Piedmont: geography, history, economy and cultural highlights

Piedmont covers an area of about 25,400 square kilometres, making it the largest of Italy's 20 regions after Sicily. The Aosta Valley in the northwest of the region is historically and geographically part of Piedmont, but as an autonomous region with a special statute it forms its own administrative unit. In the Aosta Valley live 125,501 people on an area of 3263 square kilometers.

In terms of natural geography, the region is divided into three parts: The Alpine region, the Po Valley and the hilly landscapes of southeastern Piedmont.

The Alpine region stretches along the edge of the Alps along the southern, western and northern borders of Piedmont. Here lie the Occitan valleys (Stura, Maira, Varaita, Po, Pellice, Chisone), the Valle di Susa, the three Valli di Lanzo, the Valle dell'Orco, the Valle d'Aosta, the Valsesia and the area around the western shore of Lake Maggiore. The highest mountain in Piedmont is Monte Rosa at 4618 metres, followed by Gran Paradiso at 4061 metres and Monviso at 3841 metres. The Alpine region occupies 43.3% of Piedmont's total territory. Piedmont has a share in the Cottian Alps, Graian Alps and Valais Alps.

The Po Valley is where the major cities of Piedmont are located; it is also where most of the people live. There are numerous rivers and streams in Piedmont, almost all of which flow into the Po, which rises at Pian del Re in the Valle Po below Monviso. The Po Valley is the third largest geographical sub-region, accounting for 26.4% of the total area.

The hill country in the south-east of the region (Monferrato, Langhe, Roero) is mainly used for agriculture and tourism and covers 30.3% of Piedmont's surface area; it is here that Piedmont's famous wines (Barolo, Barbera, Barbaresco) grow. The hilly area is located between 150 m and 750 m above sea level.

The main and official language is Italian. The regional language of Piedmont, which developed in the 17th century, is also used by many inhabitants. In the more remote corners of the western alpine valleys, Occitan and Franco-Provençal are also spoken. Another minority language of Piedmont is Walser German - an Alemannic dialect spoken in the upper valley of the Sesia.

In the adjacent Aosta Valley to the north-west, Italian and French are the official languages, with Franco-Provençal being the native variety in this autonomous region. Walser German is also spoken here in three localities.