Biella

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. In 2003, the Sanctuary of Oropa Sacred Mountain of Oropa became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. An important wool processing and textile centre. There is a small airport in the nearby comune of Cerrione.

• Name — Biella • Official Name — Comune di Biella • Native Name — Biela • Region — Piedmont • Province — Biella • Frazioni — Barazzetto, Chiavazza, Colma, Cossila, Favaro, Lago del Mucrone, Oropa, Pavignano, Vaglio, Vandorno • Mayor — Marzio Olivero • Area Total Km2 — 46.69 • Population Total — 43,356 • Population As Of — 2026 • Population Demonym — Biellese(i) • Elevation M — 420 • Istat — 096004 • Saint — St. Stephen • Day — December 1 al January 30 • Postal Code — 13900 • Area Code — 015

The first inhabitants of the area were Ligurians and Celts. This has been ascertained from archaeological finds: they lived near streams and lakes, at first as fishermen and hunters, and later, herders. A Ligurian people, the Victimuli, fanned out in the plain of Biella (the Bessa) and exploited gold veins near the Elvo, an activity which continued through the early Middle Ages, and even today panning for gold continues as a local hobby. Tools and necklaces dating from the Bronze Age—or, according to some, Iron Age— attesting to Biella's antiquity, were found in the Burcina Reserve.

• Illustration — The interior of the cathedral in Biella is a masterpiece of trompe-l'œil The city's name appears for the first time as Bugella in a document of 826AD, recording the donation of Bugella to Count Busone by Louis the Pious, son of Charlemagne), Holy Roman Emperor; a further document of 882AD records some land transactions of Charles the Fat in favour of the church of Vercelli. In the 10th century the town was inhabited by Alemanni, Lombards and Franks, who built the first walls as a defence against barbarian invasions. Extant remains from this period include the Lombard Romanesque Baptistry and the adjacent church of S. Stefano, around which the town grew: it is today's cathedral, although the original 5th-century building was demolished in 1872. On April 12, 1160, Uguccione, bishop of Vercelli, granted important trade privileges to anyone residing on Piazzo hill (elevated section of the city) as an incentive to the establishment of a place of refuge against the warfare between the Guelphs and Ghibellines of Vercelli: this was the birth of the Borgo del Piazzo, site of the handsome public square, the Piazza Cisterna, and a Palace fronting it, the doors of which have stone capitals and terracotta ornaments. Bishop Uguccione's castle was destroyed in a revolt in 1377 that led to the subjection of Biella, along with its dependent comuni, to the yoke of the House of Savoy.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Visconti family competed with Savoy for the possession of the Biella region. The 17th century saw a similar competition between French and Spanish forces, and Biella was actually occupied in 1704; in 1706 Pietro Micca, a Biellese soldier, saved nearby Turin from a siege that would have meant the invasion of Biella by the French as well—but paid for it with his own life. In 1798 Biella was once again occupied by the French, and after the Battle of Marengo, Biella was formally annexed by France. The Congress of Vienna returned it to Savoy. In 1859 Biella was besieged by the Austrians but Garibaldi forced an end to the siege, and the town became part of the province of Novara, losing its status as regional capital that it had received in the 17th century from Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy; it was transferred to the province of Vercelli in 1927. In World War II Biella was the scene of armed resistance. • Illustration — Sacred Mount of Oropa In 1992, the new province of Biella was formed, separating the territory from the north-western sector of the province of Vercelli.

In 1245 the statutes of Biella were already referring to the wool workers' and weavers' guilds: hardly surprising given the region's high mountain pastures and copious water supply needed for washing fleece and powering mills. In the 17th and 18th centuries, as elsewhere in Italy, silk was an important industry, and a silk factory was built in the town in 1695. In 1835, however, the town's textile history came round full circle when the same building was put to use as a wool factory with the introduction of mechanical looms, putting Biella at the forefront of modern improvements in the industry. Around 1999/2000, a progressively worse economic crisis in the wool sector forced many local wool mills to close since they could not compete with the prices of imported fabrics and clothing.

According to the Köppen climate classification, Biella features a humid subtropical climate (Cfa).

As of 2026, the population is 43,356, of which 47.9% are male, and 52.1% are female. Minors make up 12.3% of the population, and seniors make up 29.6%.

As of 2025, of the known countries of birth of 42,402 residents, the most numerous are: Italy (36,587 – 86.3%), Morocco (1,316 – 3.1%), Romania (679 – 1.6%), Philippines (400 – 0.9%), Albania (248 – 0.6%), Brazil (241 – 0.6%). Foreign population by country of birth (2025) • Country of birth — Population • Morocco — 1,316 • Romania — 679 • Philippines — 400 • Ukraine — 267 • Albania — 248 • Brazil — 241 • Pakistan — 215 • Nigeria — 213 • Argentina — 188 • China — 178 • Peru — 143 • Dominican Republic — 120 • France — 119 • Russia — 103 • Tunisia — 99

Biella is the home of Citta dell'arte (City of the Arts) - Fondazione Pistoletto. In 1994, Italian artist Michelangelo Pistoletto began Progetto Arte, whose aim was to unify the artistic, creative, and social-economic aspects (e.g. fashion, theatre, design, etc.). In 1996, he founded City of Arts/Citta dell'arte – Fondazione Pistoletto in a formally unused textile factory near Biella, as a centre supporting and researching creative resources, producing innovative ideas and possibilities. The Citta dell'arte is divided into different Uffici/Offices (work, education, communications, art, nutrition, politics, spirituality, and economics).

• Biella Cathedral • Biella Baptistery in romanesque style (10th-11th century), annexed to the cathedral, housing 13th-century frescoes • Giardino Botanico di Oropa, a botanical garden • Sacro Monte and sanctuary of Oropa • Biella Synagogue • Renaissance church of San Sebastiano (1504) • Oasi Zegna, a natural preserve

• Cerruti 1881 (wear) • Ermenegildo Zegna (wear) • Vitale Barberis Canonico (wear) • Fila (sportswear) • Drago Lanificio in Biella (luxury fabrics) • Banca Sella (bank) • Menabrea (beer)

Biella San Paolo Railway Station, shared by the Biella–Novara (opened in 1939) and Biella–Santhià railway lines (opened in 1856), is served by interregional and long-distance trains operated by Trenitalia under the service contract stipulated with the Piedmont Region. In the past, there was also the Biella Chiavazza station, located on the Biella–Novara line and later closed to service, as well as the old Biella station in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, the former terminus of the railway to Santhià, which was demolished in 1958. The Biella funicular connects a lower station on Via Curiel, in the city's Biella Piano quarter, with an upper station on Via Avogadro in the city's medieval Biella Piazzo quarter. Currently suspended indefinitely since September 2025 due to frequent breakdowns, technical issues, and failed inspections, it has been replaced by services operated by line buses. Biella-Cerrione Airport in Cerrione serves Biella but does not operate any commercial flights to and from the airport. The nearest passengers are Turin Airport, Milan's Malpensa Airport, Linate Airport and Bergamo Airport.

Biella is twinned with: • Kiryū, Japan • Arequipa, Peru • Tourcoing, France • Weihai, China

• Leone Azzali (1880-1963), politician who represented the Italian Republican Party in the Constituent Assembly of Italy in 1948. • Virginia Angiola Borrino (1880–1965), physician who was the first woman to serve as head of a University Pediatric Ward in Italy • Claudio Botosso (born 1958), actor • Giovanni Bracco (1908–1968), racing driver • Antonio Brivio (1905–1995), bobsledder and racing driver • Tavo Burat (1932–2009), teacher and journalist • Nino Cerruti (1930–2022), stylist, designer, and businessman • Mario Gariazzo (1930–2002), Italian screenwriter • Alberto Gilardino (born 1982), Italian FIFA World Cup Winner • Piero Liatti (born 1962), rally driver • Pier Giorgio Morandi (born 1958), Italian oboist and conductor • Ugo Nespolo, Italian painter and sculptor • Gabriele Piana (born 1986), racing driver • Michelangelo Pistoletto (born 1933), artist • Elvina Ramella (1927–2007), operatic soprano