Santo Cristo Fair
Nizza Monferrato's major spring fair featuring agricultural machinery, a grand market, and the Torta Verde Festival
About Santo Cristo Fair
A spring tradition in Monferrato
The Santo Cristo Fair is one of the most anticipated spring events in Nizza Monferrato, a town in the Province of Asti located in the heart of the Piedmontese wine-growing Monferrato. Held every fourth weekend of April, the fair transforms the squares and streets of the historic center for three days into a grand stage that blends agricultural tradition, food and wine, and local culture.
Name and origins
The event takes its name from the Santo Cristo, a statue of the Risen Christ carved during the First World War by a German prisoner. Originally kept in the Church of the Trinity and later moved to the Church of San Giovanni, the statue inspired a popular devotion around which the fair grew over time, becoming a showcase for the rural life of Nizza.
Agricultural machinery in the spotlight
The core of the fair is the large exhibition of machinery and equipment dedicated to agriculture, winemaking, and gardening, alongside earth-moving and construction vehicles. Piazza Garibaldi becomes the focal point of the event: tractors, vineyard and cellar equipment, and new technologies illustrate the close link between Nizza Monferrato and its land, bridging peasant tradition with innovation.
The Grand Market and Torta Verde
Sunday is the highlight, with the Grand Market of the Fair filling the streets and squares of the center with stalls, local products, tastings, and guided tours of historical and artistic sites. In Piazza del Municipio, the Torta Verde Festival takes place, celebrating the typical Nizza dish made of rice and chard (or spinach), traditionally prepared during the Easter period.
The Giro del Nizza
The fair is accompanied by the Giro del Nizza, a festival dedicated to the great Nizza DOCG wine, featuring aperitifs, tasting stands, and meetings with local producers at the Foro Boario and Palazzo Crova. It is an opportunity to discover the oenological excellence of the Asti Monferrato directly in the places that made it famous.
Santo Cristo Fair — edition 2026
The 2026 Santo Cristo Fair brought Nizza Monferrato to life from Friday, April 24 to Sunday, April 26, with its traditional blend of agriculture, food and wine, and culture. Piazza Garibaldi hosted the extensive exhibition of tractors, agricultural, winemaking, and gardening equipment, along with earth-moving and construction machinery.
On Sunday, the historic center was filled with the Grand Market spread across streets and squares, while Piazza del Municipio welcomed the Torta Verde Festival, complete with guided tours of the city's historical and artistic sites.
Programme Santo Cristo Fair 2026
Friday, April 24
- Opening of the agricultural, winemaking, and gardening machinery exhibition in Piazza Garibaldi
- Evening at the Trinità Auditorium with "The Torta Verde: readings, recipes, and music"
Saturday, April 25
- Exhibition of agricultural machinery and equipment continues
- "Pineûgg! Ieûn ed nùi": readings from the Collodi classic translated into the Nizza dialect by Teresio Alberto
Sunday, April 26
- Grand Market throughout the streets and squares of the center
- Torta Verde Festival in Piazza del Municipio
- Guided tours of historical and artistic sites
- "The moon is my pillow": readings, poetry, and psychological insights in collaboration with Cisa Asti Sud
Giro del Nizza (14th edition)
- April 17: GiroAperitivo at the Foro Boario (7:00 PM - 10:00 PM)
- April 19: GiroQui at Palazzo Crova
- April 26: GiroLì at Palazzo Crova, with 53 participating producers
Highlights Santo Cristo Fair 2026
Prices Santo Cristo Fair 2026
Practical information — Santo Cristo Fair
How to get there
Nizza Monferrato can be reached by car via the A33 Asti-Cuneo motorway or the provincial roads of Monferrato. By train, the town is served by the Asti-Acqui Terme-Genoa line, with the station located just a short walk from the center.
Where it takes place
The heart of the fair is Piazza Garibaldi, while the Sunday Grand Market and the Torta Verde Festival involve the historic center and Piazza del Municipio. The wine events of the Giro del Nizza are held at the Foro Boario and Palazzo Crova.
Admission
Access to the fair and the market is free. Some tastings and Giro del Nizza events may require a ticket or a tasting fee.
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Where does it take place — Santo Cristo Fair
Piazza Garibaldi e centro storico
Piazza Garibaldi, 14049 Nizza Monferrato