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Piedmont

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Piedmont is one of the twenty official regions of Italy. It is located in the northwest part of the country.

Turin monte cappuccini
Turin monte cappuccini

The name Piedmont comes from medieval Latin. The phrase "pedemontium" means "at the foot of the mountains." This name describes the region's location near the Alps.

Piedmont Provinces
Piedmont Provinces

Piedmont is the second-largest region in Italy by total area. Only Sicily is larger. As of 2025, the region has a population of 4,251,868 people. This makes it the seventh-most populous region in the nation. Its capital city is Turin. Turin served as the first capital of the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 to 1865.

The geography of Piedmont is very diverse. About 43.3% of the territory is mountainous. Another 30.3% consists of extensive hilly areas. The remaining 26.4% is made of plains.

Macugnaga
Macugnaga

The region is surrounded on three sides by the Alps. Notable peaks include Monte Rosa and Monviso. The Po river rises from the slopes of Monviso. The Po is the largest river in Italy.

The rice fields near Vercelli
The rice fields near Vercelli

The landscape changes from rugged massifs to damp rice paddies in Vercelli and Novara. You can also find gentle hillsides in the Langhe, Roero, and Montferrat areas.

Langhe
Langhe

Large bodies of water like Lake Maggiore are also found here.

Lago-Maggiore 1387
Lago-Maggiore 1387

History in Piedmont involves many different groups of people. Early Celtic-Ligurian tribes like the Taurini and Salassi lived there first. The Romans later subdued these tribes. They founded colonies such as Augusta Taurinorum, which is now Turin.

Torino-portapalatina01
Torino-portapalatina01

After the Western Roman Empire fell, many groups invaded. These included the Burgundians, Ostrogoths, Lombards, and Franks. In 1046, Otto of Savoy added Piedmont to the County of Savoy.

Valentino castle
Valentino castle

The County of Savoy eventually became the Duchy of Savoy in 1416. In 1720, the Duke became the King of Sardinia. This increased the importance of Turin as a European capital.

Piedmont played a major role in Italian unification. This historical process is sometimes called "Piedmontisation." The region acted as a springboard for unification between 1859 and 1861. Following unification, the House of Savoy became the Kings of Italy. Turin was the capital briefly before it moved to Florence and then to Rome.

Torino-PalazzoCarignanoFronte
Torino-PalazzoCarignanoFronte

Even after the capital moved, the crown prince of Italy was known as the Prince of Piedmont. The region also became a key part of Italy's first industrialization.

The economy of Piedmont is quite large. In 2018, the gross domestic product (GDP) was 137.4 billion euros. This accounted for 7.8% of the total GDP of Italy. The GDP per capita was 31,300 euros at purchasing power parity. This was 104% of the average for the EU27.

The region is a major industrial center. Turin is home to the Fiat conglomerate. While mass-market Fiat cars are no longer produced there, luxury Maserati cars are.

Maserati Levante Allegro Antinori One of One Genf 2019 1Y7A5992
Maserati Levante Allegro Antinori One of One Genf 2019 1Y7A5992

Other companies like Stellantis and CNH Industrial have connections to the area.

Beyond cars, Piedmont has high-tech industries. The region produces industrial robots through a company called Comau. It also produces laser equipment through Prima Industrie.

Airbus A320 of Lufthansa with sharklets (D-AIZS)
Airbus A320 of Lufthansa with sharklets (D-AIZS)

In Novara, MEMC produces silicon wafers. The region also has a long tradition in machine building. This includes making excavators, turbines, and high-speed trains. Military aerospace is another vital sector. Leonardo Aircraft has plants in Turin-Caselle to develop airborne mission systems.

Nature and culture are also important to the region. About 7.6% of the territory is a protected area. There are 56 different national or regional parks.

OrtaSanGiulioAug132024 02
OrtaSanGiulioAug132024 02

One of the most famous is the Gran Paradiso National Park. The climate is typically temperate. In the Alps, it becomes cold as the altitude increases. Summers are hot and can have strong thunderstorms. The region's diverse landscape supports many different ways of life.

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🖼️ Images & Media (25)
File:Torino-portapalatina01.jpg
Torino-portapalatina01.jpg
File:Valentino castle.jpg
Valentino castle.jpg
File:Langhe.jpg
Langhe.jpg
File:Turin monte cappuccini.jpg
Turin monte cappuccini.jpg
File:Lago-Maggiore 1387.JPG
Lago-Maggiore 1387.JPG
File:Piedmont Provinces.png
Piedmont Provinces.png
File:Fiat-500-vorne2.jpg
Fiat-500-vorne2.jpg
File:Maserati_Levante_Allegro_Antinori_One_of_One_Genf_2019_1Y7A5992.jpg
Maserati_Levante_Allegro_Antinori_One_of_O...
File:The rice fields near Vercelli.jpg
The rice fields near Vercelli.jpg
File:Verbania Vista sul Lago Maggiore 13.jpg
Verbania Vista sul Lago Maggiore 13.jpg
File:Macugnaga.JPG
Macugnaga.JPG
File:Vogogna veduta.jpg
Vogogna veduta.jpg

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