9th Interregional Poultry and Social Exhibition Avicoli de la Vallée

A showcase of ornamental poultry in the Canavese

The Interregional Poultry and Social Exhibition Avicoli de la Vallée is one of the most anticipated events for breeders and enthusiasts of ornamental poultry in the North-West. It is held every year in January at the Palatenda in Tavagnasco, a small municipality in the Metropolitan City of Turin in Piedmont, at the entrance to the Aosta Valley, and is supported by the Municipality of Tavagnasco. The event is organized by the Avicoli de la Vallée Association in collaboration with AIAO (Italian Association of Ornamental Poultry).

What to see at the exhibition

The heart of the event is the exhibition of over 500 specimens, representing dozens of breeds. Along the aisles of the Palatenda, visitors can admire large and bantam chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, peacocks, and, thanks to the pigeon section curated by Elen Pigeons, numerous pigeon breeds. Each subject is evaluated by expert AIAO judges according to breed standards, and the best are awarded in an official ceremony that also grants the prestigious Best in Show title.

An interregional event

Every year, the exhibition attracts about thirty breeders from Piedmont, the Aosta Valley, Lombardy, and occasionally Emilia-Romagna, confirming the interregional character that gives the show its name. Over the weekend, the Palatenda welcomes hundreds of visitors, with recent editions estimating around 1,700 attendees.

More than just an exhibition

The event is not just a competition. A trade exchange is active, where breeders and enthusiasts can find and trade specimens of various poultry and pigeon breeds, a valuable opportunity for those looking to start or expand their hobbyist breeding. The opening day, usually Friday, is dedicated to judge evaluations and guided school tours from nearby towns like Quassolo, Quincinetto, and Tavagnasco itself, a way to introduce younger generations to the rural world and poultry biodiversity.

Tavagnasco and rural tradition

Nestled between the Dora Baltea river and the first hills that announce the Aosta Valley, Tavagnasco is a village of a few hundred inhabitants that becomes a reference point for ornamental poultry in Northern Italy for two days in January. The exhibition is a small bastion of a farming culture rooted in local breeds, selection, and passion, and it is free and open to all.