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Italian Villas in Piedmont

The best side of Lake Maggiore belongs to Piedmont. That should come as no surprise. Piedmont enjoys the best of many things. Lakes Maggiore and Orta were dug out by glaciers in the depths of the Ticino Valley. Lake Maggiore is sheltered by the Matterhorn and other Alpine peaks. At lakeside, "Belle Époque" towns such as Stresa and Pallanza amid their lofty palm trees overlook Italy's three most romantic islands. These tiny jewels are made up of a quaint fishing village, a Baroque palace built as an expression of love, and a wonderful botanical garden. Close by Lake Maggiore is Lake Orta. It is much smaller; its beauty is overwhelmingly concentrated and unbelievably untrampled by mass tourism.

From these tantalizing gems you are but a stone¹s throw from Switzerland or Milan. Farther south, Torino, the magnificent capital of Piedmont, is filled with amazing architecture. Besides being the reliquary of the Shroud, Torino embodies the perfect marriage of engineering and art. Grandiose palaces, boulevards and squares give Torino the air of an imperial city. It is! Continuing southward toward Liguria, Piedmont becomes a land of vineyards and medieval hill towns. Here the fruit of the vine is king, and Barolo, the king of wines, happily resides here. Joined by Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Gavi, Asti and more, wine makes Piedmont¹s legacy the most delicious on earth.

To complement a great vintage, one needs great food. When it comes to cooking, the Piemontesi are superb. From Alba, where the best truffles in the world can fetch over a thousand dollars per pound, to zabaglione, the heady dessert named for St. Giovanni Baglione, the patron saint of pastry chefs, the cuisine of Piedmont is in a class of its own. The international gateway airport at Milan Malpensa is within an hour by car from either lake.

A listing of all villas in Piedmont

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