Olivetti the Italian Silicon Valley

If we were to ask you what Martini, Lavazza and FIAT have in common, what would you answer? And if we asked you how they are connected to Bialetti, Alessi, Zegna and Ferrero - think nutella and Ferrero Rocher?

Easy: Turin capital of Piedmont! 

Now imagine a company vision where the wellbeing of the workers directly translates into the highest productivity and revenues for the company itself, and you have the framework of most of our Piedmont companies and brands. 

The most famous and renowned Italian brands and symbols in the world originated by small family owned companies here in Piedmont. Martini in the late 1700s, FIAT in the late 1800s, Lavazza, Bialetti, Alessi and Ferrero in the early to mid 1900s. And their products are the results of the creativity of the company founders and their descendants.

Mardi Gras season

In Turin though every season is a great season to visit and currently, we are in full Mardi Gras season aka il carnevale 😆

The Italian Holidays officially end on January 6th and that's exactly when in Piedmont we announce the beginning of the Carnival weeks. This is a traditional Roman Catholic celebration that officially ends on Mardi Gras or Martedì Grasso as the local say.

Coffee shop and pasticceria Tamborini, Via Garibaldi 31

Ivrea's cookies

Eporediesi

For all lovers of chocolate and hazelnuts out there, here's one more recipe from Piedmont. Eporediesi are the traditional cookies from Ivrea, a small town just 40min driving from Turin, famous for its carnival, tomini cheese and fairy tale wine: Erbaluce di Caluso - the only Italian DOCG wine in all 4 of its variants!

Piedmont canestrelli

Cookie lovers, Piedmont offers an endless list of delicious cookies and many share the same name like canestrelli!

In fact, according to where you'll visit, you can find waffle like cookies, thin wafers or wafer sandwiches, could it get anymore scrumptious?

Piedmont canestrelli from Val di Susa (the waffle-like ones) and from the Canavese district (the large holy wafers)

#FF #FunFebruary in Piedmont

Piedmont is a wonderful place to be 12 months a year and February offers many things to do in Turin too, also if you travel on a budget!

The weather changes every year, sometimes it may be colder and snowy, others milder, but no matter the temperatures, there are always many things to do, see, specialties to try and wines to sip.

Visiting Ivrea

Ivrea, the Piedmont Carnival capital

Coming over to Piedmont in February can be a great excuse to take part in the battle of the oranges in Ivrea, visiting the town and trying the local foods and wine.

The Battle of the Oranges in Ivrea is the largest foodfight in Italy. Photo courtesy of Valerio Minato 

Ivrea: THE Carnival in Piedmont

The battle of the oranges is the climax of the Carnival celebration in Ivrea, a small town in the Piedmont region, up in the Northwest part of Italy, at about 40 minute driving from Turin. This is also the area where Erbaluce di Caluso - the fairies wine is made. 

In 2014 the battle took place on March 2nd and it attracted up to 50,000 visitors worldwide.