Chestnut Festival

The chestnut festival in the heart of the Roero

When autumn paints the woods of the Roero in shades of red and gold, the small hamlet of America dei Boschi in the municipality of Pocapaglia, in the province of Cuneo, comes alive for its Chestnut Festival. It is one of those village fairs that tell the truest story of Piedmont: no grand stages or massive crowds, just an entire community gathering around the season's symbolic fruit—the chestnut—and the flavors of the land.

The festival takes place in the Arpino green area, next to the hamlet's small church, and spans four days packed with gastronomic, recreational, and cultural events. It is carefully organized by the volunteers of Borgo America dei Boschi, who transform this corner of the countryside into a meeting point for residents, hikers, and curious visitors alike.

A fairytale landscape: cliffs and ancient chestnut trees

America dei Boschi is set in a striking landscape of rocche—canyons and gullies carved by erosion—where nature creates almost fairytale-like scenery. It is no coincidence that the writer Italo Calvino described Pocapaglia as having a legendary landscape, populated in local folklore by witches and 'masche' (spirits). The trails of the Great Roero Path wind through these ancient chestnut woods, making the festival an invitation to explore a protected and fascinating territory on foot.

Roasted chestnuts, dinners, and rural tradition

The common thread of the event is, of course, the chestnut, the star of the classic afternoon chestnut roasts, but the program weaves together many other aspects of the Roero's rural culture:

• Dinners and gastronomic moments with typical Piedmontese menus, pizza nights, and convivial aperitifs
• Vintage tractor and agricultural machinery rallies, a tribute to the village's rural heritage
• Hikes and excursions through the cliffs and historic sites of the hamlet, accompanied by local experts
• Entertainment and shows: DJ sets, cocktail bars, games for children, and the unmissable plays in the Piedmontese dialect
• Goliardic and popular moments like the election of Miss Castagna, which has always been part of the festival's lighthearted spirit

An authentic festival in the Cuneo area

The Chestnut Festival of Pocapaglia is not a mass-tourism event, but for this very reason, it holds a rare value: it is a festival lived by the community, where conviviality matters more than spectacle. For those visiting the Roero in autumn, perhaps combining the festival with a tour of the local wineries, truffle hunting, and nearby villages, it is a precious opportunity to savor the village life of the most genuine Piedmont, far from the beaten tourist tracks.