Rain and sunshine are the perfect combination for the growth of mushrooms, which means that summer and autumn each year are mushroom seasons in Italy.

Mushrooms are picked in many different areas and play an important part in Italian cuisine. They are eaten in many different ways: together with meat, game or poultry; used as a filling in ravioli; as part of a pasta or risotto dish; in soups or to make thick spreading creams.

When preserved in olive oil, mushrooms are also served as a starter, together with other antipasti. They may also be dehydrated - this is mostly the case for ceps (funghi porcini) - sold in little sachets and then rehydrated before use. And the white truffle (tartufo bianco) from Alba in the Piedmont region; a truffle is essentially a fungus that grows underground while a mushroom is an above ground fungus.

Mushrooming Licences

Mushroom picking is treated as a hobby by many people and in order to regulate this, a law was established on a national level, which is then adapted locally in each region.

A licence (tesserino) is required to pick mushrooms everywhere in Italy. In some areas, this licence will be delivered once the person has attended a basic course and passed a test; in other regions the licence is given without conditions.

The licence can be bought from the Mountain Community (comunità montane), the Consortium of Management of Parks (consorzio di gestione dei parchi), the Province (provincia) or the City (il comune).

Each region or province has its own regulations, and also decides on a calendar (days when it is authorised to pick mushrooms and days during which mushroom picking is prohibited), as well as the quantity of mushrooms allowed per person (usually two or three kilograms per day per person). In some areas, there might be additional specific restrictions applying to certain species of mushrooms.

Licences in the Lombardy Region

Each comune in Lombardy determines its own regulations for mushroom picking and whether to demand payment for permits (tesserini).

There are different types of permits available. These include daily, weekly, monthly, seasonal and annual tesserini for residents and non-residents. They are available at tourist offices, shops that display the mushroom picking permits sign and at the comune (Town Hall).

It is advisable to choose a destination for mushroom picking and contact the local comune for information on permits and regulations. Mushroom pickers need to know what permits are available and where they can be obtained, on which days picking is permitted and how many kilograms can be picked in a day.

The Regional Law of 23 June 1997, n. 24 (PDF in Italian) states that authorised mushroom picking is permitted on the following conditions:

• Only mushrooms growing above ground may be picked
• Mushroom picking is allowed from sunrise to sunset
• One single person may not pick more than three kilograms of mushrooms per day (unless this limit is exceeded by a single mushroom)
• Only manual mushroom picking (without the use of tools) is permitted (except when picking Armillaria Melea where the stalk must be cut)
• It is compulsory to clean edible mushrooms on the spot where they have been picked. This rule does not apply when mushrooms must be examined by an expert to certify whether they are safe to eat
• Soil must not be removed
• It is forbidden to pick decomposed mushrooms or closed Amanita Cesarea ovules
• Do not use plastic containers to transport mushrooms. Containers that favour the dispersion of spores during transportation must be used instead (such as wicker baskets)
• It is illegal to pick mushrooms in areas that have been in the process of reforestation for fewer than 15 years
• Mushrooms may not be picked on private property, except by the owner

Natural Parks have their own rules about mushroom picking.

Province of Bergamo  

Includes comunes of Angolo Terme, Castione della Presolana, Cerete, Fino del Monte, Onore, Rovetta and Songavazzo:

• Mushroom picking is free for residents, Val Camonica residents and handicapped citizens
• Mushroom picking is allowed from 06:00-19:00
• Daily, weekly and yearly tesserini are released by the Consorzio Forestale della Presolana. Weekly and daily tesserini are also available at tourist offices

Comune of Valgoglio

• Residents are granted a discount when buying a tesserino
• Daily, weekly and annual tesserini, or permessi, are available in tourist offices

Province of Brescia  

(Valle Camonica Mountain Community):

• Residents are permitted to pick mushrooms for free but must carry identification
• Non-residents must purchase a permit for the relevant time period

Province of Como  

(Lario Intelviese Mountain Community):

• Both residents and non-residents must buy seasonal or weekly permits

Province of Como  

(Alto Lario Occidentale Mountain Community):

• Everyone is required to buy a daily, seasonal or weekly permit

Comune of Varzi  

(In Pavia):

• Daily permits may be bought in shops that exhibit the mushroom permit sign
• Annual permits may be bought at the Consorzio in Via Chiesa di Bognassi, on Wednesdays 10:00-12:00

Province of Sondrio  

(Alta Valtellina Mountain Community):

• Daily, weekly and yearly permits may be acquired in Pro Loco Associations

Province of Sondrio  

(Valtellina di Sondrio Mountain Community):

• Commune residents may pick mushrooms for free in that area
• Daily, weekly and yearly permits are available

Province of Varese  

(Valli del Luinese Mountain Community):

• Residents may pick mushrooms but must show identification on request
• Non-residents must buy a permit

Territorial rules may change. The best way to keep up to date is to ask for information at the local tourist information office or comune.

Information on Edible Mushrooms

The Milan Mycological Group (Gruppo Micologico Milanese) organises free conferences and talks on mushrooms every Monday evening 18:30-21:30 (in Italian). This group also organises excursions and courses to help pick edible mushrooms.

• Gruppo Micologico Milanese
  At: c/o Provincia di Milano, Via Piolti de' Bianchi 47, 20129 Milan (MI)
  e-mail
  Website

If a mushroom picker is unsure whether a mushroom is edible, it is advisable that they ask the mycological association. The Ispettorati Micologici of the ASL will check mushrooms' edibility for free:

• ASL Città di Milano – SIAN
  At: Via Statuto 5 (bottom floor), Milan (MI)
  Tel: 02 857 89764
  Open: Monday and Wednesday 08:30-11:30 (from 21 August to 15 November)
• ASL Città di Milano – Ortomercato
  At: Via Lombroso 54, Milan (MI)
  Tel: 02 550 05405
  Open: Monday to Friday 08:00-10:00 (from 1 June to 15 November)
• Laboratorio Sanità Pubblica
  At: Via Juvara 22, Milan (MI)
  Tel: 02 857 89764 or 02 857 89281
  Open: Monday, Wednesday and Friday 13:30-15:30 (from 15 July to 31 August) and Monday to Friday 13:30-15:30 (from 1 September to 15 November). At other times of the year, call and ask for an appointment
• For a list of the Ispettorati Micologici in Lombardy: Click here and select the relevant category from Informazioni utili

The Regione Lombardia Agricoltura provides information on mushroom picking, which can be downloaded.

• For more information: Click here (in Italian)

Safety guidelines

Each year about 40,000 people suffer mushroom poisoning in Italy. There are about 300 different types of non-edible mushrooms in Europe. Eating them can cause problems such as digestive discomfort (nausea, diarrhoea) for a limited period of time or more serious ailments such as convulsions, tachycardia or kidney infection.

In order to avoid these type of problems, the sanitation authorities (Unione Nazionale del Personale Ispettivo Sanitario d'Italia) give the following advice:

• never pick mushrooms in a polluted environment, close to a highway or a rubbish dump
• do not pick mushrooms that are too mature, very wet or mouldy as it is difficult to tell whether these are safe to eat
• do not trust strangers who claim to be experts
• never buy mushrooms from sellers who do not have the compulsory certificate
• if the mushrooms are a gift, ask for information about where they have been picked and have them checked by a mycological centre
• ensure that mushrooms are cooked well and as soon as possible after they have been picked. Some mushrooms must be cooked in a certain way
• it is recommended that mushrooms be consumed in small quantities and not in consecutive meals
• if unsure about the safety of a mushroom, do not mix it in the same basket with ones that are certainly safe
• if in doubt get advice from a health professional. The staff of a local health department (Agenzia Sanitaria Locale, ASL) will be in a position to provide free advice on the mushrooms collected

In case of poisoning, call or go to the Emergency Service (Pronto Soccorso). If possible, take some of the mushrooms or the remains of the dish eaten. Never try to self-cure, do not take any drugs and do not attempt to throw up.

Anti-poison centres (Centri Antiveleno, CAV) in Lombardy:

• Ospedale Niguarda Ca' Granda
  At: Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162 Milan (MI)
  Tel: 02 644 41 / 02 644 487 / 02 661 01029
  e-mail
  Website 
• Clinica del Lavoro e della Riabilitazione I.R.C.C.S.
  At: Via S. Boezio 26, 27100 Pavia (PV)
  Tel: 0382 262 61

Further Information

• Micologi Associati (in Italian)
• Agricultural Association (in Italian)
• Associazione Micologica Italiana Naturalistica Telematica (in Italian)

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