October and 29 to 31 October 2026.
This is a proper autumnal pairing of chestnuts and the area’s black truffle, Nero di Bagnoli. It is a different prospect from the northern white-truffle fairs, with the food leaning into Campania’s mountain produce and more rustic seasonal cooking.
Local tip: Try both sides of the festival’s food identity: a savoury truffle dish followed by a chestnut sweet makes far more sense than attempting to choose between them.
Stay in the know about visiting and living in Italy—get our weekly newsletter for the latest travel, legal, and lifestyle news.
For a taste of the high life, sign up for the monthly luxury market round-up.
