San Baudolino Fair and Regional Truffle Exhibition

The San Baudolino Fair in Alessandria

The San Baudolino Fair and Regional Truffle Exhibition is the premier food and wine event in Alessandria, Piedmont, held every year in November to coincide with the city's patron saint feast day. For an entire weekend, the streets and squares of the historic center, centered around Via Vochieri in front of the Chamber of Commerce, transform into a grand showcase of local flavors.

San Baudolino, the patron saint of Alessandria

The fair is closely linked to the figure of San Baudolino, a hermit who lived near Villa del Foro during the Lombard era and was remembered by the historian Paul the Deacon as a man of admirable holiness, capable of miracles and prophecies. Proclaimed the principal patron of the city and diocese in 1786, he is celebrated on November 10th. His figure also inspired the Alessandrian writer Umberto Eco, who made him the protagonist of the novel "Baudolino". The fair brings the memory of this tradition to the streets, uniting popular devotion with local culture.

The Regional Truffle Exhibition

The heart of the event is the Regional Truffle Exhibition, recognized by the Piedmont Region, featuring the display and awarding of the best specimens: prizes are awarded for the best white truffle, the best black truffle, and the best truffle hunter (trifolao). Alongside the truffles, there is space for the agri-food excellence of the province of Alessandria and the Monferrato area.

Flavors and typical products

• Truffles: white and black varieties from the local area
• Wines: from Monferrato and the Colli Tortonesi
• Cheeses, cured meats, mushrooms, honey, and chocolate
• Slow Food Presidia such as the San Giovanni cabbage and the Merella chickpeas
• Municipal Denomination (De.Co) specialties: rabatòn from Litta Parodi, agnolotti from Alessandria, Fraschetta cow-milk salami, and Alessandria sweet focaccia

An event for the whole city

Organized by the Municipality of Alessandria together with the Alessandria-Asti Chamber of Commerce through the special agency Promeco, the fair offers markets, local excellence stands, guided tastings, show cooking, meetings, and conferences dedicated to food culture. "The Court of Taste" (La Corte del Gusto), set up at the Chamber of Commerce, is one of the most popular spaces. The San Baudolino Fair is an unmissable appointment for food and wine enthusiasts and for those who want to discover the most authentic identity of Alessandria and its province.