The Barbera and truffle land
PIEDMONT
The name of this region comes from the Italian “ai piedi del monte”
literally at the feet of the mountain as it stretches on the buttress
of a great alpine arc and the Pò river that is the longest in Italy has
its source right here on Monviso. The most important lakes are the Lake
Maggiore and the Orta lake.
The earliest known inhabitants of Piedmont were the Celts, the Liguri (from Liguria) and Romans. Torino played an important part of the Italian history when in the 18th century the Savoy family formed a unified region and Torino served as the first capital of a unified Italy. The Savoys reigned until 1943 until the monarchy was abolished.
Turin is the cradle of one of the most important factories in Italy: FIAT and in 2006 it hosted the XX Winter Olympics Games.
Every excursion in Italy is an endless journey into culture, tradition and beauty. There is no other country that can boast so many cultural and artistic treasures as Italy.
The Piedmontese area is perfect to practice sports like biking & hiking around the Turin area as the Monte Rosa Animal Reserve and Mount Mombarone and skiing in resorts like Sestriere or Macugnaga. Sestriere is just one hour away from Turin and it is the homeland of the Italian ski champion Alberto Tomba.
To sample the lion's share of Turin's nightlife, head to the riverside area around Piazza Vittoria Veneto and the district east of Piazza Savoia for some of the best drinking spots. The clubbing district centres on Murazzi del Po (also called Lungo Po Murazzi), which is the arcaded riverside area stretching between Ponte Vittorio Emanuele I and Ponte Umberto I.
Almost 130 museum populate the province of Turin, and another 200 in the rest of the region. The most important are the Egyptian Museum, the Cinema Museum inside the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rivoli castle, one of the numerous beautiful Savoy residence.
The name of this region comes from the Italian “ai piedi del monte”
literally at the feet of the mountain as it stretches on the buttress
of a great alpine arc and the Pò river that is the longest in Italy has
its source right here on Monviso. The most important lakes are the Lake
Maggiore and the Orta lake. The earliest known inhabitants of Piedmont were the Celts, the Liguri (from Liguria) and Romans. Torino played an important part of the Italian history when in the 18th century the Savoy family formed a unified region and Torino served as the first capital of a unified Italy. The Savoys reigned until 1943 until the monarchy was abolished.
Turin is the cradle of one of the most important factories in Italy: FIAT and in 2006 it hosted the XX Winter Olympics Games.
CITIES
Turin is the region capital; the other main cities in Piedmont are: Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbano and Vercelli.
Turin is the region capital; the other main cities in Piedmont are: Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbano and Vercelli.
ART & CULTURE
The centuries have left an
extremely valuable architectural and artistic heritage that goes from
the Romans, through various style, to Liberty and contemporary
architecture. Many of the masterpieces found in this region have been
the product of different cultural influences such as French and
Flemish. Imposing palaces, beautiful villas, castles and fortresses,
royal residences and dozens of churches, considered pure architectural
jewels can be admired either in the capital and in every city of
Piedmont.
In Turin and in Susa the Roman
Age has left its traces; the Romanesque-Gothic architecture is
amazing: magnificent examples are the Abbey of Vezzolano, the Sacra of
San Michele, St. Antonio di Ranverso, the Abbey of Staffarda, St.
Andrea in Vercelli and other churches in Saluzzo, Chieri and Ciriè. The
Baroque style has deeply influenced the appearance of most Piedmontese
cities, especially Turin, capital of Dukedom of Savoy: basilica of
Superga, Madama palace, Carignano palace, the majestic Castle of
Stupinigi, the, which rises on a hill near Turin are outstanding
examples.
The most precious treasures
are anyway baroque; many palaces and squares of Turin were designed by
the best architects called by the Savoy family to adorn the capital of
the Kingdom. In the same way the Savoy residences are monuments of so
rare beauty that have been recently recognized as World Heritage Sites
by Unesco. Among the 17 Savoy residences we can mention the Royal
Palace, Palazzo Madama, the Stupinigi Hunting Lodge, the palace in
Pollenzo, Villa della Regina, and the Palace of Venaria Reale which is
the major restoration project in Europe.
THINGS TO DO
Every excursion in Italy is an endless journey into culture, tradition and beauty. There is no other country that can boast so many cultural and artistic treasures as Italy.
The Piedmontese area is perfect to practice sports like biking & hiking around the Turin area as the Monte Rosa Animal Reserve and Mount Mombarone and skiing in resorts like Sestriere or Macugnaga. Sestriere is just one hour away from Turin and it is the homeland of the Italian ski champion Alberto Tomba.
To sample the lion's share of Turin's nightlife, head to the riverside area around Piazza Vittoria Veneto and the district east of Piazza Savoia for some of the best drinking spots. The clubbing district centres on Murazzi del Po (also called Lungo Po Murazzi), which is the arcaded riverside area stretching between Ponte Vittorio Emanuele I and Ponte Umberto I.
EVENTS
Art and culture, the pleasures
of good food wine and music, traditional crafts, religious processions,
folklore and contemporary art, concert and theater seasons, gastronomic
fairs; in Italy the calendar of festivals and events is practically
never-ending.
Thanks to its rich culture and traditions Piedmont host a variety of festival, fairs and costumed events.
The festival scene in Turin is
opened between February and march by CioccolaTÒ (www.cioccola-to.com) a
delicious two weeks celebration of all things chocolate related with
tasting, sculpture competitions and dozens of stalls selling any kind
of cocoa made sweets.
MUSEUMS
Almost 130 museum populate the province of Turin, and another 200 in the rest of the region. The most important are the Egyptian Museum, the Cinema Museum inside the Mole Antonelliana in Turin, and the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rivoli castle, one of the numerous beautiful Savoy residence.
Here below you can find a small list of the most important museums: