Piedmont

Piedmont or Piemonte, region in northwestern Italy, bordered on the west by France, on the northwest by Valle d'Aosta Region, on the north by Switzerland, on the east by Lombardy (Lombardia) Region, on the southeast by Emilia-Romagna Region, and on the south by Liguria Region.

The region is divided into the provinces of Alessandria, Asti, Cuneo, Novara, Turin, and Vercelli. Piedmont (Piemonte) consists of a fertile plain bounded on the north by the Alps, on the south by the Apennines, and on the northeast by Lake Maggiore. The plain, one of the most important agricultural regions in Italy, is drained by the Po River and its tributaries. Irrigation is widespread, especially in Novara and Vercelli provinces, supporting rich agricultural and livestock production. Turin, one of the leading Italian industrial centers, is the capital and largest city of Piedmont.

The history of Piedmont is closely associated with that of the Savoy dynasty, the members of which acquired extensive territories on both sides of the Alps in the 11th century. They gradually expanded their possessions in Italy and early in the 16th century made Turin their capital. Subsequently Piedmont, because of its strategic position, was invaded repeatedly by foreign armies, including the armies of King Louis XIV and Napoleon of France. Napoleon annexed it to France in 1798. Sixteen years later Piedmont was restored to the house of Savoy, rulers of Sardinia. The kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia emerged as the most progressive of all Italian states and became the nucleus of the kingdom of Italy, which was proclaimed in 1861. Area, 25,399 sq km (9,807 sq mi); population 4,352,828 (2007 estimate).