Moncalvo bills itself as the smallest city in Italy — about 3,000 inhabitants, granted town status in 1305 by the Marquis of Monferrato. It sits on a hilltop with sweeping views across the vineyards, the old centre still ringed by fragments of medieval walls and a ruined castle.
The town comes properly alive in October, when it hosts the Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco — one of Piedmont's most important white truffle fairs after Alba. Stalls fill the central piazza, restaurants serve elaborate truffle menus, and prices are surprisingly reasonable compared with the famous Alba market.