Biella

The city of Biella, with its identity as a wool textile province that has made the history of Italian manufacturing, was awarded in 2019 with the valuable recognition of UNESCO Creative City in the 'Crafts and Folk Art' sector for the tradition, creativity, craftsmanship, and sustainability of Biella's 'savoir-faire' in textiles. In 2021 it was also officially designated the "Alpine Town of the Year", by an international jury, joining the important cross-border network whose aims are the implementation of the Alpine Convention and sustainable development.

Biella is distinguished by its distribution on three levels, which tell
different moments and aspects of its history.

Biella Piano, first, dates back to Roman times and today preserves
important monuments from different periods set in an elegant context
that is the result of 19th-century urban development. Among the most
important places of interest in this area, to be mentioned are the
Cathedral. The bell tower of St. Stephen, dating back to the 11th century, and the Baptistery of St. John the Baptist: a fine example of Romanesque architecture, built of pebbles and bricks on a quadrilateral plan, it preserves traces of two decorative fresco campaigns attributable to the Master of Oropa.

Very interesting is the Museum of the Biellese Territory with the complex
of San Sebastiano in the Lombard Bramante style - also located in the City Plan - and commissioned by Sebastiano Ferrero, a key figure of the Biellese Renaissance. In addition to the cloister and the basilica, rich in frescoes and works of art, inside the museum site, visitors will be able to deepen their knowledge of the Biellese territory through a journey through time that interweaves the testimonies guarded by the archaeological section with those of the historical-artistic section.

Perched on the hill to the west of the city and reached by a scenic funicular railway, Biella Piazzo (the city's second level), on the other hand, retains the characteristics of the medieval village, with gateways and cobbled streets winding between stately palaces. Founded in 1160 by the Bishop of Vercelli Uguccione, the Piazzo was quickly populated, becoming the center of commerce and the cultural and administrative evolution of the city. Over the following centuries, the Piazzo flourished with the residences of the great noble dynasties of Biella, including Palazzo Ferrero, Palazzo Gromo Losa, and Palazzo La Marmora, which today constitute the "Cultural Pole of Biella Piazzo" hosting events, festivals, and exhibitions. The central Piazza Cisterna, the heart of the village, is lively and busy especially in summer thanks to the characteristic restaurants and clubs housed under the arcades.

Finally the city’s third tier along the Cervo stream preserves one of the most important industrial heritage in Europe, the former textile mills, now transformed into cultural centers featuring contemporary art, including Cittadellarte Fondazione Pistoletto, a creative hub, art residence and home to the largest exhibition of Michelangelo Pistoletto's works, M.A.C.I.S.T. Museum of Contemporary Art and Woolbridge, an art gallery built in the spaces of the former Pria Wool Mill.

Text: ATL Terre dell’Alto Piemonte Biella Novara Valsesia Vercelli s.c.ar.l.