Where taste and beauty meet: Piedmont

The past and future meet in Piedmont. Innovation and new technology coexist with extraordinary natural beauty and landscapes, an array of cultural events and a vast offering of leisure activities. A gastronomic academy, the region’s historical and artistic heritage and its craft traditions stand side by side amongst research centres, higher education and industrial districts. In fact, in Piedmont, the host of the XX Olympic Winter Games, innovation and tradition coexist and strengthen each other.

Nestled in the northwest corner of Italy, Piedmont will undoubtedly surprise you with the charm of its ancient pleasures and its modern lifestyle, with a broad range of opportunities to satisfy the most diverse tastes and desires. Historical cities like Turin that are rich in art and culture; breathtaking mountains that are a trekker’s paradise; national parks and lakes, make Piedmont a haven of natural splendour.

Turin, the capital city of the Piedmont region, is located at a convenient one-hour travel distance from Milan. Blessed with a splendid view of the snow-crusted Alps and a fascinating stretch of the River Po, Turin is a little paradise on earth.

The city of Turin and its surroundings is a treasure trove of artistic and architectonic heritage spanning from Roman times. Indeed, the entire region is studded with seventeenth-century jewels. Splendid examples of Baroque architecture are the Royal Palaces and include the Reggia di Venaria, the Palazzina di Stupinigi, the Royal Palace, the Castles of Moncalieri and Racconigi: summer residences and hunting lodges, exceptional examples of pomp and wealth, they were declared a UNESCO Heritage Site in 1997.

Hot wheels enthusiasts would love to spend time at the Museum of the Automobile which has one of the world’s greatest collections of antique cars. While in Turin, another must-visit is the Mole Antonelliana, a building that is the symbol of the city, which has been converted into a unique National Cinema Museum - one of a kind in the world.

Piedmont is blessed with quaint mountain villages, rolling hills, fertile farmland and fabulous vineyards. A must-visit town is Barolo, a 90-minute drive from Turin, famed for the Marchesi di Barolo vineyard. Indulge in some great wine tasting at this100-acre large vineyard that produces a wide selection of world-famous red wines such as Barbera, Nebbiolo, Barolo, Barbaresco and sparkling white wines such as Asti Spumante and La Volta Brut.

Located a short 45-minute drive from Barolo is the quaint medieval town of Alba famed for its white truffles. Alba is also home to the confectionery group Ferrero, famed worldwide for its chocolates. Some of the other must-visit towns are Asti – famed for its sparkling white wines; Acqui Terme – where you can pamper yourself in the hot sulphur springs; Ivrea – the town of the hilarious Battle of Oranges; and Varallo – a delight for white-water rafters and kayakers.
No trip to Piedmont is complete without a trip to Lake Maggiore, the second largest lake in Italy and one of Italy’s best kept secrets. You could take a trip to the picturesque Borromean Islands viz. Isola dei Pescatori, Isola Bella and Isola Madre in the Italian part of Lake Maggiore.

Piedmont is famous among gourmands worldwide for its cuisine and red wines. On the hills, to the south of Turin, grow the plump and dark Nebbiolo grape, from which the highly regarded Barolo and Barbaresco wines are made. Other gastronomic delights are the cheeses and handmade chocolate of ancient tradition.

The cultural offering in Piedmont includes events ranging from music - classical, contemporary and avant-garde music, jazz and ethnic sounds, as well as the prolific electronic music scene – to theatre, ballet and cinema. Many festivals take place at locations of exceptional architectural or natural beauty, like historic piazzas and courtyards, abbeys and churches, castles, fortresses or the parks of stately homes. Piedmont hosts highly popular, internationally-famous events, like the Triennale, the International Book Fair, the Torino Film Festival and the Alba International Film Festival.

Piedmont is indeed a region that is worth visiting and experiencing!

An Italian Journey

Timeless cities, magnificent art, sculpture and architecture, bewitching medieval villages, fabulous food, great wine – Italy captivates you from the word go. Its cities boast imposing cathedrals, beautiful palaces and bustling piazzas. The countryside offers you spectacular landscapes and stunning scenery of medieval hill towns set among the lush fruit groves of orange, lemon, olive and chestnut. The amazing gastronomic delights of fresh fruit, seafood, pasta and pizza and fine wine from its vineyards, truly makes Italy the land of la dolce vita!
Italy is a country of diverse experiences. You could spend a lifetime admiring at the multitude of Italy’s wonders and still have more to be in awe of. A land blessed with millennia of history, the most legendary works of art, food and wine that awakens the senses, pristine mountains, peaceful lakesides and a stunning coastline, Italy has it all.

The ancient sun-warmed land pulses with secrets and messages from a rich and enigmatic past. In Italy one peels back the centuries even as one explores a country wreathed in myth and legend. Time has left behind an indelible imprint. The nation has spawned intellectual giants in the fields of literature, art, and science. Homer, Virgil, Dante, Columbus, Michelangelo, Vivaldi, etc have held the world in thrall for centuries and continue to do so even today.

When it comes to art, Italy is a veritable open-air museum. The Rennaisance period, with its creative spirit, left its mark on the cities of Florence, Rome, Venice, Milan, Naples and other smaller, with works by great Renaissance artists such as Leonardo de Vinci, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raffaello. The splendour of Baroque architecture is visible throughout the country - in the grandeur of the buildings and intricately decorated churches. The great archaeological wealth of the country includes the unique and fascinating valley of the Temples in Agrigento - one of the most magnificent testimonies of the ancient Greek civilization in Sicily, or the mysteries of Pompeii and Herculaneum in Campania, or of the Etruscan civilisation around Tuscia, in Lazio. Moreover, there are around 3000 museums scattered throughout the country.

The Italian peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea with its boot-like shape kicking the island of Sicily is covered in large parts by mountains. While the Dolomite range that extends across northern Italy is a part of the Alps, the Apennine mountains run down the centre of Italy, stretching from north to south, dividing the east and west coasts. The Italian Alps protected the country in ancient times from barbaric invasions and the imposing Monte Bianco is the highest peak in the country.

Romantic and scenic, Italy’s Lake District is a visual delight making it a perennial draw. The beautiful countryside, lush Mediterranean vegetation and the mild climate make the lake areas with their villages, towns and resorts amongst the most thriving holiday destinations in Italy. Studded with grand country houses and tourist resorts, each lake has its own story to tell and its distinct allure.

Italy’s coastline is striking and diverse. From lively beaches each presenting a distinct local flavour to completely untreaded shores, to mystifying grottoes, to overpowering cliffs dropping into the emerald expanse sweeping at their feet, they offer an unforgettable experience.
It is said that nowhere is Italian life more seductive than in the kitchen and at the table. Italian food is not just an art but has soul as well! It engages your senses of taste, smell, sight and touch and titillates your palate with the flavours of the traditional cooking styles of its many regions.
In the words of Giuseppe Verdi, “You may have the universe if I may have Italy”. Italy is magical yet modern, old world yet fashionable, charming yet chic. Come and experience the romance and splendour of Italy.