Piedmont is Culture

The Piedmont region is dotted with memories of the past: towers perched on hilltops, crenellated walls and majestic buildings within secular parks or overlooking small towns. These are symbols of Piedmont's rich past and offer visitors the opportunity to delve into its history. Piedmont is a land where history is revealed through its customs, castles, abbeys, royal residences, sanctuaries, piazzas and towns. These house a wealth of art and memories and offer voyages of discovery through attractive landscapes and fascinating locations.
Piedmont has a priceless artistic heritage. Cities, towns and castles range from the simplicity of the roman style to the richness of baroque up to and including the very latest in contemporary architecture. Piedmont offers a treasure trove for visitors to discover.

The Piedmont region is dotted with memories of the past: towers perched on hilltops, crenellated walls and majestic buildings within secular parks or overlooking small towns. These are symbols of Piedmont's rich past and offer visitors the opportunity to delve into its history. Piedmont is a land where history is revealed through its customs, castles, abbeys, royal residences, sanctuaries, piazzas and towns. These house a wealth of art and memories and offer voyages of discovery through attractive landscapes and fascinating locations.


The Savoy royal residences

The Savoy residences can be found far beyond Turin's city limits as far away as Canavese, Cuneo and the Langhe regions.
In the mid 18th century, the properties of the Savoy Dynasty became exclusive, recreational places for hunting and select agricultural products: this was the case, for example, of Racconigi, Pollenzo, Govone and La Mandria residences, which kept their places, however, as "royal holiday residences".
When the properties were transferred from the Savoy Dynasty to the State, in the 19th and 20th centuries, the palaces, castles and villas became museums. They now they tell us about the past of the dukes and kings, who were warriors but also lovers of arts and collecting; sophisticated royal ladies who loved theatre and ballet; court architects, painters and literary men who interpreted the king's tastes;
ceremonies and luxurious parties, between hunts and moments of leisure, labyrinths, nymphaeums, parks and fountains famous in most of Europe.
The system of the royal residences is of extraordinary historical, artistic and environmental interest, and was declared "Heritage of Humankind" by UNESCO in 1997.


Religious buildings

Sacred mounts, abbeys, sanctuaries, chapels and churches are a rich heritage in terms of religious faith but also of art, history and culture. Exceptional artists and architects gave expression to their religious frame of mind by creating works that still testify to Piedmont's great artistic heritage.


Museums

Piedmont has over a hundred state, municipal, private and ecclesiastical museums.
Piedmont's museums date from the 1700s, with the setting up of the epigraphic museum, the Lapidario, by Scipione Maffei and the first scientific university collections. Under Carlo Alberto, Turin developed buildings similar to those of other European capitals: the Sabauda Gallery, the Royal Armoury and the Antiquities Museum were all created as a result.
In the province of Piedmont, the earliest collections date from the 1800s: the Lapidario in Novara, the Craveri Museum in Bra and a small numismatic collection in Rimella. With Italian Unification, however, the first true and proper museums appeared.
Nature blends with the architecture and the water's intense blue with the infinite range of greens. Blue always goes well with green. Here too are the parks and reserves that jealously guard the region's lakes and regions. Piedmont's lakes and parks: a breath-taking experience for both heart and mind.


Nature and Parks

The Piedmont region's protected areas cover almost 150,000 hectares, equal to about 6% of its surface. The first regional park plan dates from 1975 and the first protected areas were set up in 1978.
Particular importance was given to the River Po Delta system, the country's first effort to protect Italy's largest waterway. The Piedmont region contains two national parks, Gran Paradiso and Val Grande, and a regional park, Candia Lake.


Gran Paradiso National Park

Gran Paradiso was the first national park to be established in Italy. The area is made up of high mountains with altitudes ranging from 800 metres to Gran Paradiso's 4,000-metre peak.
Park vegetation mainly consists of alpine prairies, glaciers and lark, red fir and white fir woods.
The ibex is the park's animal symbol. A species that was in danger of extinction at the end of the 18th century, the ibex was then protected by Royal Decree in 1821. This act gave rise to the setting up of the park and witnessed the ibex's re-population of this entire alpine area.
The Paradisia botanical garden is located inside the park. It was founded in 1955 and 1,500 species are grown here. One of the park's main points of interest is the Gran Piano di Noasca, which is one of the least-known areas and an ideal destination for whoever wants to observe herds of chamois and ibexes
Lakes

Northwest Piedmont is characterised by azure-blue lakes and alternately wild and geometric expanses of green surrounding blue mirrors of
water.
Mountains

Take a trip through the Piedmont mountains to discover the variety and richness of the area. A breath-taking sight among some of the highest and best-known peaks.


Good wines and food

The Piedmont region is a place of traditions, history, centuries-old recipes and delicious specialties. Each province offers the tastiest of dishes prepared with products from this rich land. Piedmont cooking should be explored by making a journey in discovery of tastes - a universe of a thousand colours and flavours to be enjoyed with excellent wines that enhance the flavours of this oldest of culinary traditions. Piedmont's deep-rooted culinary tradition offers superb gastronomic excellence. A heritage of delights invites visitors to discover the flavours of Piedmont.


Fine wines from Piedmont

The Northwest Italian region of Piedmont is the native land of numerous fine wines known worldwide. The grapevines were already well known and appreciated in Roman times and much was written in praise of their quality and diffusion. Each province produces wine, indeed the history and traditions of the region are imbued with winemaking. In Piedmont, the word wine stands both for tradition and innovation, a marriage which has made the region one of the most sought after destinations for lovers of good food and wine.


Cheeses

Piedmont's cheeses are delicious, whether mature, fresh, soft or pressed. They are made from milk that is perfumed and flavoured by grass and mountains.
In the Middle Ages and subsequent periods in history, cheese production became famous and developed its own characteristics. This allowed the Piedmont Region to take the title of Italy's most famous area for the cheese-making tradition, a skill for which it was already well known. Piedmont cheeses received considerable praise for their fine quality and were cited in writings from the Middle Ages (1470).

Recipes and chefs

The rich culture of this land with its traditions and creativity is expressed in its cuisine. Piedmont boasts an atelier of 51 great chefs recommended by the most famous international guides. They are creative people who know how to exalt the flavours of distant recipes: from appetizers enlivened by fragrant sauces to traditional pasta dishes accompanied by tasty toppings, and a rich selection of meat dishes, not to mention the desserts….true delights of the culinary art.
Fifty-one great Piedmont chefs, who have all been ranked in the top ten with stars, hats, points - you name it - offer an indisputable creativity to satisfy even the most refined palates.


Craftsmanship

Craftsmanship is a source of great richness for a region's economy. The fame of the Piedmont region has long been linked to Turin's image as a capital of the car-making industry. Nowadays, however, the region's production is more defined by its arts and handicraft production, especially for those typical artistic crafts so deeply rooted in the life and times of the regional provinces. The art of "knowing how to do things" recalls the past and links tradition to innovation in sectors ranging from artistic pottery and ceramics to brand-name jewellery, from wooden objects to restored furniture, from fine textiles to glasswork, from artwork prints to musical instruments and culinary excellence. These workshops offer insight into the old arts and crafts industries. These industries are gradually dying out. They lack the visibility and esteem they held in the past, although still possessing a high degree of professionalism and quality.

Culinary craftsmanship

This sector boasts top-class professionalism expressed in all areas of authentic culinary craftsmanship. Traditional flavours combine with new, not to mention the innumerable examples from the "culture of taste", ranging from handmade ice-cream to traditional liquors, from quality chocolate to fresh and dried pastries, from coffee to fresh and seasoned cheeses brought to the table direct from our valleys . Businesses awarded "Excellence in Craftsmanship" in the food sector:

- 172 for the fresh and dried pastries and ice-cream sector
- 39 for the chocolate, candy and nougat sector
- 24 for the distilled beverages, liquors and roasted products sectorKB)
- 18 for the cheeses sector


Piedmont goldsmiths

A craft requiring both tradition and innovation. It is a skill combining beauty, manual dexterity and a supple gold-working style that can respond to the stylistic needs of the very latest Made-in-Italy. Businesses awarded "Excellence in Craftsmanship" in the gold sector.