Piedmont

Piedmont is located in northwestern Italy and is the second-largest region in Italy.

Its borders are with Valle d'Aosta and Switzerland to the north, Liguria to the south, Lombardy and a section of Emilia Romagna to the east, and France to the west.

Its territory is predominantly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps -whose peaks exceed 4,000 meters above sea level in Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso - and the Apennines, which descend sharply to the extensive hilly areas of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato whose wine-growing landscapes have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014. Then follows the broad Po Valley, which begins here in Piedmont, an area particularly rich in water so as to be extensively cultivated with rice fields.

Piedmont is rich in waterways, and the main river that flows through the entire region, from east to west, is the Po with its important tributaries such as the Dora Baltea, Dora Riparia and Ticino. There are also a large number of lakes, among the largest in Italy, such as Lake Maggiore and Lake Orta.

There are numerous protected areas in the region, 2 national parks - Gran Paradiso and Val Grande - 56 regional parks and reserves and numerous provincial protected areas. 

After the first settlements dating back to the Paleolithic period, in the 1st millennium B.C. Piedmont was occupied by Celtic and Ligurian peoples later subdued by the Romans, who founded important colonies such as Augusta Taurinorum, today's Turin. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Piedmont came under the control of first the Huns and then the Ostrogoths, eventually falling into the hands of the Lombards in 568 and being conquered by Charlemagne in 774. Territorial lordships developed in Piedmont in the following centuries, and the unification process under the Savoy Family took several centuries. Only after the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis in 1559 could Emanuel Philibert and his successors begin the process of final unification, which was completed in 1748 with the Treaty of Aachen. 

After the Napoleonic domination (1798-1814), Piedmont was annexed to the Kingdom of Sardinia and played a central role in the Italian Risorgimento and the construction of the new unified state (1861), and Turin was the first Capital of the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1864.

Since January 1, 1948, Piedmont has been an Italian region with ordinary status and is currently divided into 7 provinces - Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, Vercelli - plus the metropolitan city of Turin.

Between 1852 and 1861 Piedmont began a rapid process of industrialization and, at the beginning of the 20th century, led Italy's economic takeoff with FIAT, which between the 1950s and 1960s gave rise to an important migration phenomenon, especially from Southern Italy.

Because of its history and geography, Piedmont has countless cultural attractions and natural beauty and is characterized by cities and small towns rich in history and tradition where you can spend unforgettable days.

Turin, the region's capital, is an evocative Baroque city just waiting to be discovered, and Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Vercelli and Verbania are just a few of Piedmont's cities of art, to be discovered by walking among the historical and artistic beauties that each one preserves: historic palaces, squares, museums and views.

For lovers of the outdoors, there are a thousand ways to experience nature: easy hikes or challenging activities in the mountains, walking in the hills on the wine roads, or enjoying the calm and spectacular views of the lakes.

Piedmont is rich in architectural, historical and environmental assets recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Sites such as the Royal Residences of the House of Savoy, the wine-growing landscapes of the Langhe, the Sacri Monti; the Creative Cities and UNESCO MAB reserves.

Also, the architecture witnesses to Piedmont's military past, Baroque architecture, villas, castles, gardens and, of course, churches and religious routes that make Piedmont unique.

Food and wine are pillars of Piedmont's economy, thanks to the exceptional level of Piedmont's typical products and the richness of its cuisine.

Slow Food, the international association for promoting local food and wine culture, was born in Bra, and every two years the Salone del Gusto, an international food and wine event, takes place in Turin.

In addition, the region boasts two important institutions in the food field, the ‘Italian Culinary Institute for Foreigners’ and the 'University of Taste' in Pollenzo based on protecting and disseminating high-quality products. 

Typical fine products include wines - Barolo, Barbaresco and sparkling wines from the Asti area - the 'tonda gentile' hazelnut and the Alba truffle to which the Alba International Truffle Fair is dedicated every year, rice (Italy's only PDO), meats for the renowned 'Bollito', vegetables for ‘Bagna Caoda’, chocolate with the famous Gianduiotto, Cuneesi rum and Bonet, a spoon pudding made with cocoa, amarettis and rhum, and important liquor labels.

Many are the culinary creations born in Piedmont and now known all over the world, such as the 'tramezzino' or the aperitif ritual and the first espresso bar machine!

Since 2000, tourism in Piedmont has been on a steady positive trend, and in 2019 Lonely Planet's Best in Travel guide voted Piedmont as the best region in the world to visit.