Mountains and Plains of Piedmont

The name of this region is a contraction of the Italian phrase ‘ai piedi del monte’, meaning ‘at the foot of the mountain’. The area is surrounded on three sides by the Alps. From the highest peaks the land slopes down to hilly areas, with an occasional sudden drop where the mountains meet the plains. Farming is a major industry in the low-lying areas beneath the mountain slopes, with vast fields of rice and maize as well as some of the best vineyards in Italy, which produce top-class wines. The regional capital, Turin, is one of the biggest and busiest cities in Italy.