A BRIEF HISTORY OF PIEMONTE
1. Origins
2. Roman Age
3. The Middle Ages
4. Expansion Under Savoy Rule
5. The Unification of Italy
6. The Post-Unification Period
Additional Information
1. Origins
2. Roman Age
3. The Middle Ages
4. Expansion Under Savoy Rule
5. The Unification of Italy
6. The Post-Unification Period
Additional Information
1. Origins
The name Piemonte first appears on recorded maps at the end of the 12th century in the Latin form Pedemontis, which means “at the foot of the mountains.” This region, located in the southwestern Alps, encompassed part of the territory later possessed by the House of Savoy, which would in time become the royal family of united Italy in the 19th century.
The earliest recorded traces of human population in the territory of Piemonte date back to prehistoric times. This population inhabited mostly the mountain part of the region. Particularly famous are the stone engravings of Mount Bego in the Val di Roya (now in French territory, south of the Col di Tenda). Archaeologists have also unearthed various necropolises in the north and northwestern provinces, dating back at least to the Bronze Age. This archaeological evidence shows that at this time the local tribes were mostly of Celtic or Ligurian origin.
The name Piemonte first appears on recorded maps at the end of the 12th century in the Latin form Pedemontis, which means “at the foot of the mountains.” This region, located in the southwestern Alps, encompassed part of the territory later possessed by the House of Savoy, which would in time become the royal family of united Italy in the 19th century.
The earliest recorded traces of human population in the territory of Piemonte date back to prehistoric times. This population inhabited mostly the mountain part of the region. Particularly famous are the stone engravings of Mount Bego in the Val di Roya (now in French territory, south of the Col di Tenda). Archaeologists have also unearthed various necropolises in the north and northwestern provinces, dating back at least to the Bronze Age. This archaeological evidence shows that at this time the local tribes were mostly of Celtic or Ligurian origin.
2. Roman Age
The first known contact of the local tribes with the Roman army took place in 218 BCE, during the second Punic war, when the Romans tried, unsuccessfully, to block Hannibal’s daring invasion of Italy from the north, when he crossed the Alps with his elephants at the Moncenisio pass, fifty miles west of Turin.
The Romans settled permanently in Piemonte about one century later, around 150 BCE, after subjugating most of the local population. The first settlements were primarily commercial centers; among the first of importance we find the cities of Industria (so named for the local production of pottery), Tortona, Alba (the “white city”), Acqui (so named for the famous spas there), and Eporedia (present day Ivrea). With the beginning of the imperial era, and the expansion of Roman rule to the territories to the north of the Alps, in particular Gallia (present day France), the strategic importance of Piemonte increased, and the Romans established a number of major military garrisons, with headquarters in the north at Augusta Praetoria (present day Aosta) and in the center at Augusta Taurinorum (present day Torino). Within the administrative organization of the Roman Empire, in the whole period from the first to the fifth century CE, Piemonte was subdivided into three provinces. The alpine territory formed the province of the Alpes Cottiae, so named after the major local population of the Cottii (to this day, the name Alpi Cozie denotes the part of the Alps southwest of Cuneo). The regions in the plains were instead part of the Ligurian province in the south and the Aemilian province in the east. The regional capitals of these provinces were, respectively, in Torino, Genova, and Milano.
The first known contact of the local tribes with the Roman army took place in 218 BCE, during the second Punic war, when the Romans tried, unsuccessfully, to block Hannibal’s daring invasion of Italy from the north, when he crossed the Alps with his elephants at the Moncenisio pass, fifty miles west of Turin.
The Romans settled permanently in Piemonte about one century later, around 150 BCE, after subjugating most of the local population. The first settlements were primarily commercial centers; among the first of importance we find the cities of Industria (so named for the local production of pottery), Tortona, Alba (the “white city”), Acqui (so named for the famous spas there), and Eporedia (present day Ivrea). With the beginning of the imperial era, and the expansion of Roman rule to the territories to the north of the Alps, in particular Gallia (present day France), the strategic importance of Piemonte increased, and the Romans established a number of major military garrisons, with headquarters in the north at Augusta Praetoria (present day Aosta) and in the center at Augusta Taurinorum (present day Torino). Within the administrative organization of the Roman Empire, in the whole period from the first to the fifth century CE, Piemonte was subdivided into three provinces. The alpine territory formed the province of the Alpes Cottiae, so named after the major local population of the Cottii (to this day, the name Alpi Cozie denotes the part of the Alps southwest of Cuneo). The regions in the plains were instead part of the Ligurian province in the south and the Aemilian province in the east. The regional capitals of these provinces were, respectively, in Torino, Genova, and Milano.
3. The Middle Ages
Roman rule ended in the middle of the 5th century, when the Piemontese provinces came under the control of the Goth chieftain Odoacres, who had invaded Longobardy from the northeast. Later, Piedmont became part of an area under the administration of the Byzantine Emperor Theodoricus. One century later, in 568, Piemonte came under Longobardic rule, and a local system of aristocratic hierarchy came gradually into place with a number of marquises, counts, and vassals appointed by, and professing allegiance to, first the Longobard and then the Frankish kings. This system lasted for little more than a century, from 774 to 887.
In the next century (888-963), Piemonte became part of a short-lived, nominally independent kingdom, within the confines of the northwestern part of what is now Italy. In 963, the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II of Saxony defeated a coalition of Piemontese rulers, and attempted to add Piemonte to the rule of the Holy Roman Empire. This marked the beginning of a period of instability with repeated conflicts between the emperors and the local Piemontese rulers.
This period ended at the beginning of the 11th century, when Adelaide, heiress to the Marquis of Turin, married into the family of the first Count of Savoy, Umberto Biancamano (Humbert the “Whitehanded”), who owed his title to the emperor. Umberto is recognized as the founder of the dynasty of Savoy (Savoia in Italian); with his marriage to Adelaide, a large part of Piemonte came into the direct rule of the House of Savoy and thus nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire.
Roman rule ended in the middle of the 5th century, when the Piemontese provinces came under the control of the Goth chieftain Odoacres, who had invaded Longobardy from the northeast. Later, Piedmont became part of an area under the administration of the Byzantine Emperor Theodoricus. One century later, in 568, Piemonte came under Longobardic rule, and a local system of aristocratic hierarchy came gradually into place with a number of marquises, counts, and vassals appointed by, and professing allegiance to, first the Longobard and then the Frankish kings. This system lasted for little more than a century, from 774 to 887.
In the next century (888-963), Piemonte became part of a short-lived, nominally independent kingdom, within the confines of the northwestern part of what is now Italy. In 963, the Holy Roman Emperor Otto II of Saxony defeated a coalition of Piemontese rulers, and attempted to add Piemonte to the rule of the Holy Roman Empire. This marked the beginning of a period of instability with repeated conflicts between the emperors and the local Piemontese rulers.
This period ended at the beginning of the 11th century, when Adelaide, heiress to the Marquis of Turin, married into the family of the first Count of Savoy, Umberto Biancamano (Humbert the “Whitehanded”), who owed his title to the emperor. Umberto is recognized as the founder of the dynasty of Savoy (Savoia in Italian); with his marriage to Adelaide, a large part of Piemonte came into the direct rule of the House of Savoy and thus nominally part of the Holy Roman Empire.
4. Expansion under Savoy Rule
The original possessions of the Savoy dynasty were largely in part of what is now the French Department of Savoy, to the west of the French Alps, south of Geneva, extending southwards almost to the Mediterranean sea. Its first capital was in Chambery. After annexing a large part of Piemonte with the marriage of Umberto Biancamano and Adelaide, the Savoy rulers began an ambitious program of expansion into the northwestern part of Italy.
Through a clever policy of mixing marriages, wars, and diplomatic treaties, the House of Savoy steadily expanded its possessions, first annexing various territories which were still under the nominal rule of the Holy Roman Emperor, and then acquiring some of the western parts of the House of Visconti and of the dukes of Milano and Lombardy. To mark some important dates in this progression, Count Amadeus VII annexed the port city of Nice in 1388, while his son, Count and then Duke Amadeus VIII, added the fortress of Vercelli at the eastern border with Lombardy in 1427. The city of Asti was acquired by Charles III by virtue of his marriage to Princess Beatrix of Portugal to whom Emperor Charles V of Spain had bequeathed the city. This is also the time when the first imposing monuments related to the ruling family were built; for example, the first Savoy residence, the Palace of the Princes of Acaja (now Palazzo Madama) was erected in the center of Torino (Piazza Castello) in the first half of the 14th century.
The expansion of Savoy rule reached its climax in the middle of the 16th century under the military and diplomatic genius of Duke Emanuele Filiberto. (A splendid bronze equestrian statue of this duke stands in the center of Piazza San Carlo in the very heart of Torino.) The year 1563 marked a turning point for the modern history of Piemonte. In this year, in fact, Emanuele Filiberto officially transfered the capital of Savoy from Chambery to Torino. The main reason for this transfer was to reaffirm the interests of the House of Savoy in Italy and to distance Savoy from the concurrent expansionist stances of the French kingdom; however, the transfer was presented under the pious pretense of “temporarily” moving the Holy Shroud to a location closer to Milan, so as to shorten St. Charles Borromeo’s pilgrimage to the relic, undertaken in gratitude for the deliverance of Milan from the plague. (The Shroud had become the personal property of the dukes of Savoy in the first half of the 14th century and remained so until the death of the last King of Italy, Umberto II, in 1983. In his will, Umberto bequeathed the Shroud personally to Pope John Paul II and his successors under the custodianship of the Archbishop of Torino.)
The new acquisitions of Emanuele Filiberto and his successors were finally ratified by the treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Vienna (1738); in particular, Savoy added the cities of Novara and Acqui, ceded by the Austrians in 1748. The capital city of Turin acquired many of its famous monuments, notably among these, the Basilica of Superga, erected in 1708 as a sort of ex-voto, made by Duke Vittorio Amedeo II in gratitude for the failed siege of Torino by the French army (episode of Pietro Micca).
Another provision of the treaty of Utrecht was to grant Duke Vittorio Amedeo II and his successors the title of King of Sicily. In 1720, however, Vittorio Amedeo ceded Sicily to the Spanish crown, trading it with Sardinia. Henceforth, all territories under Savoy rule acquired the official name of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which remained in existence until it became part of the new Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
The original possessions of the Savoy dynasty were largely in part of what is now the French Department of Savoy, to the west of the French Alps, south of Geneva, extending southwards almost to the Mediterranean sea. Its first capital was in Chambery. After annexing a large part of Piemonte with the marriage of Umberto Biancamano and Adelaide, the Savoy rulers began an ambitious program of expansion into the northwestern part of Italy.
Through a clever policy of mixing marriages, wars, and diplomatic treaties, the House of Savoy steadily expanded its possessions, first annexing various territories which were still under the nominal rule of the Holy Roman Emperor, and then acquiring some of the western parts of the House of Visconti and of the dukes of Milano and Lombardy. To mark some important dates in this progression, Count Amadeus VII annexed the port city of Nice in 1388, while his son, Count and then Duke Amadeus VIII, added the fortress of Vercelli at the eastern border with Lombardy in 1427. The city of Asti was acquired by Charles III by virtue of his marriage to Princess Beatrix of Portugal to whom Emperor Charles V of Spain had bequeathed the city. This is also the time when the first imposing monuments related to the ruling family were built; for example, the first Savoy residence, the Palace of the Princes of Acaja (now Palazzo Madama) was erected in the center of Torino (Piazza Castello) in the first half of the 14th century.
The expansion of Savoy rule reached its climax in the middle of the 16th century under the military and diplomatic genius of Duke Emanuele Filiberto. (A splendid bronze equestrian statue of this duke stands in the center of Piazza San Carlo in the very heart of Torino.) The year 1563 marked a turning point for the modern history of Piemonte. In this year, in fact, Emanuele Filiberto officially transfered the capital of Savoy from Chambery to Torino. The main reason for this transfer was to reaffirm the interests of the House of Savoy in Italy and to distance Savoy from the concurrent expansionist stances of the French kingdom; however, the transfer was presented under the pious pretense of “temporarily” moving the Holy Shroud to a location closer to Milan, so as to shorten St. Charles Borromeo’s pilgrimage to the relic, undertaken in gratitude for the deliverance of Milan from the plague. (The Shroud had become the personal property of the dukes of Savoy in the first half of the 14th century and remained so until the death of the last King of Italy, Umberto II, in 1983. In his will, Umberto bequeathed the Shroud personally to Pope John Paul II and his successors under the custodianship of the Archbishop of Torino.)
The new acquisitions of Emanuele Filiberto and his successors were finally ratified by the treaties of Utrecht (1713) and Vienna (1738); in particular, Savoy added the cities of Novara and Acqui, ceded by the Austrians in 1748. The capital city of Turin acquired many of its famous monuments, notably among these, the Basilica of Superga, erected in 1708 as a sort of ex-voto, made by Duke Vittorio Amedeo II in gratitude for the failed siege of Torino by the French army (episode of Pietro Micca).
Another provision of the treaty of Utrecht was to grant Duke Vittorio Amedeo II and his successors the title of King of Sicily. In 1720, however, Vittorio Amedeo ceded Sicily to the Spanish crown, trading it with Sardinia. Henceforth, all territories under Savoy rule acquired the official name of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which remained in existence until it became part of the new Kingdom of Italy in 1860.
5. The Unification of Italy
The 18th century ended with the occupation of Piemonte by Napoleon’s army in 1798 and the consequent flight of King Vittorio Emanuele to Cagliari, the capital of the unoccupied island of Sardinia. The Napoleonic administration brought the new ideas of the enlightenment into Piemonte, thereby ushering it into modernity. Among the achievements of this period were the adoption of a uniform legal code and of a unified measurement and currency system; the reorganization of the Academy of Sciences stressing the technological applications of scientific research, and the expansion of the great military schools in the model of the analogous institutions in Paris.
Napoleon’s occupation of Piemonte ended with the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which sought the restoration of Vittorio Emanuele I. To celebrate this event, the King funded the construction of the Basilica of the Gran Madre di Dio (the Great Mother of God) facing, from the south side of the Po River, the main thoroughfare of Via Po, leading directly to the royal palace in the center of Torino.
In spite of the fiercely absolutistic views of Vittorio Emanuele I and his successor, Carlo Felice, the Kingdom slowly developed a more liberal outlook in keeping with the new political ideas of the times. In 1848, the new King of Sardinia, Carlo Alberto, was the first among the rulers of the various states into which Italy was divided to grant a Constitution. This fundamental law became known as the “Statuto Albertino”; with the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy, it became the fundamental law of the Kingdom of Italy and remained in force until Italy became a republic in 1946. An important provision of the Statuto was to grant freedom of religion to all subjects of the Kingdom; in particular, Jews and Protestants gained full emancipation.
The second and third decades of the 19th century also saw the beginning of various movements, only ideological at first, and then more political and activist, towards the unification of the Italian peninsula. The resulting period and its aspirations became known as the Risorgimento; its major achievement was the unification of most of Italy in 1860 after two independence wars against Austria, which had possession of Lombardy and a series of referendums, which sanctioned the annexations of the central and southern states to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in 1861 with Vittorio Emanuele II, Carlo Alberto’s son, as its first King, and its capital in Torino. The new kingdom comprised almost all of the Italian peninsula, except the Veneto, still under Austrian rule, and the Papal states in the center. In 1864, the capital of the Kingdom was provisionally transferred to Florence; in 1868, after the third and last of the Risorgimento wars, Italy gained the Veneto, except Trento and Trieste, which remained part of the Austo-Hungarian empire; finally, in 1870 the Piemontese army entered Rome and annexed the papal states. The pope, Pio IX, declared himself a “prisoner” in the Vatican. (This position was also taken by all his successors, until Pio XI reached an accord with Italy in 1929 with the establishment of the Vatican City as a sovereign entity.)
The 18th century ended with the occupation of Piemonte by Napoleon’s army in 1798 and the consequent flight of King Vittorio Emanuele to Cagliari, the capital of the unoccupied island of Sardinia. The Napoleonic administration brought the new ideas of the enlightenment into Piemonte, thereby ushering it into modernity. Among the achievements of this period were the adoption of a uniform legal code and of a unified measurement and currency system; the reorganization of the Academy of Sciences stressing the technological applications of scientific research, and the expansion of the great military schools in the model of the analogous institutions in Paris.
Napoleon’s occupation of Piemonte ended with the Congress of Vienna in 1815, which sought the restoration of Vittorio Emanuele I. To celebrate this event, the King funded the construction of the Basilica of the Gran Madre di Dio (the Great Mother of God) facing, from the south side of the Po River, the main thoroughfare of Via Po, leading directly to the royal palace in the center of Torino.
In spite of the fiercely absolutistic views of Vittorio Emanuele I and his successor, Carlo Felice, the Kingdom slowly developed a more liberal outlook in keeping with the new political ideas of the times. In 1848, the new King of Sardinia, Carlo Alberto, was the first among the rulers of the various states into which Italy was divided to grant a Constitution. This fundamental law became known as the “Statuto Albertino”; with the unification of Italy under the House of Savoy, it became the fundamental law of the Kingdom of Italy and remained in force until Italy became a republic in 1946. An important provision of the Statuto was to grant freedom of religion to all subjects of the Kingdom; in particular, Jews and Protestants gained full emancipation.
The second and third decades of the 19th century also saw the beginning of various movements, only ideological at first, and then more political and activist, towards the unification of the Italian peninsula. The resulting period and its aspirations became known as the Risorgimento; its major achievement was the unification of most of Italy in 1860 after two independence wars against Austria, which had possession of Lombardy and a series of referendums, which sanctioned the annexations of the central and southern states to the Kingdom of Sardinia.
The Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed in 1861 with Vittorio Emanuele II, Carlo Alberto’s son, as its first King, and its capital in Torino. The new kingdom comprised almost all of the Italian peninsula, except the Veneto, still under Austrian rule, and the Papal states in the center. In 1864, the capital of the Kingdom was provisionally transferred to Florence; in 1868, after the third and last of the Risorgimento wars, Italy gained the Veneto, except Trento and Trieste, which remained part of the Austo-Hungarian empire; finally, in 1870 the Piemontese army entered Rome and annexed the papal states. The pope, Pio IX, declared himself a “prisoner” in the Vatican. (This position was also taken by all his successors, until Pio XI reached an accord with Italy in 1929 with the establishment of the Vatican City as a sovereign entity.)
6. The Post-Unification Period
After 1864, with the loss of its status as capital of the Kingdom, Piemonte became just one of the many regions comprising the new Italian nation. However, the inevitable decline in its political importance was almost immediately offset by Piemonte’s emerging role in the national economy, which was starting its slow process of change from being almost exclusively agrarian to becoming progressively more industrialized. This role was best exemplified by the founding in 1898 in Torino of the FIAT automobile company by Giovanni Agnelli. FIAT, which is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, is still today the largest privately owned company in Italy.
In the 20th century, the vast concentration of an educated work force in Torino and the whole of Piemonte contributed to a strong anti-fascist movement in the period between the two world wars. In keeping with the traditions of the Risorgimento, the ancestral seat of the monarchy became also the place where the new political ideas of socialism were most debated and received. After the occupation of northern Italy by Nazi forces, Torino and Piemonte became one of the major centers for armed resistance against the Germans. The Piedmontese people were among the most active participants of the partisan movement (the so-called Resistenza).
In 1946, following the conclusion of WWII and the very controversial role played by King Vittorio Emanuele III in support of Fascism, and by his cowardly behavior under the Nazi threat, the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum. The last King of Italy, Umberto II, went into exile to Portugal after reigning only one month. After these events, the history of Piemonte totally merges with that of post-war Italy.
Source: Enciclopedia Italiana (Treccani) and I Savoia by Denis Mack Smith
Compiled and Edited by Professor Albert Milani and Claudia Biorcio-Milani
After 1864, with the loss of its status as capital of the Kingdom, Piemonte became just one of the many regions comprising the new Italian nation. However, the inevitable decline in its political importance was almost immediately offset by Piemonte’s emerging role in the national economy, which was starting its slow process of change from being almost exclusively agrarian to becoming progressively more industrialized. This role was best exemplified by the founding in 1898 in Torino of the FIAT automobile company by Giovanni Agnelli. FIAT, which is an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino, is still today the largest privately owned company in Italy.
In the 20th century, the vast concentration of an educated work force in Torino and the whole of Piemonte contributed to a strong anti-fascist movement in the period between the two world wars. In keeping with the traditions of the Risorgimento, the ancestral seat of the monarchy became also the place where the new political ideas of socialism were most debated and received. After the occupation of northern Italy by Nazi forces, Torino and Piemonte became one of the major centers for armed resistance against the Germans. The Piedmontese people were among the most active participants of the partisan movement (the so-called Resistenza).
In 1946, following the conclusion of WWII and the very controversial role played by King Vittorio Emanuele III in support of Fascism, and by his cowardly behavior under the Nazi threat, the monarchy was abolished by popular referendum. The last King of Italy, Umberto II, went into exile to Portugal after reigning only one month. After these events, the history of Piemonte totally merges with that of post-war Italy.
Source: Enciclopedia Italiana (Treccani) and I Savoia by Denis Mack Smith
Compiled and Edited by Professor Albert Milani and Claudia Biorcio-Milani
We thank our friends at Regione Piemonte and Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte for this brief history of Piemonte.
Piemonte is the region in north-western Italy that borders with France – indeed, it is named after its geographical position “at the foot (piede) of the mountains (monti)”. Its ancient historical and cultural roots date back to Neolithic times. During the first millennium BC, Piemonte was occupied by Celtic and Ligurian tribes (the Taurini and Salassi); they were then subjugated by the Romans (220 BC) who founded colonies, including Augusta Taurinorum, now modern Turin, the regional capital.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, this strategically positioned region became a target for invasions, clashes and conquests (by the Goths and Burgundians in the 5th century, the Byzantines and Longobards in the 6th century, and the Franks in the 7th century). Yet it managed to preserve a degree of autonomy. During the 9th and 10th centuries, it was subject to new invasions, this time by the Hungarians and Saracens. Having been divided into counties and marches, the territory was partly unified in the 11th century by Olderico Manfredi who left Turin and Ivrea, two of the larger marches, to his son-in-law Oddone of Savoia. It took centuries for the unification process of Piemonte to be completed under the Savoia. It was hampered first by the formation of independent communes and strong marquisates, then by the intervention of powerful overlords from other regions in the 14th century, and lastly by Piemonte’s involvement in the power struggles between Europe’s largest ruling dynasties in the 16th century. Finally, in 1559 Emanuele Filiberto of Savoia and his successors were able to embark on the final stages of unification, which were not completed until 1748.
After the interlude of Napoleonic rule (1796-1814), Piemonte followed the destiny of the Savoy Kingdom of Sardinia and played a central role in the Italian Risorgimento and the unification of Italy in 1861. From then until 1865, Turin became the first national capital. Piemonte today is one of the 20 Italian regions that make up the Republic of Italy, founded by popular referendum in 1946.
Links for more information.
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http://www.piemonteitalia.eu/en/piemonte-in-breve.html
http://www.piemonteforyou.it/?q=taxonomy/term/21
http://www.piemonteitalia.eu/en/piemonte-in-breve.html