Vercelli is one of the Piedmontese cities richest in art, culture, and traditions to discover.
Its historic center, with the beautiful Piazza Cavour, is the perfect place for a stroll among medieval towers and noble palaces, while enjoying typical dishes of the local culinary tradition.
Walking through the streets of the center, visitors encounter majestic churches, extraordinary museums, and charming historic alleys. Among the must-see landmarks are the Abbey of Sant’Andrea, a masterpiece of Gothic-Romanesque architecture, the Church of San Cristoforo with its frescoes by Gaudenzio Ferrari, and the imposing Cathedral with the adjacent Treasury Museum.
Other true gems include the Francesco Borgogna House Museum, the historic Leone Museum, and the Archaeological Museum.

The Capital of Rice

Vercelli is also the land of rice! Fields are flooded between March and April, before being sown. The water, kept in the fields until the early stages of ripening, gives them the classic appearance of a “checkered sea,” as described in the famous words of Sebastiano Vassalli.
It is impossible, therefore, to visit Vercelli without tasting its most traditional dish, panissa, a delicious specialty made with rice and beans.

Vercelli is also the ideal starting point for exploring the rice fields by bike along the Risaie Ciclabili (Rice Paddies Cycle Paths). Walking enthusiasts, instead, can follow a stretch of the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route that has crossed the city since the Middle Ages—an alternative way to discover the richness of this territory.

For more information about the city of Vercelli, visit the official website.