Photo Alessandro Vecchi, CC BY-SA 3.0
Biella · Piedmont
Things to see in Biella
In Biella the atlas lists 23 historic places: 13 historic villas and palaces, 6 museums, 3 fortresses and towers and 1 historic theatre.
Of these, 3 list opening hours and 1 has free entry.
Don’t miss: Museo del Territorio biellese, museum in Italy.
- 23historic places
- 42,619inhabitants
- 420 maltitude
The town
Biella is the largest town (population of over 44,000 in 2017) and capital of the province of Biella in Piedmont, in northern Italy.
It lies in the foothills of the Alps, in the Bo mountain range near Mt. Mucrone and Camino, an area rich in springs and lakes fed by the glaciers, the heart of the Biellese Alps irrigated by several mountain streams: the Elvo to the west of the town, the Oropa river and the Cervo to the east. Nearby natural and notable tourist attractions include the Zegna Viewpoint, the Bielmonte Ski Resort, Burcina Natural Reserve, and the moors to the south of town. The Sanctuary of Oropa is a site of religious pilgrimages, and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Biella is an important wool processing and textile centre.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
23 places
Villas and palaces 13
Museums 6
Fortresses and towers 3
Historic theatres 1
Getting there
Biella is about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Turin and the same distance west of Milan.
By plane: The nearest airports are
Milan Malpensa 60–70 minutes drive via SS roads or highway (directions)
Milan Linate 70-80 drive via highway (directions)
Turin's Caselle about 60–70 minutes drive via highway (directions)
There is also a little airport at Verrone, in Biella province.
By car: SS n. 135 Vercellese
A4 highway Torino - Milano (Santhià or Carisio exits)
A5 highway Torino - Aosta (Viverone or Ivrea exits)
A26 highway Genova - Gravellona Toce (Romagnano Sesia exit)
By train: Biella town is connected with the stations of Santhià and Novara on the Torino - Milano line.
Trains are run by Trenitalia, with one train every hour. The trip takes about 1 hr 30 min.
Biella has two railway stations. The main one, Biella San Paolo railway station is the junction of the Biella–Novara and Santhià–Biella railways. A second railway station, Biella Chiavazza, is in the district of Chiavazza, a short distance along the line towards Novara.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage
What to see, according to Wikivoyage
Biella has a great and important heritage in architectural, artistic and archaeological fields. From the findings of the Roman era preserved in the Museo del Territorio (Museum of the Biellese Territory), to the Romanesque architecture, to the splendid Baptistery and by the bell tower St. Stephan, Biella offers many interesting historical sites.
The medieval village of Piazzo, built at the top of a hill, differs from the rest of the city because of its very old buildings, arcades and paved streets. You can still view the ancient doors once used to close the village off.
Piazzo is host to a small but beautifully restored synagogue, at the top of a medieval house in the historic Jewish quarter. In rare occasions, it is open to visit to the public.
Below Piazzo lies the rest of Biella. Here one can explore some good examples of Renaissance architecture: the Basilica and the cloister of St. Sebastian (the latter is a magnificent example of the Renaissance architecture, richly frescoed inside) the Baroque church of the Holy Trinity (facing the busy pedestrian street) and not very far from the Baptistery.
Text from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA, abridged · Wikivoyage · Underlined names link to our own pages.