Piemonte

Piemonte

Piemonte, one of the larger regions of northern Italy, borders France and Switzerland in the North West. The name Piemonte is an apt contraction of the Italian "ai piedi del monte", meaning "at the foot of the mountain". The region's capital, Torino, which was once the capital of Italy, is surrounded by some of the highest mountains in Europe - Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa and Pianura Padana. The South is crossed by the largest river in Italy, the Po, and its many tributaries.

Most of the population live on the planes, especially in the wide metropolitan area of Torino, Novara and Vercelli, where a great many are employed by the local mechanical and car industries.

Tourism in Piemonte is especially lively in the winter, thanks to the abundance of ski resorts in the Alps.

Thanks to the great abundance of water agriculture, the main products are rice, wine, maize, potatoes and the precious white truffle.  In spite of the advanced industrialization and modernization of the cities, the Piedmontese are very conservative and local produce is still as authentic as a hundred years ago.