Piedmont (Piemonte) is commonly referred to as the cradle of Italian independence. Piedmont’s capital, the city of Turin (Torino), was the first capital of the unified Italy as we now know it. Piedmont has centuries-old history, filled with stories of royalty, tradition and pride. Turin, its capital, serves as the Detroit of Italy; manufacturing more automobiles than any other region in the country. It has many cities and even more villages. Natives to the region speak a variety of dialects of which Piedmontese, Occitan, and Franco-Provençal are the most common. Piedmont has a population of about 4.4 million people, living in an area of 25,399 square kilometers. Piedmont is the largest region of mainland Italy.