High up on the boot in northwest Italy and snuggled by alpine shapeliness on three sides, Piedmont is innately graceful, an unadulterated realm of varied countryside and monumental parks, an opulent history and a generosity of some of our favorite (edible) things.



“Piedmont is a wealthy region in Italy and one of those that has not promoted its tourist attractions actively until recently. It is not only wealthy by way of its economy, but also for its wealth of history, culture, gastronomy, wines, castles, golf courses, and great shopping opportunities,” says Fabio Sembiante, executive vice president of sales & marketing for Central Holidays.



A short drive along the roads of Piedmont leads to a wealth of regional treasures. There’s the Castle of Roppolo, whose surroundings have long borne assorted wine grapes. Today, only a limited production of these is available. In the town of Candelo, there’s a medieval village built between the 13th and 14th centuries that is one of the country’s best-preserved fortifications, whose cellars were once used to house grains and wine. Today, it is home to artists’ studios, wine shops and restaurants.



Piedmont is also a culinary destination of phenomenal possibilities, with cheese, truffles, wines and chocolate playing center stage in daily life. A carpaccio of Piedmontese veal with castelmagno cream and a glass of the local Barolo, is one of many moments of abandon to lust for here. Handcrafted pastries, artisan dairy products and a love of all things yummy are part of the region’s gastronomic foundation.



And given that more than 43 percent of Piedmont is made up of mountains, expect hilly diversions, including much hiking and mountaineering. The region has 53 ski resorts and every winter sport is practiced here—ice climbing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing and more.



An Escape to Biella
But that’s just a tiny taste of the region’s choices. Biella is one of its many jewels, a town of roughly 50,000 that’s prosperous and sprightly. It’s “a real Italian experience—a hidden corner of the world,” says Stefano Mosca, director of ATL Biella, the local hospitality and tourism promotion agency. Whether it’s shopping along Via Italia (perhaps for delicious chocolate wafers made locally or award-winning Menabrea beer), admiring the frescoes in the Church of St. Mary of Oropa, visiting the baptistery from the 11th century—still used today—or hopping on the funicular for a 4-minute ride to the medieval part of town for less than one euro, Biella and its eponymous province is quiet on the surface, but with a polished foundation. This is a major learning center for textile engineering and is renowned for its wool and cashmere garments. Internationally renowned fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna was founded 100 years ago in the province of Biella, although the name is known in these parts as much for its apparel as for the Zegna Panoramic Road and commitment to the environment.



Then there’s the historic Oropa Sanctuary, just a 20-minute drive from the town of Biella and home to one of roughly 700 black Madonnas found throughout Europe. The place, says its rector, is where “human and the Divine meet,” and regardless of one’s religious preference, spending time here is indeed a spiritual journey, if only for its calm demeanor and exuberance of its natural surroundings—cowbells clanging, hundreds of floral species, hikers and bikers stopping by daily.



Although it’s said to have its beginnings in the fourth century, the sanctuary’s documented history doesn’t start until 1207. It welcomes tens of thousands of guests each year—some spending the night and many others just spending a few hours enjoying the Alpine setting—although visitors have increased since the sanctuary and its Sacro Monte were declared a UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity in 2003. The Holy Mount consists of 12 chapels with life-sized statues showing different scenes of the life of the Virgin Mary and is one of nine throughout the Piedmont and Lombardy regions, created during the 16th and 17th centuries. Another stop in the sanctuary: the Oropa Museum of Treasures, which houses Savoy family apartments and paintings, as well as the jewels that adorned the statue of the Black Madonna in 1920.



Spending a few nights at the convent lodging at the sanctuary is an incredible treat, but keep in mind there’s nothing luxurious about it—and yet we love it. Picture hallways filled with ex-votos thanking the Virgin Mary for her protection (the first one dates back to 1522) and bare-basics accommodations in the form of a simple bed

and austere wooden furniture. It’s a blissful stay that goes superbly on its own or as part of a religious or historic trip into Piedmont.



The Passion of Sordevolo

The region is also home to a unique interpretation of the last days of Jesus Christ that has defined the small town of Sordevolo. Taking place every five years from June through September, the Passion Play of Sordevolo is handled exclusively by Central Holidays for the U.S. market. “It is completely different from the renowned Play in Oberammergau and merits its just praise for the effort, setting and convenience of the experience,” explains Sembiante. “Sordevolo is a hidden treasure that has just been discovered and will become a milestone in the performance of Passion Plays worldwide.”



You have to be a native of the region to make it into the Passion Play, and Marco Caldi, who was on hiatus from his resort management duties in Indonesia and from his love of surfing, begat a rousing interpretation of the main character. “It’s my first time as Jesus,” says Caldi, although he’s played lesser roles in the past. Joining him were hundreds of his neighbors, amateurs on stage but dedicated and eager to be a part of this 200-plus-year tradition.



“Italy is a major center of Christianity in the world and I believe the Passion Play in Sordevolo adds to the whole experience by having the opportunity to also visit other major religious sites within the country itself. Just in Piedmont, you have the Museum and Church of the Holy Shroud, La Superga, holy sanctuaries and so much more.”    



Turin Wows

Speaking of Turin, do not for a minute dismiss this fantastic city. The capital of Piedmont—and the first capital of Italy, in fact—is palpably delightful, great for people-watching and molto moderna in disposition. Hats off to its many piazze and shops on Garibaldi Street, its open markets and historic cafes, its creation of vermouth and devotion to chocolate—purchase a ChocoPass when you get there and sample the most decadent confections in Northern Italy, including the native gianduiotti and their hazel-nutty thunderbolt to the senses.



The Museum of the Shroud is well known here, of course, but there are myriad other museums to discover—more than 80, in fact. The Egyptian Museum is the most important in the world after Cairo’s, while the National Museum of Cinema celebrates both the art and the fact that Italian cinema was born in Turin. There’s also the Palazzo Reale, home of the House of Savoy, and the Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art. Next year the city is set to shine even brighter as it celebrates the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. “The festivities,” reveals Sembiante, “promise to be spectacular.”



Among Central Holidays’ new Piedmont programs is a jaunty journey to Turin that includes roundtrip air from NYC, a 3-night stay at the Art Hotel Boston or similar, a car rental for three days, a tasting at the historic Pasticceria Pfatisch and a Torino Piemonte card, which offers free admission to more than 160 sites, including museums and castles, as well as discounts on tours, concerts, theater options and more. The package starts at $1,049 pp.

Call of contact RJ Travel Advisors to book Piedmont, Italy today! Call (913)488-4485 or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it