Piedmont (Italian Region)

Piedmont, a region in northwestern Italy, takes its name from its geographical location at the foot of the Alps (from the Latin "ad pedem montium", at the foot of the mountains). Its territory, whose capital is Turin (Torino), covers the upper part of the Po basin, the most important Italian river, which crosses the whole north of the country from west to east and flows into the Adriatic Sea.

Piedmont is a rich region, both from an agricultural and industrial point of view. Its lower part is very fertile, producing rice, corn, fruit, sugar beet and potatoes, among other things.

It is one of the largest wine-producing regions in Italy, with more than half of its 700 km2 of vineyards classified as DOC, producing renowned wines such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Moscato d'Asti.

The region is also renowned for its gastronomy and even world-famous for its white Alba truffle, considered by all gourmets to be the best mushroom in the world. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive, with prices reaching up to 5000 euros per kilo!

The capital of Piedmont, Turin, is a major industrial centre, home to the car manufacturers Fiat and Lancia and the commercial vehicle and bus manufacturer Iveco.

The west and north of Piedmont are bordered by the Alps, with France to the west and Switzerland to the north. To the northwest, the region shares the Gran Paradiso National Park with Valle d'Aosta. In the north, the town of Domodossola is the crossroads of the roads leading to the Swiss canton of Valais via the Simplon Pass and to the Ticino via the Centovalli.