The Piedmont or the Foothills to the Alps

[Stephen Torelli]

Not much is spoken of the Piedmont, but when you visit, you will notice the medieval design, vineyards, and beautiful women. Slightly different than most Italian women... they plant themselves in your mind and never go away. When they are not around they are still there, beautiful, dominating, light complexion, and big feet.

Yes, big feet, yet the women are so alluring you will never notice until that first and maybe second wave of excitement goes away. You know, when the "thrill is gone," just like BB king said. But anyway, large feet are a fact of life in the Piedmont, you need them to navigate the terrain.

[Stephen Torelli]

The Piedmond is a grape growing region that primarily uses motorized crushing machines to produce wine. Although some old school winemakers still employ the use of feet stomping. My account is an observation of the wonderful people I have encountered, an interesting region with lots of roman ruins, Medieval, Renaissance and modern design. Thanks for the interest.

[Mike Handley]

Do the men have large feet. too?

[Simon Halliday]

Here's a theory: 

most of the invasion routes into Italy from the West (or for the Romans, Roman Italy in Gaul) have been smack through the heart of Piedmont. It's one of the reasons why Piemontese cooking has so many influences - all those centuries of foreign armies trudging through its countryside.

Back to feet: until recent times infantry had to carry their own gear. A modern infanteer can be loaded with over a hundred pounds in weight. A Roman soldier campaigning into Gaul probably carried much more.

Perhaps in the days before modern combat boots, 'large feet' was a physical trait that benefited a soldier. He would be able to carry a larger load with less foot-injury, therefore have a pro-survival trait, which would therefore influence his personal survival over a campaign of perhaps several years.

Soldiers tend to drop trouser and leave their genes behind in the lands they campaign through. Hence, the large feet  trait gets passed on, through the maids of Piedmont, and the people of Piedmont have large feet today. One wonders if there is a known genotype for the trait? Any geneticists here?

[Toby Tucker Hecht]

Survival of the biggest??  Anyway, what's wrong with big feet?

[Joey Delgado]

Is that true? Women born and bred in Piedmont have large feet for the terrain? I wonder if they're comparable to the men's. Cool and informative six. 

[Gita]

Is this a grape-growing region? Do people still walk on grapes in large vats? I can see a beautiful woman with slender, purple-stained ankles and long elegant feet. She has her skirts raised as she steps in time to an old rhythm.

[Angela]

What an unusual characteristic for a group to share.  I like that there is a practical purpose.  Guess it's natural selection?

[Sandra Davies]

When I was eleven I was forced to try to learn a poem which began 'He clasped the crag with crooked hands' and whose title included 'Piedmont' - but that's ALL I remember now.