National Exhibition of San Giuseppe at Casale Monferrato: the fair that opens the spring

In March Casale Monferrato changes pace. The days are starting to get longer, winter slowly gives way to spring and the Riccardo Coppo Exhibition Center is once again filled with people, scents, products, ideas and curiosities. The National Exhibition of San Giuseppe is one of the most recognizable historical events in the city and represents an excellent excuse to plan a day, or even better a weekend, in the heart of Casale.

The fair is not just a place to walk around the stands. It is a moment in which Casale becomes particularly alive and in which a visit can easily extend to the historic center, to the Monferrato Castle, to the churches, cafes, wine bars and the hills that begin just outside the city. If you arrive for the San Giuseppe Exhibition, it is worth keeping a few hours free before or after the visit: the surrounding area is part of the experience.

The National Exhibition of Saint Joseph is held every year in the month of March, during the anniversary of Saint Joseph on March 19th. Traditionally the event lasts about ten days and includes two weekends.

The exhibition animates Casale in mid-March, around March 19, for about ten days and two weekends. It is a pleasant time to visit Casale Monferrato because the city enters the spring event season and the hills begin to change color, while maintaining that tranquil atmosphere typical of the months outside the high tourist season.

The best way to visit the Exhibition is to enter without a too rigid itinerary. Its sampling nature means that the route changes and is renewed: you can go from a craft proposal to an exhibition dedicated to the home, stop in front of vehicles and equipment, discover producers, browse through leisure items and finally arrive at the areas dedicated to taste. It is precisely the alternation that makes it pleasant even for those who are not looking for something specific.

An important part of the fair is dedicated to products and services for the home: internal and external furnishings, windows, flooring, stoves, fireplaces, barbecues, textiles and gardening solutions. Alongside the more technical proposals, there is space for handcrafted items, clothing, objects and gift ideas. The feeling is that of the great trade fairs of the past, but with an offer that is updated to contemporary habits and needs.

For those who arrive in Monferrato with the idea of also getting to know local flavours, the food and wine area is one of the most inviting points. The composition of exhibitors varies at each edition, but food is now a central presence of the event. It's the right time to take a break, taste different products and then continue the day in the city, perhaps with an aperitif or a dinner dedicated to Piedmontese cuisine and local wines.

The exhibition is normally accompanied by a program of meetings, presentations, demonstrations, shows, music and collateral events. Some editions also include spaces dedicated to contemporary art. The program is not identical every year and for this reason it is advisable to consult it before the visit: choosing a day with an event that interests you can transform a simple walk among the stands into a complete afternoon.

Because it's worth stopping at Casale Monferrato too

Arriving at the fair and leaving immediately would mean seeing only part of the journey. Casale Monferrato is a city with a cozy historic center that is pleasant to walk around, rich enough to fill a few hours without requiring complicated travel. March, especially on bright days, invites you to move from the lively dimension of the exhibition center to the slower one of the city center streets.

The Monferrato Castle and Piazza Castello

The Monferrato Castle is one of the visual references of the city. The large fortress overlooking Piazza Castello tells of Casale's strategic past and offers a natural point from which to begin the urban visit. During opening periods it is possible to enter the castle's spaces and, on the occasion of city initiatives, also access normally less frequented areas. Even just the external tour allows you to immediately understand the character of the city.

From the castle you can continue towards the centre, letting porticoes, facades, courtyards and squares guide the route. The Civic Tower emerges above the roofs and helps you orient yourself, while the Cathedral of Sant'Evasio, the baroque churches and historic buildings add stops to a walk that can be modulated without haste. Casale is a city suitable to be discovered this way: by walking and indulging in detours.

One of the reasons why the Mostra di San Giuseppe works well as a travel opportunity is Casale's location. In a few kilometers the urban landscape gives way to the first hills of the Monferrato, the vineyards, the small villages and the secondary roads that connect viewpoints, parish churches and castles. If you have a whole day available, you can dedicate the morning to the city, the afternoon to the fair or reverse the order and end the visit with a dinner in the area.

If you stay two days, the advice is not to fill every hour. Choose a walking route or a short outing into the hills and let the fair become one of the stops, not the only destination. Rosignano Monferrato, Cella Monte, Vignale Monferrato and the other villages of the Casalese area can be reached with short journeys and allow you to build a weekend of landscape, wine, history and walking.

You can start from the center of Casale with a walk between Piazza Castello, the Civic Tower and the Duomo, stop for lunch and then reach the Riccardo Coppo Exhibition Centre. Alternatively, if you prefer to visit the exhibition during peak opening hours, enter the fair first thing and save the late afternoon for the historic centre. When the days get longer, the transition from the fair to the city streets is particularly pleasant.

For those coming from further away, a night in the area completely changes the experience. The next day you can leave Casale and choose an itinerary among the hills, stop in a winery, visit a village or simply take a panoramic road without a too precise destination. The San Giuseppe Exhibition thus becomes the gateway to a Monferrato that often surprises those who arrived thinking of spending only a few hours at the fair.

The event is held at the Riccardo Coppo Exhibition Center of Casale Monferrato, in the area near the Citadel. The location is convenient for those arriving by car and allows you to reach the city center in a few minutes. Access and parking are described on the event website.

For an unhurried visit, consider at least two or three hours. If you want to carefully see the stands, stop in the gastronomic areas and follow an event in the program, you can easily spend half a day at the event. On weekends the crowds are normally higher, so having a little margin makes the visit more pleasant.

In recent editions, entry has been free, while times change between weekdays and weekends. The event page also publishes the daily program and any special initiatives.

The variety of stands also makes the exhibition suitable for a family visit. The stay can be easily adjusted to the children's rhythms and, on the busiest days, it is advisable to plan breaks and trips a little in advance. The presence of attractions and collateral initiatives in the city area can make the weekend even more interesting, but the program must be checked for the individual edition.

The San Giuseppe National Exhibition is one of those events that work best when they are not experienced as an isolated destination. Come in, browse, taste, discover the exhibitors and be surprised by what changes from edition to edition. Then exit the fairgrounds and continue your journey. Casale Monferrato is there, with its historic center, and a little further on the hills begin.

This is precisely the most beautiful way to experience the appointment: using the fair as a reason to leave and the Monferrato as a reason to stop. March is a month of transition, still quiet but already looking towards spring. A walk, a Piedmontese meal, a glass of wine and a few hours among the stands can become much more than a simple visit to an event.

Source: official reference of the event.