Italy Part III: Northern Italy

Northern Italy is considered the financial and economic hub of the country, generally more industrialized than the agrarian south, with historic centers of wealth and influence, such as Milan and Venice. After the unification of most of the peninsula in 1861, Rome was designated as the capital, but Italy’s first leaders came from the north: King Vittorio Emanuele II was from Turin, and Italy’s first prime minister, Count Camillo Benso, from Barolo.

Northern Italy borders France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia, and the area has a history of trade and cultural exchange with various European kingdoms and d duchies. The rich cuisine tends toward heavier meats, butter, and cream, reflecting northern Italy’s history of wealth and French and Germanic influences—in contrast to the olive oil, pasta, and red sauce of the south.

Some parts of northern Italy did not become annexed to the country until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire following World War I, and the regions across the north remain culturally and linguistically diverse. German, French, and local dialects are as likely as Italian to be heard on the streets and seen on signs. Three of Italy’s five autonomous regions—granted a greater degree of local governance by the Italian Constitution to help preserve regional and cultural identity—are in the north: Aosta Valley, Trentino-Alto Adige, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

Northern Italy’s diversity extends to its land and climate. The topography ranges from the high elevations of the Alps and Dolomites to the flat plains of the Po River valley, and from the rivers and glacial freshwater lakes to the coastline of the Ligurian and Adriatic Seas. Dramatic differences in elevation, temperature, and soil types lead to an exciting range of grape varieties and wine