piedmont

Piedmont, also Piemonte in Italian, is both a general geographic term and the name of an Italian region. As a geographic term, piedmont describes the foothill zone at the base of a mountain range, where rising terrain meets a plain. Piedmont zones are common worldwide and are characterized by transitional climates, complex soils, and sediment deposited by rivers. The term derives from the Italian piè monte, meaning "foot of the mountains."

The Piedmont of Italy, or Regione Piemonte, is an autonomous region in northwestern Italy. Its capital is Turin (Torino). It is bordered by France to the west and by several Italian regions to the east and south, with the Alps forming the northern boundary. The region includes the Alps and the foothills that descend into the Po River plain. Major cities include Turin, Asti, Alessandria, Cuneo, Biella, Novara, Ivrea, and Verbania in the nearby lake districts; the Langhe and Monferrato hills are notable for wine production, including Barolo, Barbaresco, and Dolcetto. The Po River traverses the plain, supporting agriculture such as rice cultivation around Vercelli and textile manufacturing in inland towns.

Historically, Piemonte was the core of the Duchy and later Kingdom of Savoy, playing a central role in the unification of Italy. The region remains an industrial and cultural center, with a diversified economy that includes automotive manufacturing (notably the Fiat group), aerospace, and food and wine sectors. The climate ranges from alpine in the higher elevations to temperate in the plains.