Sagra: The best Italian food festivals to visit in November
Harvest season may be coming to an end, but Italy's 'sagre' food fairs are still going strong. You'll have the opportunity to visit some of the country's best local harvest festivals if you come to Italy in November.
One of the best things about visiting Italy in the autumn is having the opportunity to attend a sagra, a type of harvest festival or fair centred around one particular food or drink item local to the town hosting it.
A sagra can last for several weeks or one day, and consists of anything from raucous celebrations with music and dancing to more relaxed tasting experiences amid food stalls and wooden benches. It will usually be hosted in a field or a piazza (square), and entry is free.
While October is the month with the most sagra, they typically continue well into November. Chestnuts, truffles, wine, olive oil and polenta are just some of the products being offered in villages and towns across the country this month.
Abruzzo
Festa dell'Olio Nuovo (olive oil festival), November 10th-12th in Frisa.
Calabria
Sagra della Castagna (chestnuts festival), November 11th-13th in Sant'Agata di Esaro.
READ ALSO: Seven reasons autumn is the best time to visit Italy
Campania
La Sagra delle Sagre (local products and culture festival), 10th-12th in Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi.
Sagra della Castagna e dei Prodotti del Sottobosco (chestnuts festival), November 11th-12th in Acerno.
Pzzett e Vin Cuott (sweetened desserts festival), November 11th-13th in Scisciano.
Funghi porcini mushrooms grow in many areas of Italy during the autumn. Photo by Tamara Malaniy on Unsplash
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Estate di San Martino (local products fair), November 10th-12th in Villanova.
Lazio
Festa dell'Olio e del Vino Novello (olive oil and wine festival), November 10th-12th and 17th-19th in Vignanello.
Sagra della Polenta (polenta festival), November 11th-12th in Nerola.
Il Giorno di Bacco (wine festival), November 19th in Palombara Sabina.
Emilia Romagna
Novemberfest (grilled meats and beer festival), November 10th-11th and 17th-18th in Bevilacqua.
Fiera dell'Oliva e dei Prodotti Autunnali (olives and autumnal products festival), November 19th and 26th in Coriano.
Cioccolandia (chocolate festival), November 11th-12th in Piacenza.
Fiera del Formaggio di Fossa (cheese festival), November 19th and 26th in Sogliano al Rubicone.
Chestnuts can be widely found in Italy during the autumn. Photo by Federico Panaiotti on Unsplash
Lombardy
Sapori d'Autunno (autumn flavours festival), November 10th-12th and 17th-19th, Comazzo.
Festa del Torrone (nougat festival), November 11th-19th in Cremona.
Formaggi in Piazza (cheese festival), November 18th-19th in Sondrio.
Marche
Festa della Cicerchia (legumes fair), November 24th-26th in Serra de' Conti.
Piedmont
Fiera Internazionale Tartufo Bianco d'Alba (international white truffle fair), until December 3rd in Alba.
Acqui e Sapori (truffle market), November 24th-26th in Acqui Terme.
Puglia
Sagra del Fungo Cardoncello (cardoncello mushroom festival), November 11th-12th in Ruvo di Puglia.
A man sniffs a truffle at the International White Truffle Festival in Alba. Photo by Marco BERTORELLO / AFP.
Sicily
Sagra dell'Ulivo (olives festival), November 11th-12th in Pollina.
Sagra della Cassatella (sweet fried pastry fair), November 17th-19th in Agira.
Un Giorno di Pecora (lamb and mutton fair), November 19th in Santa Ninfa.
Trentino Alto Adige
Festa della Noce (walnut festival), November 10th-12th in Cavrasto.
Tuscany
Autumnia (autumn foods festival), November 10th-12th in Figline Valdarno.
Sagra del Porcino (porcini mushroom festival), November 9th-11th in Lucignano.
Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival), November 9th-12th and 16th-19th in Chianni.
Veneto
Festa del Baccalà (salted cod festival), November 10th-12th and 17th-19th in Borgoricco.
Sagra del Frico (cheese crisp fair), November 11th-12th, 18th-19th, 25th-26th in Lorenzaga.
This list is not exhaustive. Did we miss out your favourite November sagra? Leave a comment below to let us know.
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One of the best things about visiting Italy in the autumn is having the opportunity to attend a sagra, a type of harvest festival or fair centred around one particular food or drink item local to the town hosting it.
A sagra can last for several weeks or one day, and consists of anything from raucous celebrations with music and dancing to more relaxed tasting experiences amid food stalls and wooden benches. It will usually be hosted in a field or a piazza (square), and entry is free.
While October is the month with the most sagra, they typically continue well into November. Chestnuts, truffles, wine, olive oil and polenta are just some of the products being offered in villages and towns across the country this month.
Abruzzo
Festa dell'Olio Nuovo (olive oil festival), November 10th-12th in Frisa.
Calabria
Sagra della Castagna (chestnuts festival), November 11th-13th in Sant'Agata di Esaro.
READ ALSO: Seven reasons autumn is the best time to visit Italy
Campania
La Sagra delle Sagre (local products and culture festival), 10th-12th in Sant'Angelo dei Lombardi.
Sagra della Castagna e dei Prodotti del Sottobosco (chestnuts festival), November 11th-12th in Acerno.
Pzzett e Vin Cuott (sweetened desserts festival), November 11th-13th in Scisciano.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Estate di San Martino (local products fair), November 10th-12th in Villanova.
Lazio
Festa dell'Olio e del Vino Novello (olive oil and wine festival), November 10th-12th and 17th-19th in Vignanello.
Sagra della Polenta (polenta festival), November 11th-12th in Nerola.
Il Giorno di Bacco (wine festival), November 19th in Palombara Sabina.
Emilia Romagna
Novemberfest (grilled meats and beer festival), November 10th-11th and 17th-18th in Bevilacqua.
Fiera dell'Oliva e dei Prodotti Autunnali (olives and autumnal products festival), November 19th and 26th in Coriano.
Cioccolandia (chocolate festival), November 11th-12th in Piacenza.
Fiera del Formaggio di Fossa (cheese festival), November 19th and 26th in Sogliano al Rubicone.
Lombardy
Sapori d'Autunno (autumn flavours festival), November 10th-12th and 17th-19th, Comazzo.
Festa del Torrone (nougat festival), November 11th-19th in Cremona.
Formaggi in Piazza (cheese festival), November 18th-19th in Sondrio.
Marche
Festa della Cicerchia (legumes fair), November 24th-26th in Serra de' Conti.
Piedmont
Fiera Internazionale Tartufo Bianco d'Alba (international white truffle fair), until December 3rd in Alba.
Acqui e Sapori (truffle market), November 24th-26th in Acqui Terme.
Puglia
Sagra del Fungo Cardoncello (cardoncello mushroom festival), November 11th-12th in Ruvo di Puglia.
Sicily
Sagra dell'Ulivo (olives festival), November 11th-12th in Pollina.
Sagra della Cassatella (sweet fried pastry fair), November 17th-19th in Agira.
Un Giorno di Pecora (lamb and mutton fair), November 19th in Santa Ninfa.
Trentino Alto Adige
Festa della Noce (walnut festival), November 10th-12th in Cavrasto.
Tuscany
Autumnia (autumn foods festival), November 10th-12th in Figline Valdarno.
Sagra del Porcino (porcini mushroom festival), November 9th-11th in Lucignano.
Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival), November 9th-12th and 16th-19th in Chianni.
Veneto
Festa del Baccalà (salted cod festival), November 10th-12th and 17th-19th in Borgoricco.
Sagra del Frico (cheese crisp fair), November 11th-12th, 18th-19th, 25th-26th in Lorenzaga.
This list is not exhaustive. Did we miss out your favourite November sagra? Leave a comment below to let us know.
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