Piedmont - Ancient Republic

Like Lombardy, Piedmont was vulnerable to attack from France and Austria. It was inhabited in early historic times by Celtic-Ligurian tribes and later conquered by the Romans.

In the Middle Ages and through the Renaissance, some Piedmontese areas remained independent, such as Asti (now famed for its sparkling wine), Alessandria, Saluzzo and Montferrat. At the Congress of Vienna in 1814-15, the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia also took charge of the Republic of Genoa (now in Liguria) as a barrier against French invasion.