I like to visit San Miniato, a beautiful hilltop town not far from Pisa. It is tiny, but has some excellent restaurants and food shops. Their annual Truffle Festival, which has been held for around 50 years, seemed like a good excuse to return to the town. It is held each year in November on the last 3 weekends of the month.
The hills around San Miniato provide the perfect environment for the growth of white truffles, Tuber Magnatum Picu. Thousands of people descend on the town for the event each year to taste truffles in a variety of ways. The whole town is taken over by stalls celebrating truffles and other Italian edible delights.
I went on the first Saturday of the festival and was lucky to have fine weather to wander the streets and take in all the delicious things on display.
The hero of the festival is the white truffle. In the last photo you can see a truffle being weighed and the price calculated. This one was the size of a walnut and was priced at €90.
I made a few purchases, including some truffle sausages, which have since been cooked and happily eaten. I sat down for lunch at Essenza, where I have eaten before. I had pici with a ragu of cinta sinese and fresh truffles…a perfect end to my San Miniato visit. I left just before the rain began.
I took the train from Pisa to San Miniato. On the Sundays of the festival there is a shuttle bus to the village from the nearby Pam store. All the car parks in San Miniato are closed for the festival, so if you drive, you need to park at San Miniato Basso and look for the shuttle bus to the top.
There are 2 more weekends of Truffle festival this November. Saturday 20th, Sunday 21st and Saturday 27th, Sunday 28th. It is a great day out.
What a fabulous festival it must have been. All that beautiful produce . The only difficulty maybe the price. But as they say the price is forgotten but the memory lives on. It all looks delicious.
By: Camillus Davall. on November 18, 2021
at 8:56 pm
I didn’t buy any truffles. I like them, but I am happy to eat them only occasionally and am happy to eat a truffle dish in a restaurant. The San Miniato festival is great fun. The town is a lovely place to visit any time.
By: Debra Kolkka on November 21, 2021
at 6:11 am
That’s a spectacular array of photos. I can’t stop drooling.
By: Jack Kirchhoff on November 18, 2021
at 11:04 pm
There were certainly many tempting things to eat at the festival.
By: Debra Kolkka on November 21, 2021
at 6:12 am
A fabulous display
By: mulinodominillo on November 19, 2021
at 5:29 am
The festival is very well put together.
By: Debra Kolkka on November 21, 2021
at 6:12 am
Now that looks like fun! Visited San Miniato very briefly once. Worth a longer visit.
By: Isobel Stuart. on November 19, 2021
at 11:13 pm
It is definitely worth a longer visit. I have been a few times and will happily return.
By: Debra Kolkka on November 21, 2021
at 6:13 am
What a delight! A truffle festival and a beautiful truffle pasta dish afterwards. Sigh… one day we will be back!
By: Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on November 26, 2021
at 7:10 am
When i see these photos of yours I find myself unconsciously breathing deeply – I am imagining breathing in the aromas! Very classy stalls too, aren’t they.
By: Jan on November 28, 2021
at 12:20 am