VERCELLI | PIEDMONT

Discover Vercelli

Vercelli is the undisputed capital of rice; its production is crucial for the whole of Europe.
The landscape of the entire province of Vercelli is characterized by paddy fields, an environment entirely created by man and the fruit of many years of work. The entire area of Monferrato participates in this great productive design.
Vercelli’s main monument is the Basilica of S. Andrew, built in 1219 and completed in 1227. Worth a visit in Piazza S. Eusebio is the Cathedral, rebuilt in the 16th- century.

Thirty-five kilometers from Vercelli is Gattinara. Inhabited since ancient times by Ligurian and Celtic populations, it is famous for its Frachèt cheese, Lingue alla Gattinara biscuits, and Gattinara and Coste della Sesia wines. Gattinara hosts the Nebbiolo and North Piedmont Regional Winery, which organizes tastings of regional wines and local dishes, as well as walks through the wine-producing areas and participation in activities related to winemaking. The ‘Tabine’ are a curious tradition of Gattinara; they are rooms where the men of the town gather to pass the time, perhaps in the company of good cheese and wine.

A good risotto can be sampled in Trino, a special recipe called ‘Panissa’ made with bacon, salami in fat and Saluggia beans.
The best quality Vercelli rice, such as Arborio and Carnaroli, can be purchased directly from the producers.
The historic centre of Trino is surrounded by the Rice Plain with its canals, dikes and irrigation ditches. On farmland in the hamlet of Lucedio are the ruins of the beautiful Abbey of Santa Maria di Lucedio, founded in 1123 by the Cistercian order.