Castel del Rio Truffle Festival

The truffle festival in the heart of the Bolognese Apennines

The Castel del Rio Truffle Festival is one of the most anticipated gastronomic events of autumn in the Bolognese Apennines. It takes place every year in September in the village of Castel del Rio, in the Province of Bologna, along the Santerno Valley, and celebrates the truffle that grows in the woods of these hills between Emilia and Tuscany. Organized by the Pro Loco Alidosiana, the festival is spread over two September weekends, attracting visitors and gourmets from Bologna, Romagna, and the Imola area.

The gastronomic stand and the menu

The heart of the event is the gastronomic stand set up in the former sports field behind the Palazzo Alidosi, a fully covered structure that allows the festival to take place even in bad weather. Here you can enjoy a rich fixed menu, with no reservation required, featuring many delicacies based on fresh Apennine truffle: first courses, bruschetta, cheeses, and refined dishes flavored with truffle. Vegetarian and gluten-free options are also available, showing the Pro Loco's attention to all its guests.

The village, the market, and the shows

In addition to dining, the festival is an opportunity to discover the village: in the area in front of the Palazzo Alidosi, a market of typical products unfolds, where you can buy fresh truffle, preserves, and local specialties. Every evening, the stand is enlivened by entertainment, music, and shows. A visit is recommended to the Palazzo Alidosi, a 16th-century residence of the powerful family that gave the village its name, and the famous Ponte a Schiena d'Asino (Donkey's Back Bridge), a Renaissance engineering masterpiece that crosses the Santerno stream with its unique arch.

A gastronomic tradition of the territory

Castel del Rio is a land of truffles and chestnuts: the village is also famous for its historic Chestnut Festival, held in October. The Truffle Festival, younger but now well-established, enhances the excellence of the truffles that local truffle hunters collect in the Apennine woods. It is a popular and family-friendly festival, far from mass tourism, ideal for those seeking genuine flavors and the hospitality of a small town in Emilia-Romagna.