Halfway between Florence and Pisa, the hilltop town of San Miniato spends three weekends each November on one ingredient. The Mostra Mercato Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco, now in its 55th edition, fills the old town with truffle sellers, producers and restaurants on 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 November 2026. Follow the smell up the hill.
The white truffle, Tuber magnatum Pico, grows wild in the woods and river valleys around the town, and nobody has learned to farm it. It is found by truffle hunters with trained dogs, in a season that runs through the autumn, and it is at its best eaten raw and fresh: shaved over tagliolini, a risotto or a fried egg, where the heat of the dish releases the scent.
The fair
Stalls spread across the squares of the old town, from Piazza del Duomo and Piazza del Popolo to Piazza della Repubblica, with truffle sellers gathered at the foot of the Rocca, the tower that tops the hill. Alongside them are local producers of cheese, salumi, oil and wine, and cooking demonstrations in the Officina del Tartufo. The town’s restaurants serve truffle menus through the fair; book well ahead.
The biggest truffle in the world
San Miniato holds a record. On 26 October 1954, Arturo Gallerini, a truffle hunter from nearby Balconevisi, found a white truffle weighing 2.52 kilograms, still listed as the largest ever found. A wrought-iron monument in town remembers him and his dog, Parigi.
Buying a truffle
Prices change by the day and with the size of the truffle, and in recent years they have run to several thousand euros a kilo. A small one goes a long way. Choose a truffle that is firm and smells strongly, and eat it within a few days.
Getting there
San Miniato is about 45 kilometres from Florence, under an hour by car. By train, take the Florence to Pisa line to San Miniato- Fucecchio, then a bus or taxi up the hill to the old town. Entry details and the full programme are published by the town’s promotion foundation before the first weekend.
