Biella between urban history, art and mountain landscapes

Biella combines urban history, contemporary art, religious monuments and mountain landscapes. Culture, nature and outdoor activities thus stand alongside one another as different travel interests.

Art and history in Biella

The Museo del Territorio Biellese spans the period from prehistory to the 20th century and divides its exhibition into an archaeological section and a historical-artistic section. Cittadellarte is located in the former Lanificio Trombetta, a disused factory in Biella’s historic textile centre. Today, works by Michelangelo Pistoletto are displayed there. Every weekend, guided tours are offered at three times each on Saturdays and Sundays; for groups and school classes, tours can also be arranged from Tuesday to Friday by reservation. Cittadellarte is approximately two kilometres from Biella San Paolo railway station and is connected to Biella and the surrounding towns by frequent urban and regional bus services.

Piazzo, Biella’s higher-lying district, dates back to 1160, when fortification of the hill began. The Baptistery is a Lombard Romanesque building and was constructed in the second half of the 10th century on the remains of a Roman burial site. The foundation stone of the Chiesa di San Sebastiano was laid in 1500. The Gothic Chiesa di San Giacomo was built at the beginning of the 13th century and remodelled several times. The Funicolare del Piazzo is closed; a feasibility study is to be prepared for its reopening.

Oropa: sanctuary and mountain landscapes

The monumental complex of the Santuario di Oropa includes the cloister with the Old Basilica as well as the New Basilica. Guided tours can be organised for the sanctuary, the Museo dei Tesori, the Sacro Monte, the monumental cemetery and the Botanical Garden. Oropa is one of nine separate Sacri Monti complexes in the mountains of northern Italy. The Oropa basin is the starting point for peaks around the sanctuary, reaching approximately 2,000 metres.

Trails, nature and active days

Parco Burcina includes a rhododendron valley, woodland, meadows, a pond and views of the mountains and the plain. Bessa is crossed by a dense network of easy trails; some of them can also be used by mountain bike or on horseback. In Oasi Zegna, an innovative signage system gives visitors the opportunity to engage with nature.

The Cervo, Elvo and Oropa valleys offer hiking trails to the highest peaks of the Biellese, with views of the plain and the surrounding mountains. The Grande Traversata del Biellese is one of the trekking routes.

Museum landscape and local speciality

The Rete Museale Biellese has so far included 47 different museums and other museum facilities in 32 municipalities. In the Biellese area, it brings together ecomuseums, museums, castles, palaces, natural areas and other places of interest. The Ricetto di Candelo has an approximately 13,000 m² pseudo-polygonal layout and is surrounded by defensive walls. Canestrelli di Biella are crispy rectangular wafers with a single layer of chocolate.

Other places

Other places: Donato, Viverone, Vivaro, Biella, Camandona, Graziano-Ruta, Campiglia Cervo, Lessona, Bioglio, Bellaria, Romagnano, Cavaglià, Villa Del Bosco, Graglia, Muzzano, Sordevolo, Torrazzo, Sandigliano, Magnano, Pollone, Netro, Torazza, Candelo, Solesio, Caprile, Roppolo, Portula, Cerrione, Sala Biellese, Salussola, Cossato, Andorno Cacciorna, Sostegno, Zimone, Bielmonte, Tollegno, Masserano, Vigliano Biellese, Mongrando, Crevacuore, Castellengo, Simone.

To the higher-level travel overview: Piedmont.