Piedmont

In Piedmont, art and culture have very ancient origins, as do the first human settlements established in these territories. However, the region experienced its period of greatest splendour under the long rule of the House of Savoy, which lasted until fairly recently.

The region always played a central role in the development of the arts. This is still true nowadays, as the main Italian artistic currents of the 20th century were born or developed in Piedmont; among them are the Futurists, Felice Casorati, the Situationist International movement the Arte Povera of Michelangelo Pistoletto from Biella. It is no coincidence that Turin is considered a world capital of contemporary art.

Piedmont's food and flavours form a very special regional cuisine, both in terms of production and recipes. Among the recipes, the most famous is undoubtedly the bagna cauda, the Agnolotti (a type of filled pasta), the gnocchi al Castelmagno (a typical cheese of Piedmont) and vitello tonnato (veal in tuna sauce), which can be served both as an appetizer and as a main course.

Piedmont is also renowned for its wines. Barolo, Barbera, Asti Spumante, Barbaresco: most of Piedmont’s wines are produced from the Nebbiolo grape, and they are known and appreciated all over the world. The Barolo wine in particular, is an essential ingredient of a very typical dish, the Barolo risotto.

With its land rich in natural resources and landscapes, Piedmont truly caters to all kinds of visitors. The region's artistic and cultural heritage is remarkable and reflects different historical periods: Romanesque, Gothic, Neoclassical, Baroque and contemporary art. The Baroque palaces, Royal Residences, churches, castles and thermal cities (Vinadio, Acqui Terme, Lurisia or Agliano Terme, to name a few), together with the religious tourism destinations, offer an array of itineraries of historical and natural interest.
Noteworthy are the vineyards of the Langhe, Roero and Monferrato. Piedmont is considered to be the quintessential Alpine region, as suggested by its name, which means "at the foot of the mountain". It references the perpetually snow-covered peaks of its mountains, which are among the highest in Europe, such as Monte Rosa and Monviso, where the source of the river Po is.

The history of Piedmont has its roots far back in time but what has historically characterized the region for what we know today is the domination of the House of Savoy under which the city of Turin was the capital of the Duchy of Savoy first, then the Kingdom of Sardinia and finally first capital of the Kingdom of Italy. In this sense the city of Turin and all of Piedmont had great importance in the period of the Risorgimento, importance maintained until today. The city of Turin, in fact, still remains one of the major Italian industrial centers.