Florence, 15 June 2026. For the second consecutive year, Castanea Expo returns to Florence, the first international trade fair dedicated to the world of chestnut cultivation and its many production chains.

The event, which aims to outline the boundaries of a new renaissance for the chestnut sector, will take place from 11 to 13 December 2026 at the Fortezza da Basso, offering three days of meetings, exhibitions, tastings, insights, and networking opportunities for industry professionals, institutions, buyers, representatives from education, research and tourism, as well as the general public.

Organised by Firenze Fiera, Castanea Expo is supported by a scientific advisory committee that will help design a rich calendar of events, exhibitions, and meetings aimed at both professionals and enthusiasts.

The format of the first edition is confirmed; it previously received patronage from several international institutions, including the European Parliament, and benefited from the active participation of prestigious bodies such as MASAF. Alongside the exhibition area featuring leading companies in the chestnut sector, the three-day event will offer a rich programme of seminars, workshops, training labs, tastings, masterclasses, and show cooking sessions, providing a 360-degree exploration of the sector’s key themes.

Significant space will be dedicated to Italian and international chestnut-producing regions, with the participation of regions, institutions, consortia, and international delegations. From its very first edition, Castanea Expo has already shown a strong international vocation, thanks to the presence of foreign exhibitors—particularly from Greece and France—and the strong attractiveness of the Fortezza da Basso, a key asset of Firenze Fiera and one of Europe’s leading exhibition centres.

A major new feature this year will be five thematic areas set up within the fair: Castanea Tech, dedicated to technologies and machinery; Castanea Lab Innovation, focused on agronomic applications, regulations, and economics; Castanea Tour, dedicated to tourism in chestnut-growing areas through villages, roads, trails, pilgrimage routes, and museums; Castanea Wood, centred on the timber supply chain, environmental and civil engineering, furniture, and design; and Castanea Food, dedicated to the fruit and its basic, innovative, and gourmet processed products.

“With great satisfaction, we present the second edition of Castanea Expo, a fair that enhances one of the most authentic excellences of the Italian territory and the entire agri-food supply chain. Firenze Fiera thus confirms its commitment to promoting events capable of combining tradition, innovation, sustainability, and economic development,” said the President of Firenze Fiera, Lorenzo Becattini. “Castanea Expo represents not only a high-quality showcase for producers, institutions, and industry operators, but also an important opportunity for discussion on the enhancement of inland areas, biodiversity protection, and new opportunities linked to food and wine tourism. We are confident that the 2026 edition will further strengthen the international profile of the event, fostering meetings, collaborations, and new growth prospects for the entire sector.”

“Florence, due to its history and the role that Tuscany (the Italian region with the largest area of chestnut forests) has always played in the development of chestnut culture, is the ideal location for Castanea Expo, the first international B2B and B2C trade fair, a meeting place between research, production, processing, institutions, and consumers, promoting dialogue on the challenges and new opportunities facing the sector,” said Prof. Elvio Bellini, President of the Centro di Studio e Documentazione sul Castagno (CSDC).

“The Italian chestnut sector,” Prof. Bellini continued, “possesses an extraordinary heritage of biodiversity, traditions, landscapes, and excellent products, but requires renewed commitment to address issues related to chestnut grove management, climate change, plant diseases, and the economic valorisation of production. Events like this fair make it possible to network scientific and professional expertise, promoting—also through the training of new generations—innovative cultivation and mechanisation processes for the development of cultivable areas.”

“The mountain economy in Italy sees chestnut cultivation, with its 200,000 hectares of chestnut groves, as a strategic asset for economic regeneration and social and heritage enhancement. The sector’s economic value ranges between 2 and 4 billion euros per year, with significant growth potential,” added Massimo Seragnoli, business development manager and member of the scientific advisory committee. “With Castanea Expo, Firenze Fiera brings together all stakeholders: from landowners to consortium organisations, from PGI and PDO producers to all companies in processing supply chains, fresh fruit, timber, and innovative products. Here, in the magnificent setting of the Fortezza da Basso, from 11 to 13 December, the foundations for the future of chestnut cultivation will be laid.”

INFO: www.castaneaexpo.it