Biella
Encyclopedia
Biella is a town and comune
in the northern Italian
region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name
, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin
and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan
.
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, the heart of the Biellese Alps
irrigated by several mountain torrents: the Elvo
to the west of the town, the Oropa and the Cervo
to the east. Nearby natural and notable tourist attractions include the outlook at Zegna with the ski resort of Bielmonte; Burcina Natural Reserve; and the moors to the south of town. The Sanctuary of Oropa
is a site of religious pilgrimages. In 2003, the Sacred Mountain of Oropa
was inserted by UNESCO
in the World Heritage List.
Biella is an important wool processing and textile centre. There is a small airport in the nearby comune of Cerrione
.
and Celt
s. 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.
In the late 1950s, Bronze Age
— or, according to some, Iron Age
— tools and necklaces, attesting to Biella's antiquity, were found in the Burcina Reserve.
, son of Charlemagne
), Holy Roman Emperor
; a further document of 882 records some land transactions of Charles the Fat
in favor 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 defense 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, as an incentive to the estt 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 on 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
.
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 Austria
ns 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.
In 1992, the new province of Biella
was formed, separating the territory from the north-western sector of the province of Vercelli.
in the sector forced many local wool mills to close, since they cannot compete with the extremely low prices of fabric and clothing from China
.
, opened in 1856, 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
.
, Japan
Arequipa
, Peru
Tourcoing
, France
Weihai
, People's Republic of China
Cagliari
, Italy
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
in the northern Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
region of Piemonte, the capital of the province of the same name
Province of Biella
The Province of Biella is a province of Italy located in Piedmont. It was created in 1992 and its capital is the city of Biella.It has an area of 913 km², and a total population of 187,249...
, with some 45,800 inhabitants as of 2009. It is located about 80 km northeast of Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
and about 80 km west-northwest of Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
It lies in the foothills of the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, in the Bo mountain range near Mt. Mucrone and Camino, an area rich in springs and lakes, the heart of the Biellese Alps
Biellese Prealps
The Biellese Prealps, or prealpi biellesi form an area of the Italian prealps situated to the south of the Pennine Alps. Sometimes they are regarded as a distinct Alpine group, at others as a subgroup of the Pennine Alps....
irrigated by several mountain torrents: the Elvo
Elvo
The Elvo is a 53 km torrent in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy and is the principal tributary of the Cervo...
to the west of the town, the Oropa and the Cervo
Cervo (torrent)
The Cervo is a 65 km torrent in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy...
to the east. Nearby natural and notable tourist attractions include the outlook at Zegna with the ski resort of Bielmonte; Burcina Natural Reserve; and the moors to the south of town. The Sanctuary of Oropa
Sacro Monte di Oropa
The Sacro Monte di Oropa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Biella, Piedmont, northern Italy...
is a site of religious pilgrimages. In 2003, the Sacred Mountain of Oropa
Sacro Monte di Oropa
The Sacro Monte di Oropa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Biella, Piedmont, northern Italy...
was inserted by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in the World Heritage List.
Biella is an important wool processing and textile centre. There is a small airport in the nearby comune of Cerrione
Cerrione
Cerrione is a comune in the Province of Biella in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 50 km northeast of Turin and about 11 km south of Biella...
.
Origins
The first inhabitants of the area were LiguriansLigures
The Ligures were an ancient people who gave their name to Liguria, a region of north-western Italy.-Classical sources:...
and Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
s. 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.
In the late 1950s, Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
— or, according to some, Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
— tools and necklaces, attesting to Biella's antiquity, were found in the Burcina Reserve.
Middle Ages
The city's name appears for the first time as Bugella in a document of 826 recording to the donation of Bugella to Count Busone by Louis the PiousLouis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
, son of Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
), Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
; a further document of 882 records some land transactions of Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat
Charles the Fat was the King of Alemannia from 876, King of Italy from 879, western Emperor from 881, King of East Francia from 882, and King of West Francia from 884. In 887, he was deposed in East Francia, Lotharingia, and possibly Italy, where the records are not clear...
in favor of the church of Vercelli
Vercelli
Vercelli is a city and comune of about 47,000 inhabitants in the Province of Vercelli, Piedmont, northern Italy. One of the oldest urban sites in northern Italy, it was founded, according to most historians, around the year 600 BC.The city is situated on the river Sesia in the plain of the river...
.
In the 10th century the town was inhabited by Alemanni, Lombards
Lombards
The Lombards , also referred to as Longobards, were a Germanic tribe of Scandinavian origin, who from 568 to 774 ruled a Kingdom in Italy...
and Franks
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
, who built the first walls as a defense 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, as an incentive to the estt 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 on 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
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
, to the yoke of the house of Savoy
House of Savoy
The House of Savoy was formed in the early 11th century in the historical Savoy region. Through gradual expansion, it grew from ruling a small county in that region to eventually rule the Kingdom of Italy from 1861 until the end of World War II, king of Croatia and King of Armenia...
.
Modern times
In the 14th and 15th centuries the ViscontiHouse of Visconti
Visconti is the family name of two important Italian noble dynasties of the Middle Ages. There are two distinct Visconti families: The first one in the Republic of Pisa in the mid twelfth century who achieved prominence first in Pisa, then in Sardinia where they became rulers of Gallura...
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
Pietro Micca
Pietro Micca was a Savoyard soldier who became a national hero for his sacrifice in the defence of Turin against the French troops.-Early Life:...
, a Biellese soldier, saved nearby Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
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
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
returned it to Savoy.
In 1859 Biella was besieged by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
ns but Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi
Giuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and fled Italy after a failed insurrection. Garibaldi took part in the War of the Farrapos and the Uruguayan Civil War leading the Italian Legion, and...
forced an end to the siege, and the town became part of the province of Novara
Province of Novara
Novara is a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Novara.It has an area of 1,339 km², and a total population of 365.156 . There are 88 communes in the province.-External links:*...
, losing its status as regional capital that it had received in the 17th century from Charles Emmanuel I of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy
Charles Emmanuel I , known as the Great, was the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630...
; it was transferred to the province of Vercelli
Province of Vercelli
Vercelli is a province in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. Its capital is Vercelli., it has an area of 2,088 km², and a total population of 176,829...
in 1927.
In World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Biella was the scene of armed resistance.
Province of Biella
The Province of Biella is a province of Italy located in Piedmont. It was created in 1992 and its capital is the city of Biella.It has an area of 913 km², and a total population of 187,249...
was formed, separating the territory from the north-western sector of the province of Vercelli.
Wool in the life of Biella
In 1245 the statutes of Biella were already referring to the woolworkers' and weavers' guilds: hardly surprising in view of 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 manufacture was built in 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. Since 1999/2000, a progressively worse crisisCrisis
A crisis is any event that is, or expected to lead to, an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, community or whole society...
in the sector forced many local wool mills to close, since they cannot compete with the extremely low prices of fabric and clothing from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
Main sights
- Giardino Botanico di OropaGiardino Botanico di OropaThe Giardino Botanico di Oropa is a nature preserve and botanical garden located at an altitude of 1200 meters in Oropa, a town about 12 kilometers northwest of Biella, Piedmont, Italy...
, a botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names... - Sacro Monte di OropaSacro Monte di OropaThe Sacro Monte di Oropa is a Roman Catholic devotional complex in the comune of Biella, Piedmont, northern Italy...
- Biella SynagogueBiella SynagogueThe Biella Synagogue is an early 17th century synagogue in Biella, Italy.The synagogue occupies the top floor of a medieval house at Vicolo del Bellone 3, in the heart of the historic Jewish quarter...
Transport
Biella has two railway stations. The main one, Biella San Paolo railway stationBiella San Paolo railway station
Biella San Paolo railway station is the main station serving the town and comune of Biella, in the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1856, it is the junction of the Biella–Novara and Santhià–Biella railways....
, opened in 1856, 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
Novara railway station
Novara railway station is the main station serving the city and comune of Novara, in the Piedmont region, northwestern Italy. Opened in 1854, it forms part of the Turin–Milan and Arona–Alessandria railways, and is also a junction station for four other lines, to Biella, Varallo Siesa, Domodossola...
.
Twin towns
KiryuKiryu
Kiryu is a Japanese surname. It is associated with:*Zero and Ichiru Kiryu, characters from Vampire Knight.*Kazuma Kiryu, main protagonist of the Yakuza video game series.*Kiryū, Gunma a city in Gunma Prefecture, Japan....
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
Arequipa
Arequipa
Arequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
Tourcoing
Tourcoing
Tourcoing is a city in northern France. It is designated municipally as a commune within the département of Nord.Tourcoing is situated near the cities of Lille and Roubaix and the Belgian border.-Main sights:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Weihai
Weihai
Weihai is a city in eastern Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. It is the easternmost prefecture-level city of the province and a major seaport. Between 1898 and 1930, the town was a British colony known as Weihaiwei or the Weihai Garrison , and sometimes as Port Edward...
, People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
, Italy