Santhià between Pilgrimage Routes, Rice Fields and Piedmontese Culture

Santhià combines a significant section of the Via Francigena with quiet paths, rice fields and an unusually diverse cultural history. This makes the town ideal for travellers who want not only to observe the Italian landscape, but also to understand its historical, religious and everyday connections. Museums, churches, historic buildings and regional cuisine offer a variety of ways to shape your stay.

Experience Pilgrimage Routes and the Landscape Consciously

Santhià is the 44th stage of the route from Rome to Canterbury travelled by Bishop Sigerich in 990, which later became the main branch of the Via Francigena. The section from Santhià to Vercelli runs mostly along white or unpaved roads. The rice fields begin about three kilometres from Santhià's centre. This gives you a landscape in which the historic route and the agriculturally shaped surroundings lie closely side by side.

The Cammino di Oropa also begins in the agricultural plain near Santhià and leads to the Biellese Alps. Conceived in 2012, the route is divided into four daily stages of 16 to 18 kilometres each, with increasing difficulty. Together with the Via Francigena section, this connection particularly appeals to travellers who want to organise their stay around distinctive routes, changing landscapes and a gradual physical challenge. The different stage lengths help you compare planned tours by length and level of difficulty.

Buildings, Museums and Local History

One of Santhià's characteristic buildings is the Church of the SS.ma Trinità, dating from the 15th century. It is considered one of the town's most characteristic and highly regarded buildings. The “I fer ‘d na vira” Museum offers a different approach to the past. It contains around 800 historic tools from numerous occupations and also has a working mechanical clock from the 18th century.

The “Eugenio Sacchetti Senior” Museo Musicale Musicologico contains more than 1,300 catalogued objects. These include musical instruments, books, CDs and LPs. Anyone interested in sound, craftsmanship and traces of working life will find a range of cultural themes here in one place, without reducing Santhià's history to a single monument.

In the rice-field landscape of Vettignè lies a castle-and-village complex, with the Alpine range visible behind it. The oldest parts of the castle date from the 15th century. Its architectural history also includes the Casa Turrita, known as the “Torre di Teodolinda”. It stands in a private courtyard and was created by converting a watchtower dating from the Lombard period. However, the features of the present-day building indicate that it was constructed after the 15th century. The experimental hydrometric station in Santhià was built to measure the flow rates of various canals, adding a technical aspect to this local perspective.

Carnival and Regional Everyday Culture

Santhià's historic Carnival has been documented since the first half of the 14th century. It includes three major parades with allegorical floats, masked groups and marching bands. Another distinctive aspect of local culture is the Colossale Fagiuolata, for which around 150 large copper cauldrons are used and more than 20,000 portions are distributed to the local population. These two traditions show how closely public celebration, music and communal dining stand alongside one another as cultural forms of expression in Santhià.

Getting There and Further Travel Ideas

Santhià can be reached by train via the Turin–Milan route, by FlixBus or by car. When planning your trip, you can therefore combine historic sightseeing, a section of the Via Francigena or the Cammino di Oropa with a journey using the means of transport that best suits your personal itinerary. More places for your travel planning: Fobello, Albano Vercellese, Trino, Ferrera, Rima, Riva Valdobbia, Bianzè and Borgosesia.

For the broader travel overview: Vercelli.