PIEDMONT, PIEMO'NTE, or PIE' 1)1 MO'NTE, which means a country at the foot of mountains, is the old name of a district of North Italy which forms part of the Sardinian States. It has the title of a principality, and the eldest son of the king of Sardinia is styled Prince of Piedmont The name of Piedmont however was also and Is still oeca.sionsily use I as a general denomination for that part of the continental tern toile* of the king of Sardinia which Is situated on the Italian Ado of the Alps, and between the Alps and the Ligurian Apennine'', as distinguished from the other great divisions of the monarchy, namely, the duchy of Savoy, the county of Nice, and the duchy of Genoa. Iu this larger scree Piedmont includes a fine and extensive tract of country 120 mile* long from north to south, from the Pennine Alps to the Ligurian Apennines. and between 90 and 100 miles in breadth. It forms a distinct geographical region, having natural boundaries and a peculiar physical character. It comprises the western or highest part of the basin of the Po, from the sources of that river to where it emerges from the hills of Montferrato and enters the great plain of Lombardy, including its numerous and large affluents, the Timer°, the Stun, the Bormidst the two Dorn, &c. It is a country of hills and valley's being occupied by numerous offsets of the Alps and of the Ligurian Apennines, except towards the ea.steru borders, where it
merges into the plain of Lombardy, on the side of Vercelli and Mortara.
During the middle ages this fine country was parcelled out into several feudal principalities and lordships', under 11. nominal allegiance to the Gentian emperors as kings of Italy, namely : 1, the principality of Piedmont proper ; 2, the duchy of Aosta ; 3, the duchy of Mon ferrate ; 4, the marquisate of Saluzzo ; 5, the county of Asti ; 0, the rnarquisate of Celli; 7, the lordship of Vercelli. In course of time the dukea of Savoy became possessed of all these districts!, either by conquest or inheritance, the houses of the former lords having become gradually extinct.
The country of Piedmont, generally speaking, is ono of the most fertile, healthy, and pleasant in Italy. It produces corn, rice, Indian corn, wine, fruits in abundance, timber-trees, excellent pasture for cattle, hemp, and silk. The system of irrigation has been long practised in Piedmont, nod it is carried to considerable perfection wherever the slope of the ground and tho vicinity of running water afford the opportunity.
The population of all Piedmont amounts to upwards of 3,000,000, being about two-thirds of that of the whole monarchy, the island of Sardinia included. [SARDINIAN STATES.]