The city of Biella, recently awarded the titles of UNESCO Creative City and Alpine City of the Year 2021, offers numerous archaeological, artistic, and architectural treasures.
In the Biella Piano area, visitors can find the Church and Cloister of San Sebastiano and the Baroque Church of the Holy Trinity, located along Via Italia, the pedestrian street. In the nearby Piazza del Duomo, the Baptistery and the Bell Tower of Santo Stefano stand out as some of the finest examples of Romanesque architecture in the Biella area.
In the city’s historic district – the Piazzo – the most important historical buildings include Palazzo La Marmora, Palazzo Ferrero, and Palazzo Gromo Losa.
Along the Cervo stream, art lovers will be drawn to Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, a project that merges the city’s celebrated historic heritage with the most innovative trends in contemporary art.
Outside Biella, reminders of medieval times include the village of Masserano, once a Papal fief, and the renowned Ricetto di Candelo, a fortified settlement built by the locals in the 14th century, still perfectly preserved today.
Also worth visiting are the mysterious village of Rosazza in Valle Cervo and the famous Sanctuary of Oropa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2003. Other major Alpine sanctuaries not to be missed include Graglia, San Giovanni d’Andorno, and the Sanctuary of Brughiera.
Nature enthusiasts will find in the Biellese area natural reserves of great charm. A recommended itinerary leads visitors to discover the Burcina Park and the Oasi Zegna, true havens of unspoiled nature. We also suggest exploring the evocative Roman-era gold mine of the Special Nature Reserve of the Bessa, as well as the Baraggia, with its unique colors and boundless horizons.<br data-start="1871" data-end="1874"
/>Finally, along the “Strada della Lana” (Wool Road) connecting Biella to Borgosesia, stands the Fabbrica della Ruota, a key site of industrial heritage.
Lake Viverone is the third largest in Piedmont.
Well equipped for tourism thanks to campsites, holiday villages, hotels, and bathing facilities in the town of Viverone, its peaceful southern and western shores are instead ideal for birdwatching.
A crossroads of historic and devotional routes such as the Via Francigena, the Way of St. Charles, and the Way of Oropa, Lake Viverone is also home to an underwater prehistoric settlement, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2011.
It is part of the system of “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps” and consists of the lower remains of over 5,000 posts that once supported the structures of a large circular village with a diameter of about 70 meters.
The surrounding environment—an area of marshes, meadows, and poplar groves—is protected by specific Italian and European environmental regulations, while the village itself is an excellent example of Bronze Age settlement.
