Vercelli
Vercelli is located approximately in the halfway between Turin and Milan in the middle of the fertile flood plain of the Po Valley. The plain between Vercelli and Novara was once a huge swamp area that was drained by monks and used for agriculture. Even in antiquity, people used the fertile land on the Sesia river and settled here. Vercelli was on the Roman trade route Via Francigena. The cultivation of rice made Vercelli rich.
In the Middle Ages Vercelli was an important bishopric, which was even allowed to mint gold coins.
If you drive through the plain around Vercelli, you will notice the large underwater fields. Rice is still grown along the course of the river and canals, and Vercelli is the largest European rice-growing region and the main factor in the economy.Vercelli is a city rich in history, treasures and works of art. The central Piazza Cavour with the neoclassical cathedral is surrounded by medieval, Gothic and Renaissance buildings and is dominated by the Torre dell’Angelo tower.