HISTORY OF PIEDMONT:
Piedmont was inhabited since the Iron Age by Celtic-Ligurian tribes such as the Taurini and the Salassi, who were subdued by the Romans during the 3rd century BC. The Romans founded several colonies in the area, such as Augusta Taurinorum and Eporedia, today’s Turin and Ivrea. Read More [...]
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the region was invaded in turn by the Burgundians, the Ostrogoths, the Lombards and the Franks. During the 9th and 10th centuries, Piedmont was ravaged by the Magyars, the Saracens and the Muslim Moors.
In 1046, Otto of Savoy added Piedmont to the County of Savoy, with the capital at Chambéry. The County of Savoy became the Duchy of Savoy in 1416, and Duke Emanuele Filiberto moved the seat to Turin in 1563.
In 1720, the Duke of Savoy became King of Sardinia, founding the Kingdom of Sardinia. After the short-lived Republic of Alba was created in 1796, the Piedmontese Republic in 1798, and the Subalpine Republic in 1800, the Kingdom of Sardinia was restored in 1815.
After the Italian unification of 1859-1861, the House of Savoy became Kings of Italy, and Turin became for a short time the country's capital.
GEOGRAPHY OF PIEDMONT:
Piedmont is a region located in northwestern Italy, surrounded on three sides by the Alps. It borders with France to the west, with Switzerland and Aosta Valley to the north, with Lombardy to the east, with Emilia-Romagna to the southeast, and with Liguria to the south. Read More [...]
Piedmont is the second largest region of Italy, after Sicily. Its relief is very diverse, from the peaks of the massifs of Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso, to the gentle hillsides of Langhe, Roero, and Montferrat, and further to the plains of Vercelli and Novara.
The capital city of Piedmont is Turin, and other important towns in the region are Novara, Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Moncalieri, Vercelli, Biella, Alba, and Venaria Reale.
TRANSPORT TO/IN PIEDMONT:
The main airport of Piedmont is the Turin-Caselle Airport, also known as the Sandro Pertini Airport, located about 16 kilometers north of Turin, in Caselle Torinese. The other important airport in the region is the Cuneo International Airport, also known as the Levaldigi Airport, located about 20 kilometers north of Cuneo. Read More [...]
Piedmont has an extensive rail network, and you can travel easily by train between the cities in the region. A trip from Turin to Novara takes about 1 hour, and the cheapest ticket costs 9.60€, while a trip from Turin to Cuneo takes about 1 hour and a half and the cheapest ticket is 7.70€.