Salussola: Medieval Traces, Gold and Trails in the Biellese

Salussola combines a distinctive landscape with traces that reach far back into history. The Elvo River crosses the municipality from northwest to southeast and divides its territory into two parts. On the right bank of the Elvo, Salussola gradually climbs the hill at the end of the Serra and extends into dense forests and secluded intermorainic valleys. The Elvo provides a clear spatial reference point for orientation in Salussola between the two parts of the municipality.

Historic Townscape and Religious Buildings

The village of Salussola is entered through a well-preserved medieval town gate. The square tower of the old castle is a 20th-century reconstruction in the form of the original keep. Alongside the panoramic views from Salussola stands the parish church of Santa Maria Assunta; it dates from the 12th to the 15th century. Salussola offers exceptional panoramic views over the Biellese. The Oratorio di San Nicola da Tolentino in Salussola dates from the 16th century.

In the hamlet of San Secondo, historians regard the Pieve di San Secondo dei Vittimuli as the mother church and the oldest of all the churches in the lower Biellese; it dates from the 4th century. Today, only the ruins of the original building’s enclosing walls remain. Over the centuries, the San Secondo valley in Salussola has yielded numerous archaeological finds from Roman and medieval times.

Gold, Museum and Historic Trails

The Museum Laboratory of Gold and Stone is an institution of the Biellese Ecomuseum. In its Sala dell’Oro, the museum offers a historical tour through the world of gold: its formation, history, distribution, diverse uses and processing methods. With the support of specialists, the goldworking laboratory teaches important goldsmithing techniques, including chasing and repoussé.

There are five restored hiking trails in the Valle dell'Oro. In the museum’s Sala Sentieri, visitors can find a folder containing five trail sheets and a map. The map supplements the trail sheets with a spatial overview of the five routes in the Valle dell'Oro. The Sentiero delle Processioni Campestri can be traced back to a mention dating from 1695; the document is kept in the parish archives of Salussola. The ancient settlement of Victimulae (also Victumulae) was connected with the nearby open-pit gold mines of Bessa.

When choosing accommodation in Salussola, you can therefore first decide what you would like to focus on: historic townscapes and churches, goldworking at the museum, or the trails and wooded valleys of the landscape. This keeps the choice of location focused on specific experiences without presupposing a particular type of accommodation.

More Destinations in the Biellese

For further travel planning, you can also include Vigliano Biellese, Villa Del Bosco, Netro, Donato, Mongrando, Cavaglià, Zimone and Graziano-Ruta.

For the overarching travel overview: Biella.