| Piedmont ((it)Piemonte, (pms) Piedmont) | |
 | |
| View towards Castelnuovo Calcea with the Central Alps in the background | |
| Information | |
| Country |  Italy |
|---|---|
| Chief town | Turin |
| Lake | Major, Orta, Viverone |
| Watercourse | Po, Tanaro, Sesia, Orco |
| Area | 25 402 km² |
| Population | 4 392 526 hab. () |
| Density | 172,92 inhab./km² |
| Nice | Piedmontese (it) Piedmontese |
| Spindle | UTC 01:00, UTC 02:00 |
| Location | |
 45 ° 14 ′ 49 ″ N 7 ° 55 ′ 37 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
the Piedmont is a region of North West of the'Italy.
Understand
the Piedmont is located at the foot of the Alps and in the high plain of the Po river.
The climate is very varied depending on the proximity to the sea and the mountains. In the plains, in the region of Turin, it presents a certain continentality, with quite cold winters and hot summers. Near the coast, the climate is Mediterranean. Finally, the mountainous area presents a variety of climates linked to the altitude and the greater or lesser proximity to the sea.
Regions
 The natural regions of Piedmont |
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Cities
- 1 Turin –
Capital of the region, it was the first capital of Italy. Today important industrial city (Fiat, Aeritalia), cultural and tourist, about one million inhabitants. To see: National Cinema Museum, Egyptian Museum (the second in the world after Cairo), Automobile Museum, Savoy Gallery, Agnelli Gallery.
- 2 Novara – Basilica of San Gaudenzio, municipal museum, dome.
- 3 Alexandria – Citadel, cathedral, Marengo museum, Palazzo Cuttica museum, municipal museum, Liberty Square.
- 4 Asti – With its Baroque and Middle Ages monuments. Palazzo Mazzetti (pinacoteca), Scassa Tapestries museum, cathedral. Outlet of Serravalle.
- 5 Cuneo (Cuneo) – Downtown. In the vicinity: Villar San Costanzo, valleys.
- 6 Vercil (Vercelli) – Basilica of Sant'Andrea, Cathedral of Sant'Eusebio, Cavour Square, museums including Borgogna.
- 7 Biella – Basilica of San Sebastiano, Cittadellarte-Pistoletto Foundation, Piazzo district, industrial archeology route. In the vicinity: Sanctuary of Oropa, Ricetto di Candelo, Burcina park in Pollone.
- 8 Casale Monferrato – Casale Monferrato has one of the most important among the Baroque synagogues in Piedmont. Duomo, cloister, palace.
- 9 Verbania – Largest city on the shores of Lake Maggiore
Other destinations
Lakes
- 1 Lake Maggiore (Lago Maggiore) – located straddling Piedmont, the Lombardy and the canton of Ticino, Lake Maggiore is famous for its tourist hotspots such as the Borromean Islands and the Brissago Islands and shore resorts such as Stresa, Arona, Verbania, Cannobio, Pallanza, Luino
- 2 Lake Orta – Located between the Lombardy and Piedmont, Lake Orta is one of the most romantic and peaceful of the Po plain.
- 3 Viverone lake – The third largest lake in the Piedmont region
- District of 5 Lakes (Sirio, Pistono, Nero, Campagna, San Michele)
Ski stations
- 4 Macugnaga – Close to Monte Rosa, Macugnaga is located at the foot of the imposing rock face of Cima di Jazzi, at the end of the Valle Anzasca.
- 5 Bardonecchia (Bardonecchia) – The ski resort of Bardonecchia is located in the heart of the Upper Susa Valley, at 20 km from the French border. In 2006, it was chosen as the Olympic venue for the snowboarding events at the Turin Olympics.
- 6 Sauze D'Oulx – Sauze d'Oulx is part of the Franco-Italian Milky Way ski area. It hosted the freestyle skiing event during the Turin Olympics in 2006
- 7 Sestriere – from 1934 the Agnelli family, owner of the FIAT, built this ski resort. Its tower-shaped hotels were designed by Vittorio Bonadè-Bottino, an architect representative of rationalist totalitarian architecture.
- 8 Limone Piemonte – On the border between France and Italy. The Riserva Bianca is very popular with Piedmontese, Ligurian and French skiers. Its lifts were improved for the 2006 Olympic Winter Games
- 9 Prato Nevoso – ski resort built in the 1960s without any overall plan and rather anarchic in terms of architecture and town planning.
Small towns
- Alba
- Susa
- Ivrea
- Acqui Terme: The hot springs of Acqui Terme have been famous since Roman times
Others
- 10 Residences of the royal family of Savoy – A whole set of monuments classified as World Heritage, including the Venaria Reale Castle and its gardens (17th and 18th centuries), the Rivoli castle where the Stupinigi hunting lodge
- 11 Abbey of Saint-Michel-de-la-Cluse (Sacra di S. Michele) – Former monastery on a hill overlooking the lower valley of Susa.
- 12 Grand-Paradis National Park
- Lurisia: Thermal baths near Mondovi
To go
By plane
- Turin Caselle Airport – near the city (trains, taxis, coaches)
- Coni Levaldigi – To 35 km NS
Outside the region:
- Malpensa – Airports of Milan To 70 km
- Linate – TO 90 km from Turin
- Cristoforo Colombo Airport Genoa – To 90 km from Turin
By train
the TGV French arrives every day from Lyon at Turin Porta Susa station (linked by metro to Turin Porta Nuova main station) from which also high-speed trains (TAV) depart for Milan with links for Rome (From Milan) Main lines (from Turin Porta Nuova station: from Turin to Genoa or Bologna via Alexandria and from Turin to Ventimiglia (A train almost every hour and a half)
By car
From France, besides the Fréjus tunnel, the route du Montgenèvre (RN 94 / SS 24) which goes from Briançon to Cesana Torinese in Italy is very good (especially on the Italian side) and free. Cenis which leads from Lanslebourg (Maurienne valley) to Susa and then to Turin (D1006 / SS25).
Towards the south of the region (province of Cuneo) there are the Cols of Maddalena / Larche (D900 / SS21) and Agnello (D205T / SP 251) (both are closed in winter) then the Col ( very narrow tunnel) from Tende (towards Nice):
Circulate
The local coach transport network (blue coaches with yellow stripe) is very dense and economical: ask the local tourist offices for information.
Do
To buy
Local gastronomic products: wines, alcohols, truffles, rice, dry sausages, hams, cheeses, cakes, biscuits, breadsticks, Hazelnut, honey, jams, preserves, herbs, essences, herbal teas ); chocolate, ice cream and Chestnuts spread (In Turin and in Novi Ligure-AL-).
Local craft products: lace, embroidery, scapins(traditional Valsesia slippers), carved wooden objects, soapstone tools, ceramics, jewelry, perfumes.
TO Turin, each district has its market (about sixty in all), the main ones being Balôn and Gran Balôn, Crocetta, Piazza Benifica, Mercato Porta Palazzo, Oasi dei Prodotti Tipici and Oltremercato. Eatitaly is the first large supermarket specializing in quality food, where you can buy, eat and learn. You can buy a borsalino in the Turin shop of the famous hat factory in Alexandria.
TO Cherasco (Coni), one Sunday a month, antique furniture market and other objects. see www.cherasco2000.com/6_mercati.htmTel. 0172.48.93.82 - Fax 0172.48.92.18
TO Serravalle Scrivia (Province of Alessandria, on theA7 motorway between Alessandria and Genoa) there is the "Serravalle Outlet" a very large number of shops where you can buy products (clothes, shoes etc.) at half price. see www.mcarthurglen.it
TO Mondovi there is also the "Mondovicino Outlet", a huge space for good occasions, with more than 100 shops, a supermarket and even a mini-golf course.
Eat
The diverse nature of Piedmont: the Langhe hills, the Monferrato and Canavese hills, the plain around Novara and Vercelli, the rivers, the mountains, is found in the variety of its cuisine, which uses bovine meats, game, vegetables, freshwater fish, mushrooms and truffles. The two fundamental elements of Piedmontese gastronomy are butter and related products such as milk, cream, cheese, and wine which does not appear on the table only, but which often goes into the pot to give flavor to the meats, with risotti, sauces.
Braised with barolo (meat marinated in red wine); Fritto misto alla piemontese (fried a la piemunteisa: meats with semolina and fried vegetables and even apples); Bollito misto con bagnetto (Bujì cu bagnet: A kind of pot au feu with red tomato sauce and green parsley sauce); Agnello sambucano (lamb raised in the Sambuco region, boneless and rolled with herbs); Brasato al barolo (braised beef in barolo wine); Tapulone (minced donkey meat cooked with red wine, vegetables and polente); Camoscio in salmi (chamois meat cooked in wine, spiced and seasoned with anchovies); Carne fassone (locally named beef or veal, sometimes accompanied by 8 or 9 different vegetables); Lievura an civet (Lepre in civet: hare marinated in red wine); Finaziera (rich dish based on poultry offal); Let's cut back to the lisandreina (sort of spinach gnocchi); Paniscia vercellese (beans, rice and sausages); Bagna caoda [hot sauce with garlic, butter (or walnut oil) and anchovies in which we put thistles, carrots, etc.]; Ris e coj (rice with cabbage); Agnulot (sort of ravioli with meat); Tajarin (egg pasta), Gnocchi (made from potatoes) Carne cruda (raw meat marinated with garlic, olive oil, lemon and white truffle in season); Vitel thundered (slices of roast veal served very thin, with mayo sauce, tuna and capers): Bra sausages; Tomino in salsa verde (small cheese made from cow's milk accompanied by a parsley sauce); Lumache alla piemontese and Lumache al barbera (with Cherasco snails).
Cakes : Torta alle nocciole (Langhe hazelnut cake or tart): Torta di mele (apple or zucchini cake or pie!); Amaretti (small soft almond cakes); Bunet (egg and almond cream); Sambajon (Zabaglione: a mixture of egg reds, marsala or liqueur, sugar and sometimes cinnamon, cooked in a bain-marie, without ever reaching the boiling point); Panna cotta(caramelized crème fraîche flan).
Cheese: nine Piedmontese cheeses have a PDO, the gorgonzola from Novara, variant the gorgonzola mascarponato (mixture of gorgonzola and mascarpone), the Bra cheese, the Castelmagno, the Murazzano or tome des Langhe, the Raschera, the Robiola di Roccaverano, the toma piemontese, the Grana Padano and the Taleggio.
Sweets: Amaretti from Mombaruzzo, Torcetti from Biella, Gianduiotti (small chocolates with hazelnut cream), Krumiri by Casale Monferrato, Margheritin from Stresa, Biscottini di Novara, Brutti my Buoni, the famous Nutella, Ciocolato (Turin capital of made in Italy chocolate).
Wines: Barolo (the king of wines), Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Carema, Freisa, Gattinara (red); Gavi, Erbaluce, Cortese, Trebbiano, Moscato, Pinot Bianco, Riesling, Roero d'Arneis (white); Asti (white, sweet and sparkling); Bonarda and Brachetto D'Acqui (red and sparkling).
Beers: Menabrea and one of the many craft beers "La Farinèla" au ris ("Birrificio artigianale Abbà" via Conti della Rocchetta 39 13040 Livorno Ferraris -VC-).
As aperitifs, try them "vermouths" (flavored wines) and as alcohols the "grappa" Piedmontese "grolla" and the "barolo chinato".
In Turin try the "Bicerin", coffee with brandy and chocolate, the "Ciocolata" and the "Grissini", Turin invention.
Have a drink / Go out
Security
Police:113,112.
Firefighters: 115.
Roadside assistance: 116.
Health emergencies in Italy:118.
Piedmont is a much safer region than the average in Italy, but avoid certain areas of Turin at night (Porta Palazzo) if you are alone.
Hospitals in Turin
San Giovanni Battista “Molinette”: (011) 633.16.33 or 52.48.
C.T.O: (011) 693.31.11
Housing
As everywhere in Italy, the accommodation offer is very diversified: -campsites rarer than elsewhere and twice as expensive as in France, in general, -a few youth hostels, -mountain huts at reasonable prices, - "B&B" guest rooms with inhabitant, good value for money, - "Agriturismo" farmhouses-inns, also good value for money, - hotels, from 1 to 5 Italian stars ( this classification is very overrated compared to the French one, moreover the prices are much higher, for a comfort and an often questionable service), - pensions "Pensioni", very widespread in Italy. These are family hotels that do not meet category standards, with a pleasant warm atmosphere. - rental of apartments and houses, a practical and economical solution for several days. Consult well-known websites internationally and nationally.
NorthItaly.eu Vacation rentals in Piedmont
Initalia.it (also in French): hotel room reservation site.
Agriturismo Inn Choose from chalets, apartments and houses in Piedmont, availability on demand.A good farm-inn address near Turin:"La Bedina" Via Levone in Rivara (TO) 0124306205 341258357 [email protected] www.agriturismocanaveselabedina.it half board 45 euros per day per person, in 2017, all inclusive.
Near Cortazzone (AT) naturist village and campsite "Villaggio del Sole" via per Viale 5; to see Assonatura.it and also Villaggiodelsole.org.
Respect
The (real) Piedmontese are reserved and respectful of others, sometimes a little withdrawn, but if you gain their trust you can count on them.
Piedmont preserves a superb natural heritage, especially in the Alps. It is therefore common sense to continue to preserve nature.
Around
- 13 Parella (Between Turin and the Aosta Valley) – 13th century castlee century enriched by a garden and remarkable frescoes
In Italy:
- Aosta Valley: Aosta, Grand-Paradis national park, Courmayeur, Breuil-Cervinia, Pila, Torgnon, La Thuile, Gressonney and Cogne ski resorts,
- Lombardy: Lake Maggiore, Milan, Pavia and its Charterhouse,
- Liguria: Ponant riviera, Genoa.
In Swiss:
- Zermatt, Martigny, Sion, Brig.
In the Principality of Monaco.
In France:
- ski resorts in the Northern and Southern Alps,
- French Riviera: Tende, Sospel, Mercantour, Menton, Nice, Grasse, Antibes, Cannes,
- Briançon, Chambéry, Grenoble, Gap, Barcelonnette, Digne-les-Bains.
