Piedmont Region
Snowy peaks, stunning Baroque architecture, and delicious truffles: Piemonte is a rich and fascinating land, ready for you to discover and experience with all your senses.
Turin, enchanting and eclectic
A tour of Piedmont must begin from the regional capital, Turin, a unique and unforgettable city. Rich in fine art and museums, the former capital of the kingdom of Savoy is home to breathtaking artistic treasures.
In the prestigious City Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, works by Warhol, De Chirico, Modigliani and many others are on display, whilst the Mole Antonelliana is home to the fascinating National Museum of Cinema. Furthermore Turin hosts the Egyptian Museum, rich in mystery and treasures.
But Turin is really an open-air museum, with its extraordinary baroque palazzi, spectacular squares adorned with arcades and colourful flea-markets, which have gained an international reputation.
The Baroque style in Piedmont
In Piedmont, and especially in Turin, the Baroque style developed over time, as from the creation of the Savoy state at the end of the XVI century and through to the end of the XVIII. A first a duchy, Savoy became a kingdom during this period. The Baroque style celebrated the ascent of the Savoy dynasty and came to symbolise the increasingly important role the Savoy kingdom was acquiring in Italian history.
The Baroque style was introduced to Piedmont by Emanuele Filiberto. In return for helping the Emperor Philip II, he was able to regain the territories that his father had lost. Before, the capital of the duchy had been Chambéry, but in 1578 Emanuele made Turin the new capital. He made the city into the most important arts centre in the region, and encouraged the development of a thriving cultural atmosphere around the court. At least for the following century and a half the Savoy state would be the only one in Italy with a stable and distinctive political and economic structure.
Turin was the main city where the glorification and celebration of the State took place, on all important occasions. Thus the best examples of Baroque architecture can be found in the capital or in the areas connected to it, where the style is well represented in many royal dwellings, façades of cathedrals, churches and commemorative monuments. However, it is possible to witness the beauty of Baroque art also in the other provinces of Piemonte, where this style was particularly popular in religious art.
Thrilling mountains
Piedmont is also a mountainous region, surrounded by the icy peaks of the majestic Pennine Alps (from the local pre-Roman word for mountain, pen). These summits, with their intact natural habitats, their perennial glaciers and stunning landscapes have provided the scenery for historic ventures and heroic enterprises throughout the centuries. One example is Hannibal’s legendary crossing of the Alps, and another is the first perforation of the rocks, ordered by the Marquis Ludovico II of Saluzzo, in 1480.
This area of Piedmont was chosen, because of its beauty, to host the XX Winter Olympic Games. It is possible to practice many sports and activities in these mountains, both in summer and in winter. During the winter months, those who love skiing and other winter sports can enjoy the unique atmosphere and spectacular scenery of internationally famous skiing resorts such as Sestiere, Sauze d’Oulx and Bardonecchia.
During the summer there are equally exciting opportunities to practice sports in the open air: when the weather is hot, Piedmont’s valleys and peaks are the ideal place for walking, trekking, hiking and climbing.
Eating and drinking in Piedmont
Piedmont is famous for its rich and refined cuisine. Each area of the region has its own specialities, special dishes and first class wines.
The Langhe and the Roero are two areas where white truffles can be found in great quantity. This ingredient is used to flavour several traditional recipes, such as “bagna cauda”.
In the province of Asti a well known sparkling wine is made, which is famous all over the world. In a very small area, between Serralunga d’Alba, La Morra, Novello and Roddi a particular wine named Barolo is made. By law, this wine must be at least three years old, and it is produced according to a very ancient tradition, with new technologies that were introduced by the Marquise Giulia Falleti of Barolo and by Camillo of Cavour.
Another kind of wine from Piedmont is the Brachetto, a red dessert wine. The grape is mostly grown in Monferrato, on the hills between Acqui Terme and Nizza Monferrato. This ruby red wine with a delicate aroma is often served with typical desserts, made with wild hazelnuts or chestnuts from the surrounding woods and hills.
But in Piedmont many more flavours and recipes can be enjoyed, such as the fish-based cuisine of the lake district around Lago Maggiore.
Finally, it’s essential to mention the local cheeses such as the “toma”.
Nature in Piedmont
In Piedmont many different landscapes of outstanding beauty can be found: mellow hills, domineering mountains and splendid lakes.
Wildlife has been well preserved, and there are a large number of nature reserves and parks. Two well-loved examples are the Ticino nature reserve or that of Crava and Morozzo, with its unique and breathtaking landscapes of woods and lakes.
