A trip to Biella province

The splendour of the peonies in bloom at the botanical garden of Oropa at the beginning of May marks the flowing of time.

Silver firs, rhododendrons and hydrangea add colour to the Oasi Zegna, ideal for long mountain bike rides and mushroom searching from mid-August to the end of September.

The attraction of the Biella area includes nature tours in parks, valleys and chestnut groves and historical-artistic destinations.

Well worth a visit is the so-called “Wool Road” leading from Biella to Borgosesia.
The history of the Italian textile industry is told along these fifty kilometres, the history of a land that was once full of wool factories where working hands wove legends that have endured time. The Sella family, wealthy wool merchants and industry pioneers, were the leaders of the textile boom at the beginning of the 1800’s and were the first to build industrial wool working factories in the middle of the 19th century.

Many of these factories have been lost in time but some can be refurbished by the local community’s renewed interest in industrial archaeology. One example is the former Trombette wool factory, which is today the home to the Cittadellarte – Fondazione Pistoletto, a Contemporary Art learning centre where conventions, exhibitions, shows and concerts take place.
This is proof that industrialization does not always automatically spell degrade, but rather combines progress and the landscape, keeping historic values and beauty intact.