Piedmont

Known in Italian as Piemonte, this region spreads over 9,700 mi² (25.300 sq km) from the Alps to the Mediterranean and counts a population in excess of 4,300,000 inhabitants. Piedmont is the second largest Italian region by extension after Sicily.

It borders France in the west, Switzerland in the north, and Lombardy in the east. The southern side is naturally defined by the Apennines mountains which divide the region from the Liguria region.

Wine is produced around most of the Piedmont region of Italy. The area set at the foot of the Alps, just west of lake Maggiore and Milan Malpensa airport, is known for the cultivation of Nebbiolo grapes. Different types of wine are bottled in northern Piedmont: Gattinara, Ghemme, Colli Novaresi, and more.

Piemonte holds in its name the reference to the conformation of the region, located at the foot of the mountains: “pie” stands for foot and “monte” for mountain. The name of the region perfectly describes its position at the foot of the Alps, which surround plains and hills on three sides.