Vineyards in Le Langhe, Piemonte. A region sitting at the foot of the Alps and famous for wine, truffles and attractive Italian homes for sale

Piemonte Provinces

Guide to Property for Sale in Piemonte

Real estate in Piemonte offers value for money properties in a region of mountains, vineyards and olive groves. Compared to Tuscany and Umbria, a stone farmhouse in Piemonte can be purchased for half the price in Asti, where a property in need of renovation sells for about 600 Euro per m2. A country house surrounded by vineyards in Le Langhe, will cost in the region of 1,500 Euro per m2. Many houses for sale in Piemonte come with vineyards, and stone barns that are ideal for conversion into a guest annex, or used as B&B accommodation.

A high influx of tourists visiting the area seeking self catering holiday accommodation makes Piemonte an interesting proposition for investors. A typical two bedroom property can fetch in the region of Euro 1,000 per week in rental income with this figure increasing depending on standard of accommodation and amenities such as a swimming pool. On Lake Maggiore, in the east of the region, properties are more expensive the closer to the lake you are, but offer excellent rental returns.

Piemonte, meaning at the foot of the mountain,  is in north-west Italy, and borders Switzerland and France. Piemonte is one of the few Italian regions without a coastline and boasts some of Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes, on three sides there are the Alps, with the highest peaks and largest glaciers in Italy.

Piemonte is an all year round region attracting tourists in the summer months and skiiers in the winter. Piemonte offers something for everyone: sports, food, culture, skiing, wine and access to the wonderful Italian cities of Milan, Turin, and Genova.

Piedmont produces some of the world's most famous wines such as Barolo, and is also home to the precious white truffle. Many festivals throughout the autumn are based around the dishes in which it is used.

Piemonte boasts some of Europe’s most breathtaking landscapes: the magnificent Lake Maggiore, the vineyards of Le Langhe and Asti while the Alps povide spectacular settings for its ski resorts.

Access is not a problem either, with international airlines flying into Genova, Turin and Milan.

Overview of Piemonte

Piemonte Landscape

Piemonte is surrounded by some of the highest mountains in Europe, such as the Gran Paradiso and Monte Rosa. The land slopes down to the gentle hillsides of the Langhe and of Montferrato, a beautiful, a succession of hills cultivated with vineyards that are dotted with small towns and castles.

After the hills Piemonte forms part of the Padana Plain.

There are 56 different national or regional parks, one is the Gran Paradiso National Park which hosts glaciers, natural lakes and protected flora and fauna.

The Alps form the background for sweeping, picturesque valleys, such as Val di Susa, Valsesia and Val d'Ossola

Lake Maggiore  and the Borromean Islands, are charming with their ancient villas surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens.  The valleys around of Lake Maggiore such as Val Formazza with its Toce waterfall are worth exploring  as are  Valle Anzasca whose high point is the Walser village of Macugnana and the Valle Antrona dotted with charming alpine lakes.

Among other treasures are  the Val Grande National Park in the upper Lake Maggiore area, one of the most extensive natural areas of central Europe.

Nearby Lago d’Orta it's the enchanting Island of San Giulio and Lake Viverone where the famous white Erbaluce wine is made.

Art and Culture of Piemonte

The Egizio Museum in Turin is among the most important in the world and houses the Shroud of Turin. Residences of the Royal House of Savoy and la Reggia della Venaria Reale are both UNESCO world heritage centres.

The Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) are a series if chapels across Piemonte and Lombardy and are also a UNESCO site. Destinations not to be missed are some historic towns including Cherasco, Savigliano rich in monuments, Alba and Ivrea.

The abbeys of Staffarda and Novalesa are fine examples of Gothic architecture. Cultural events and events of international importance, such as the Book Fair and the famous "Ciccolatò" chocolate festival held yearly in Turin, the Palio di Asti and many others.

Towns in Piemonte

Piazza Castello

Turin, the capital of Italian car manufacturing capital with its history and remarkable cultural heritage which includes the magnificent Piazza di Castello.

Stresa and Verbania on the shores of Lake Maggiore deserve to be toured. The Borromeo gardens, Villa Taranto and Villa San Remigio can be admired there. Lake Maggiore is full of attractive towns, such as Arona with the seventeenth-century statue of San Carlo.

The famous spa resorts of Acqui Terme and Vinadio offer treatments and therapy that will relax and  revive you.

Asti and Barolo which are world famous for its wines while Alba with its sophisticated atmosphere is home to the white truffle festival in autumn.

Sports and Leisure in Piemonte

Skier

Skiing can be found both in the north and south of Piemonte, the areas in the north very well known – Valle d’ Aosta, Sestriere, Courmayeur are just a few. Valle di Susa extends over 1,500 km of ski runs and trails, set in a natural landscape that is unmatched anywhere in the world. They offer illuminated slopes for night skiing and extremely long off-trail routes through fresh snow. Sestriere, Sauze d’Oulx, Cesana, Claviere and Sansicario are some of the ski resorts found in this area

The Cuneo and Mondovi areas offer a vast expanse of ski runs, state of the art lifts, unspoilt landscapes. Limone Piemonte, Artesinia, Prato Nevosa, Lurisia, Frabosa Soprana and Garessio are some of the resorts in these valleys.

In summer the hills and valleys offer trekking routes of varying difficulty with paths and shelters equipped from Monviso to the mountains around Verbania.

There are still many outdoor activities: cycling routes along the Po and in the territory of Vercelli, mountain biking along the banks of the Sesia, golf in several centers throughout the territory and also sailing, windsurfing, canoeing on the banks of the Lake Maggiore.

Food and Wines of Piemonte

Piemonte is home to the Slow Food Movement and UNESCO has recently awarded the wine areas World Heritage status for their unique landscapes.

Piemonte is home to some of the world's most respected award winning wines such as Barbera, Barolo, Barbaresco, Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, and Asti Spumante among many others.

The most widely grown grape is of the Nebbiolo variety which is used to produce the famous Barolo wine. All these wines have been perfected over a period of three thousand years, centuries longer than the oldest French wines. Considering Italy's small size, at three-quarters the area of California, its production of 8 billion bottles per year is even more astounding. Though only seventh in production, Piemonte stands first in quality.

The region is world famous for its white truffles which attract thousands of tourists each year to celebratory festivals during autumn, the most famous of which is held in Alba. We must not forget the great cheeses such as the Robiola ('tuma' as the locals call it) which is produced in the Langhe Hills. The region is also well known for its hazelnuts which are sold in small craft shops specializing in the production of sweets using this traditional product.

Delicious fillets of perch or magnificent risotti exalting its flavour are served in the many restaurants of the lake Maggiore area. Fish lovers can sample trout, arctic char, tench, carp, pike and whitefish. These fish can be served breaded, fried, stewed, marinated, proposed with traditional as well as new recipes.

History of Piemonte

Piemonte was inhabited in early historic times by Celtic-Ligurian tribes such as the Taurini and the Salassi. They were later submitted by the Romans (c. 220 BC), who founded several colonies there including Augusta Taurinorum (Turin) and Eporedia (Ivrea). After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the region was repeatedly invaded by the Burgundians, the Goths (5th century), Byzantines, Lombards (6th century), Franks (773). In the 9th-10th centuries there were further incursions by the Magyars and Saracens. At the time Piemonte, as part of the Kingdom of Italy within the Holy Roman Empire, was subdivided into several marks and counties.

In 1046, Oddo of Savoy added Piemonte to their main territory of Savoy, with a capital at Chambéry (now in France). Other areas remained independent, such as the powerful comuni (municipalities) of Asti and Alessandria and the marquis of Saluzzo and Montferrat. The County of Savoy was elevated to a duchy in 1416, and Duke Emanuele Filiberto moved the seat to Turin in 1563. In 1720, the Duke of Savoy became King of Sardinia, founding what evolved into the Kingdom of Piemonte-Sardinia and increasing Turin's importance as a European capital.

The Republic of Alba was created in 1796 as a French client republic in Piemonte before the area was annexed by France in 1801. In June 1802 a new client republic, the Subalpine Republic, was established in Piemonte and in September it was also annexed. In the congress of Vienna, the Kingdom of Piemonte-Sardinia was restored, and furthermore received the Republic of Genoa to strengthen it as a barrier against France.

Piemonte was an initial springboard for Italy's unification in 1859-1861, following earlier unsuccessful wars against the Austrian Empire in 1820-1821 and 1848-1849. This process is sometimes referred to as Piemonteisation. The House of Savoy became Kings of Italy, and Turin briefly became the capital of Italy. However, the addition of territory paradoxically reduced Piemonte's importance to the kingdom, and the capital was moved to Florence, and then to Rome. One remaining recognition of Piemonte's historical role was that the crown prince of Italy was known as the Prince of Piemonte.

Geography of Piemonte

Surface of 25,402 square kilometers

Population of over 4,390,000

Bordered by Lombardy, Liguria, Aosta Valley and for a very small fragment with Emilia Romagna.

Provinces

Turin (regional capital), Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbano Cusio Ossola and Vercelli.

Getting To Piemonte

Airports

Turin, Milan Malpensa, Genova.

The international airport of Torino Caselle, only 20 minutes from the city centre, provides daily  links with the main economic and business centres in Italy and Europe. Malpensa, the most important intercontinental airport in southern  Europe, 100 km from Turin, completes the range with connections to the markets of North America and the Far East.

Road

In Piemonte over 1,000 km of motorways link the region to the rest of Europe and Italy. Links with France are provided to the north-west by the Monginevro Pass and above all the A32 motorway through the Frejus tunnel, to the north along the A5 through the Mont Blanc tunnel and to the south, via Ventimiglia, by the A6.

Torino is little more than 150 km from the port of Genoa and 100 km from Savona, connected by the A21 Torino-Piacenza and A6 Torino-Savona motorways.

Rail

Piemonte has more than 2,000 Km of lines that run along the main Italian and European routes. The central position of Piemonte with respect to the most important European rail routes will be further strengthened by the work planned to complete the high-speed line in the coming years. The project includes the construction of two high-capacity/high-speed rail lines (Torino-Milano and Torino-Lyon) which make Torino a central transit node on the east-west line, with rapid links in both directions.

Climate 

Piedmont has hot summers of around 26-29C, and a colder, continental winter climate, and significantly lower rainfall due to the rain shadow effect of the Alps.