Art and stone
The church of San Michele Arcangelo, the oratory of the Madonna della Neve and the treasures carved by the Ceccati, Cavola's master stonemasons.
What to see
Toano · Reggio Emilia
Cavola
Reggio's little Alba
A mountain village at around 500 metres above sea level, between the Secchia valley and the Matildic pilgrim routes: fine truffles, wild mushrooms, craftsmanship and the flavours of the Apennines, told by the Pro Loco di Cavola.
About 500 mabove sea level
Via Matildicaruns through Cavola
Since 1988celebrating the truffle
37thEdition of the festival
1988The first in the province
1148First mention of Cavola
500 mApproximate height of the village
Cavola di Toano
The largest village in the municipality of Toano, set in the Secchia valley among wide meadows and oak woods.
The largest village in the municipality of Toano, set in the Secchia valley among wide meadows and oak woods.
Welcome
An old village in the heart of the Apennines
The earliest traces of Cavola go back to the 12th century, when documents mention the hospitale de Cavella, a shelter for travellers crossing the mountains. Today it is a lively village of around 900 people, with its church of San Michele Arcangelo, the oratory of the Madonna della Neve and its seventeenth-century wooden altar by the Ceccati, and a brass band that has played without a break since 1898.
Its truffles have earned it the name "Reggio's little Alba": every November the Truffle Festival, the first event of its kind in the province of Reggio Emilia, draws visitors from all over the region.
The village's history and landmarks
In our memory
Goodbye Loris, and thank you
Our eternal thanks to Loris, the man who made possible everything the Pro Loco does for the village today.
Village events
Our festivals
From autumn truffles to spring prugnolo mushrooms: the food and wine events that make Cavola the flavour capital of the Reggio Apennines.
Book your lunch at the CavolaForum
Places are limited on Truffle Festival Sundays. Booking is essential.
Book now
CavolaForum
Truffle Festival
9 – 16 November 2025
Stalls of truffles, Parmigiano-Reggiano and mushrooms, a mushroom exhibition, music from the Banda di Cavola, a market through the village streets and the Pro Loco's truffle lunch.
Programme, menu and details
CavolaForum
2nd Prugnolo Mushroom Festival
5 April 2026 – 3 May 2026
The second edition devoted to the prugnolo, the spring mushroom of the Reggio Apennines. A new date that extends the village's season of events.
Discover the festivalFoto: Harlekin96 / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
Tuber magnatum PicoWhite truffle
The white truffle
Sought out among oaks, poplars, willows and limes, in damp ground close to streams and rivers.
Sought out among oaks, poplars, willows and limes, in damp ground close to streams and rivers.
The star of the show
The Truffle
The white truffle, Tuber magnatum Pico, is an underground fungus and one of the most prized of all. It favours ground where oaks, poplars, willows and limes grow, preferring damp places not far from streams and rivers.
Since the earliest times it has been hunted in these hills and prized for the unmistakable flavour it gives to Emilian cooking. To boost tourism and local trade, the Pro Loco di Cavola has run the Truffle Festival since 1988: the first food and wine event of its kind in the province of Reggio Emilia.
Browse the truffle atlas
To see and to experience
The area
Medieval pilgrim routes, stone churches, ridges and oak woods: around Cavola the Reggio Apennines tell their story at walking pace.
Via Matildica
The Volto Santo route links Mantua to Lucca through these valleys: Cavola is a mountain stage in the footsteps of Matilde di Canossa.
The routeNature and trails
Walking, cycling and hiking among the meadows, woods and ridges of the Secchia valley, in every season of the year.
What to do
Cavola in motion
See the village from above
Two minutes among the rooftops, meadows and woods of Cavola: the Pro Loco's video tells the story of the village better than a thousand words.
Then come and see it for yourself
Together for our valley
Partners & supporters
Public bodies and local businesses that support the Pro Loco di Cavola.
