Piedmont Villas
Villas in Piedmont
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Piedmont Villas: Regional Information
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Piedmont, literally meaning ‘foothill’, occupies the north-western corner of Italy, nestled along the edge of the Alps and bordering with France and Switzerland. Influences of all three nationalities can be felt in Piedmont and any villa holiday here is sure to be infused with diverse aromas and sights.
NIGHTLIFE
You can find a busy nightlife in Turin...the two most popular areas are the Docks Dora, to the north of the city center, and the Murazzi embankment, near Ponte Vittorio Emanuele I, which is even busier in summer.
WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Although well endowed with a major capital city in the shape of Turin, this is essentially a land of tiny alpine villages, gently rolling hills and broad fertile farmlands – ideal for exploring on foot or by car.
Experience Piedmont at a leisurely pace, wandering slowly from town to town, stopping to visit castles or hillside shrines. The people will welcome you with their warmth, but most of all with their extraordinary cooking.
Turin is a gracious city of ample boulevards and grand architecture. History seems to have begun here in the late eighteenth century and today is an architecturally homogenous showpiece of the baroque and rococo. The Piazza Castello, a part-medieval and part-Baroque castle lies at the heart of Turin’s old centre – surrounded by museums, theatres and cafes. A notable museum is the Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze, home of the Museo Egizio, which for Egyptian artifacts is second only to the Archeological Museum in Cairo. Turin is also famed for its Shroud, which can be found in the Duomo di San Giovanni.
West of Turin, the Valle di Susa combines the glamourous ski resort of Sestriere with many pretty villages and superb walking country. Worth a visit are the Roman ruins at Susa and the medieval fort at Exilles. Southern Piedmont is rich in castles such as that at Sauzzo and Manta. Alba is at the centre of Piedmont’s wine region and a great base from which to explore and taste. This is also the home of Cinzano vermouth. Stop in Roddi to sip some sparkling dolcetto in its lovely main square or visit Cherasco, where the imposing bastions of the fortress contrast sharply with the extravagant baroque Belvedere Arch. Farther on is La Morra, a fan-shaped medieval town offering panoramic views across the vineyards. To the East, around Asti and Monferrato, are more formidable castles – Villadeati and Rovasenda being perhaps the most breathtaking. As you continue on to Piedmont's north-eastern border, you'll be climbing into the foothills toward Carema, a picturesque fortress town built right into the rocks. Outside of Strambino is beautiful Valperga castle, which hosts the remains of Arduino d'Ivrea, who in 1002 was Italy's first king.
Visit Monte Rosa Animal Reserve. An easy, three-hour walk gives you a wonderful opportunity to see mountain sheep, deer, beavers, eagles and other fauna that live in the beautiful park.
Most people associate Italy's lakes with Lombardia or the Veneto, but Piedmont's share is just as beautiful. It includes the delightfully pretty Lake Orta and the whole western half of Lake Maggiore, centered around the lovely town of Arona. Lake Orta is a tiny jewel where the hills and mountains are closer, lending a fairy-tale atmosphere to the villages surrounding its waters. The nicest is Orta San Giulio, whose pretty little town hall has a frescoed façade and whose narrow streets are lined with rococo homes. From here, take a ferry (or row your own rowboat) to the even more picturesque San Giulio Island.
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