Glorious Piedmont - "Tuscany without the Tourists"
Time to be transported…
If, in the midst of a cold snap, and at the weary tail end of winter, your mind is turning to trips abroad, sunshine and stunning vistas, and glorious food and wine experiences, then Piedmont – a sometimes overlooked northern region of Italy - has a lot to offer.
Tucked into the Northwest, and home to the elegant former capital Turin, its affordable and accessible by train and plane from across Europe, the UK and further afield. It’s largely untouched and not overrun with tourism, which means you can still access that holy grail of travel: the ‘authentic’ experience. The region’s landscapes, hilltop villages, and 360 degree views of the Alps are the stuff of picture books and fairy tales, not forgetting its unique culture, food and of course, award-winning wines.
And you don’t just have to take our word for it…
If Piedmont has popped up on your radar recently, it might well be because it’s started to be noticed and appreciated more, with newspaper and magazine articles, as well as features on film and television, quietly building its profile.
From the high-profile documentary series by CNN with Stanley Tucci in Searching for Italy (he visits Piedmont in Season 2) and gardener’s favourite Monty Don exploring Italian gardens here, to the delightful success of the Netflix film Truffle Hunters, it seems the wider world has finally woken up to the magic of Piedmont.
We’ve pulled together some of those that caught our eye over recent years, and the increased interest is palpable. In part, we feel, this is down to the fact Piedmont has become more confident in its branding and marketing, but it’s also about the fact new hotels and the approach to the visitor experience have improved, proving the case that if you ‘build it, they will come’.
Piedmont: the ‘new Puglia’ for those discovering Italy
When Steve and I visited Puglia fifteen years ago, at the time still living in the UK, the region felt like it was on a similar cusp. People were, of course, visiting, but it felt below the radar. We wouldn’t have necessarily gone either, however an Italian friend had recommended the region for very much the same reasons mentioned above: amazing, unique food and wine, untouched landscapes, hot summers, incredible towns and cities full of character and the faded glory of baroque architecture.
Back then, people were still able to buy up local trulli houses – the unique and beautiful conical topped cottages that are only found in Puglia - for ridiculous prices. Not so anymore, and it very much feels that Piedmont is on a similar journey. Our estate agency friends have already witnessed first-hand the spike in interest in the past year or so, with a marked increase in the speed at which previously unsellable properties are being snapped up. We feel that over the coming months and years, more people will discover that this unique part of Italy has been under their noses all the time.
See Italy: Piedmont – glorious in every season
As you travel, you will quickly understand why Piedmont is a hidden Italian gem. The region’s nickname is “Tuscany without tourists.”
James Edition, February 2023
Rising demand of Piedmont: HNWIs are charmed by lake villas and wine country estates
John Brunton, The Guardian, 2009
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2009/may/03/piedmont-turin-italy-hotels-restaurants
“When you have lived in a country for many years there is inevitably one region that tends to get overlooked, the place you'll be sure to visit next year but never do. For me that was always the case with Piedmont, as I concentrated on classic destinations such as Tuscany, Umbria and the Veneto. But when I finally made it here last year, I immediately realised just what I had been missing out on, and why my Italian friends had always berated me for not discovering one of the most surprising and welcoming parts of Italy.”
John Brunton
Juliana Piskorz, The Guardian, Oct 2018
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/oct/28/land-of-plenty-harvest-in-piedmont-italy-wine-nutella
Mitchell Owens, Architectural Digest, Jan 2017
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/oberto-gili-italy-farmhouse
January 2017 Architectural Digest piece.
We read this piece about the stunning house and grounds of photographer Oberto Gili. Situated in Bra, home of the international headquarters of the Slow Food movement, just before we moved here in 2017. It felt like an omen. The gorgeous photography and discussion about Piedmont provide a beguiling insight into the region.
Donna Wheeler, Lonely Planet, Aug 2018
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/10-reasons-to-visit-piedmont
Alps, art and aperitivo: 10 reasons to visit Piedmont.
Adam Gollner, Condé Nast Traveller, March 2021
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/savoring-slow-food-and-slow-travel-in-italy
Lee Marshall, Condé Nast Traveller, March 2022
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/piedmont-wine-and-fine-dining-to-rival-tuscanys
In Piedmont, Unearthing Wine and Fine Dining to Rival Tuscany’s
“The discretely sophisticated southern swath of Italy’s Piedmont region is growing a scene all its own.”
Lee Marshall
Lee Marshall, Condé Nast Traveller, March 2022
https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/piedmont-guide-what-to-do
Why Piedmont is the secret destination you need to know about Piedmont, Italy's understated, truffle-rich wine region
Kiki Deere, The Times, June 2022
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/an-insiders-guide-to-piedmont-lm7x0fwhk
An insider’s guide to Piedmont
“From truffle-heaped plates of pasta to a gilded 16th-century palace and a rustic farmhouse stay”
Liz Boulter, The Guardian, Oct 2022
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2022/oct/13/italy-piedmont-wine-food-restaurants-art-guide
Piedmont on a plate: Italy’s lush land of food, wine and art
Janelle Davis, CNN, May 2022
Stanley Tucci Searching for Italy
Review in The Guardian by Mark Kermode. July 2021
The Truffle Hunters award winning documentary