North Western Italy: Piemonte (Piedmont) and Lombardia (Lombardy)

The north western corner of Italy, south of the Swiss Alps offers great variety, beautiful landscapes with picturesque lakes, villages and grand cities. There are hiking and skiing possibilities in the mountains and swimming and boating possibilities on the lakes.

Piemonte's capital, Torino (Turin), being the centre of the House of Savoy which ruled the region from the early 11th Century and became the Royal family of a united Italy, made the city briefly its capital. It is an industrial centre, Fiat being based here, among others. The region also produces some of the best red wines and grows a large proportion of Italy's rice. In the foothills of the Alps, and just to the west of majestic Lago Maggiore, is small and picturesque Lake Orta, with its wonderful town and San Giulio island opposite.

Lombardia (Lombardy) was named after a Germanic tribe (Langobards or Lombards) that had inherited it from barbarians who had wrested it from the Roman Empire; it became a pawn of Europe's powerful families, and suffered invasion from Venetians, Austrians and Napoleon's French. Its capital, Milano (Milan) is a business and financial centre and, after Rome, Italy's largest city. But to its north are the wonderful landscapes along the Swiss border, with its Lake district: Lake Maggiore, Como, Iseo and Garda, popular with holiday makers.

	Orta from San Giulio	Piazza, Orta	View to San Giulio	Street in Orta
	Vila Pia	Along Lake Orta	Over Orta San Giulio	Statues, Sacro Monte
	On San Giulio island	Lake Como	Lombardy landscape	Village church

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